Raise the Hammer

1. Hmmm...interesting. I wasn't aware of the minimum classification on multi-residential, and was led to believe otherwise. This...changes things. The house I own happens to already be zoned in my favor...and the grandfather clause on a few things exempts me from some of the more absurd requirements (I didn't convert it; judging by some of the evidence I've found in my renovations, I'd date the conversion to the late 70's).

2. I...would have to disagree with you there. The leading cause of the closure of schools has much more to do with finances than attendance. With the numerous additional programs added to what once was a basic education, the pooling of resources has become a requirement, and thus, the pooling of schools. I could spend a lot of time on modern education...but that would be getting side-tracked.

3-5. The only argument from me would be that without these types of 'human kennels', we'd end up with a lot more people on the street. Even ignoring the tax portion of my assesment above...no-one on social assistance could afford to rent a unit following your criteria above. I'm certainly not a fan of them, but they have their purposes. Students would be the other large factor. They really do have to live somewhere, and their income vs expenses puts them in the same financial category as those on welfare. Whether you have someone renting individual rooms to six strangers, or three students splitting the rent on a 1/2 house unit, you end up with the same thing.

1. Many, many people purchase houses with rental units only to find that these are 'illegal' (though that's not my defense; I went in eyes wide open...apparently a little too wide...) While offering them incentives may be going too far, offering assistance (legal, loans, even just a friendly face) would certainly be in the city's best interest. After all, the city's primary concern is (or should be) safety. Better to help them legalize their units and ensure everything's up to snuff than simply ignore the problem.