REGINA — The province confirmed Tuesday that it is extending the Saskatchewan Secondary Suite Incentive through 2027.
The announcement was made in a statement by Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Jim Reiter, as well as at media events in both Regina and Saskatoon that morning.
In the statement, Reiter pointed to the success of the program so far.
“The SSI has been incredibly successful, with nearly 1,000 new secondary suites being added since its inception,” Reiter said. “I am pleased to extend this program for another year because we know the most effective way to address the rising cost of rent is to increase supply, and that is exactly what the SSI has been doing.”
According to the province, the incentive is aimed at increasing availability of secondary suite rental units by providing an incentive of up to 35 per cent of the total price to construct a new secondary suite at the owner’s primary residence, up to a maximum of $35,000.
At a media event held at a home construction project in Regina, White City–Qu’Appelle MLA Brad Crassweller said the program has done what it set out to do since being introduced in 2023 — “increase rental supply in a market that needs it.”
“We know Saskatchewan has experienced significant housing pressures in recent years, low vacancy rates, strong population growth, and record numbers of newcomers arriving in our communities. And the Secondary Suite Incentive is helping us respond to those pressures.”
He added the program is “not only about increasing supply, it’s about the right kind of supply.”
“These are high-quality suites located in established neighbourhoods, close to schools, transit, workplaces, and amenities. They make better use of existing infrastructure and provide homeowners with a meaningful way to offset their own housing costs.”
Stu Niebergall, president and CEO of the Regina and Region Home Builders’ Association, said the organization was pleased to see the Secondary Suite Incentive extended for another year.
“The Secondary Suite Incentive has been one of the most effective housing tools we’ve seen in Saskatchewan, literally unlocking foundations, helping homeowners build high-quality secondary suites, adding rental supply in established neighbourhoods, and easing affordability pressures across the province. Extending this program is the right move. It gives families more choice and strengthens our housing market at a time when it matters the most.”
In his remarks, Niebergall pointed to building numbers from the City of Regina. He said in 2025 alone, Regina issued 266 secondary suite permits and seven backyard suite permits. He called it “real investment, real construction activity, and real housing supply” for the city and province.
Niebergall said Saskatchewan is well positioned to make this particular program work, noting the province has the “second-highest share of single-family homes in the country and the highest proportion of heated basements and insulated basement walls anywhere in Canada.”
To illustrate the point, Crassweller and Niebergall toured a secondary suite under construction in the basement of a home on Keller Street in southeast Regina.
Niebergall reiterated that foundations in the province are well suited for a program like this, resulting in lower construction costs.
“These foundations, new or in the resale market, are ready for this type of product,” Niebergall said. “And so what that means is the construction costs, comparatively, are significantly lower because much of that work is already in place.”
As an example, Niebergall noted that for secondary suites built in Regina, “they’ve probably been under $90 a square foot to build. And you add the SSI program to that, that would bring that cost below $60 a square foot. Where if you look at CMHC’s MLI Select program for purpose-built rental and their Canadian numbers, that ranges from over $200 a square foot to about $950 a square foot. So … these create very affordable spaces of high-quality, code-compliant units in a market exceptionally quickly.”
He added the program also allows homeowners to “make investments within their own homes.”
“Maybe taking on some rental, taking on the role of a landlord. Maybe keeping aging parents in their home. Maybe helping with a child who’s attending university, or an adult child who’s attending university. Whatever the format, the cost of building these units is significantly lower than really any other form of construction when adding housing supply.”
