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It’s only been a year since Toronto finally approved “as-of-right” zoning for laneway housing. But there have already been 100 inquiries — and as similar zoning is extended to the suburbs, as many as 47,000 sites may be eligible for new builds.

“Once this takes hold there will be a big demand,” Leith Moore says.

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He has a stake in the game, of course. His company R-Hauz (“Our House”) develops custom builds for urban properties. But he’s betting on the future of laneway living — which can range from high-design home offices to income-generating rental properties — because it’s a rare affordable option in this mortgage-strapped city.

“There is potential to create thousands of units without spending a dime or selling city land,” says Moore.

The new zoning means that owners of properties that back onto Toronto public lanes can construct a secondary laneway suite without having to go through public hearings or municipal councils — an approval process that used to cost upwards of $50,000 — as long as they follow zoning by-laws.