When C.R. Riddell first moved into the basement of a quaint house on Winona Drive near St. Clair Avenue West and Christie Street six years ago, he marvelled at the low rent. Then came an expense he didn’t expect.

At that time, the 44-year-old security guard and novelist owned a car, but he discovered the rental unit didn’t include a parking spot. “Paying the city for a street parking permit got expensive,” he says. “First, it was $125 for six months, but then it shot up to $160.”