, ▁etc .). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Ott awa ▁( O nt ario ) ▁created ▁rules ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁bed rooms ▁in ▁newly - built ▁houses , ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁houses ▁with ▁five ▁to ▁eight ▁bed rooms , ▁which ▁can ▁become ▁illegal ▁room ing ▁houses , ▁ ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁known ▁as ▁" b unk h ouses ". ▁ ▁Sub s id ies ▁In ▁New ▁Brun sw ick , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia , ▁and ▁Man it oba , ▁the ▁provincial ▁government ▁have ▁fund ing ▁programs ▁that ▁provides ▁financial ▁assistance ▁to ▁own ers ▁and ▁land l ords ▁of ▁room ing ▁houses ▁that ▁serve ▁low - in come ▁people ; ▁the ▁fund ing ▁must ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁do ▁rep airs ▁of ▁a ▁struct ural , ▁elect rical , ▁pl umb ing , ▁or ▁fire ▁safety ▁nature . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁commercial ▁room ing ▁houses ▁were ▁often ▁former ▁board ing h ouses . ▁After ▁the ▁US ▁Civil ▁War , ▁board ing ▁houses ▁became ▁less ▁common , ▁decl ining ▁from ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁r ental ▁list ings ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁( in ▁San ▁Francisco ) ▁to ▁ 1 0 % ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁and ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 % ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁ ▁One ▁reason ▁for ▁this ▁change ▁was ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁dec ades ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0