The Municipality of Tweed is getting rid of some of the red tape around mobile homes.
Council has voted in favour of amending a zoning by-law to permit the use of a mobile home within the Rural and Rural Residential Zones within the municipality.
Mayor Don DeGenova says mobile homes have always been allowed, but owners had to apply for a zoning amendment which added time and cost to the project.
They will no longer have to do this.
“Anybody could have done this already in the Municipality of Tweed but you had to apply for that zoning amendment and that gets quite expensive and prolongs the process. You know, that’s another month or so on the desire to build a home. We’re just trying to clean all that up, make it easier for people.”
DeGenova says this will streamline the process and puts Tweed in line with other municipalities.
“And then the other thing we wanted to do – housing affordability is a huge crisis right across this country let alone in Hastings County and the Municipality of Tweed. And this would allow people an option of getting into a home faster because they tend to be cheaper than building a home right from scratch.”
Owners would still have to meet the same criteria as anyone building a home.
“These are mobile homes that require a foundation, that require a septic system, that require a drilled well, just like anybody building a home in rural Tweed right now. All that same criteria. Same with the lot size, everything. All that stuff will remain the same.”
The item is set to receive final approval at the next meeting of council.
