What is the Secondary Suite Incentive Program?
The City of Calgary’s Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP) can reimburse eligible safety work in a secondary suite within the main dwelling, up to the current City program maximum of $10,000. New applications are currently listed as waitlisted, so this guide is a planning checklist rather than a promise of funding. For the live status and homeowner decision boundary, see OAF’s Calgary SSIP status page.
Which suite type does SSIP cover?
SSIP is for an in-home secondary suite, such as a basement or main-floor suite. A detached backyard or garage suite is assessed under a separate City program. Do not use SSIP assumptions for a detached structure; compare the current Backyard Suites Incentive Program separately.
What should I verify before applying?
Use the City page as the controlling source and check these items for the property:
- The address is within the City of Calgary and the homeowner meets the current ownership and occupancy rules.
- The proposed suite is inside the main dwelling and has the permits and safety scope the program recognizes.
- The application is submitted before qualifying work begins, when intake is open. Work completed before the application may not be eligible.
- The homeowner, not the contractor, submits the application and receives the City’s eligibility decision.
- Any additional energy-efficiency, accessibility, rental, or documentation conditions are confirmed in the current City materials.
How should I budget around SSIP?
Build a budget that works without the incentive. If intake opens and the City approves the application, the approved amount can reduce eligible costs; it is not a guaranteed discount from a contractor’s quote. OAF can scope the legal-suite work, identify the permit path, and provide a written fixed-price agreement before construction, while the City controls program eligibility and payment.
A practical application sequence
- Confirm the address, suite type, and current City intake.
- Review the City’s secondary-suite permit requirements.
- Define the safety and construction scope that may be eligible.
- Submit the homeowner application when the City is accepting applications and before qualifying work starts.
- Keep the permits, invoices, inspection records, and other documents the City requests.
- Complete the approved work and follow the City’s claim instructions.
How OAF supports the planning
OAF reviews the address, existing basement conditions, egress, fire separation, mechanical requirements, and permit path. We can help organize project information for the homeowner’s application, but we do not claim to be an approved SSIP contractor and cannot guarantee eligibility, funding, or payment timing.
For a property-specific review, use the Calgary SSIP eligibility checker or request a fixed-price legal-suite fit check.
Sources: City of Calgary Secondary Suite Incentive Program and secondary-suite permit requirements. Official City pages reviewed September 1, 2026; confirm current intake and eligibility before relying on an incentive.