Saskatchewan Secondary Suite Incentive Grant Program

Saskatchewan is growing at its fastest pace in more than a century and requires additional housing stock across a wide range of communities and price ranges. Over the past three years, availability of rental units in the private market has decreased as the province’s population has increased to record gains and opportunities for home ownership have tightened with rising interest rates.

You can contribute to providing more rental housing in your community, while investing in your property. A secondary suite can help pay a mortgage, or provide a home for aging parents, adult children or other family members. The grant has been designed, with flexibility in mind, to improve housing affordability and increase the availability of rental units in our communities, while also generating supplementary income for homeowners who would like to secure a new revenue stream to help support their own primary housing affordability over the medium and long-term.

1. The SSI grant program provides a grant of 35 per cent of eligible costs to construct a new secondary suite at an owner’s primary residence. The grant amount is capped at a maximum of $35,000 for a qualifying suite.
2. A qualifying secondary suite is a new separate dwelling unit located on the premises of the owner’s primary residence. For purposes of the SSI, a qualifying suite includes a secondary suite within the residence, or a laneway home, garden suite, or garage suite. Only one secondary suite unit for the owner’s primary residence will be considered for the grant.
3. A qualifying suite must meet the requirements of a secondary suite according to the National Building Code of Canada and any other applicable national, provincial and municipal bylaws, codes and standards. The homeowner or builder must have received all required permitting and legal approvals necessary for the unit to be used as a rental property; however, the program eligibility criteria will not require verification that the suite has been rented before the grant is paid.
4. Eligible costs are those incurred from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026, that are directly related to the construction or the renovation of an existing space, which results in a new qualifying secondary suite, and includes the cost of standard appliances (i.e. washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove and dishwasher) up to a maximum of $5,000. Examples of eligible costs include engineering and architectural services, materials and contract labour related to construction, interior finishing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and standard appliances. The applicable PST must have been paid on all eligible costs.
5. The SSI will be administered by the Ministry of Finance, and eligible applicants may access funding through the SSI program alongside existing Saskatchewan incentives, including the expanded Provincial Sales Tax (PST) Rebate for New Home Construction, provided the applicant meets the prescribed eligibility criteria for each program.
6. The cost of renovating an existing secondary suite or the primary residence are not eligible. Other ineligible costs include minor appliances (e.g. microwaves), draperies, tools and cleaning products.

The SSI program is open to homeowners who construct a new qualifying secondary suite on the premises of their primary residence, with eligible costs incurred from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026, to accommodate projects that have already been initiated. Construction of the secondary suite must be completed on or before March 31, 2027, and applications must be received by Finance on or before March 31, 2027.

When applying for the SSI grant program, please ensure the application form is properly completed and includes all necessary supporting documents and invoices. Construction of the secondary suite must be complete (occupancy certificate or equivalent issued by the municipality) before you apply.

Please review the program overview and application instructions prior to applying, and contact the Ministry of Finance if you have questions.

If you hire a builder, please obtain their federal business number (BN) and PST vendor’s licence number, and record these numbers on the application to assist with processing your application. Homeowners are encouraged to search the Provincial Sales Tax Registry to verify the business holds a valid PST vendor’s licence. If you are assigning payment of the grant to the builder, the Notification of Assignment Form must also be completed.

The party who will receive payment of the grant must complete and submit the direct deposit payment request form (i.e., homeowner or builder) as identified on the application form.

Applications must be received by Finance on or before March 31, 2027.

Apply for the SSI grant program

For more information about the program, contact the Ministry of Finance Inquiry Centre at 1-800-667-6102 (toll free) or 306-787-6645 (Regina local calling area); or email ssisask@gov.sk.ca.

For information regarding the building codes and building permit requirements in your area, please contact your municipality.