Vancouver city council will decide Tuesday on a controversial zoning proposal to allow separate mini-suites inside existing apartments.

A staff report to be debated at the meeting could see the minimum size for a secondary suite shrink to 205 square feet.

The idea came from UniverCity -- a development on Burnaby Mountain -- that gave the option of including built-in secondary suites, measuring about 350 square feet within the existing 700 square foot apartment.

Jonathon Tinney of UniverCity says the "suites within a suite" were the units that tended to sell first in the development.

"People can rent them out now, use them for a child in the future, perhaps for an older relative down the road," he said.

Tinney says the suites, which rent for around $400 a month, provide much needed flexibility for buyers.

"It allows people to stay in the same unit but have it grow or shrink to meet their needs over time," Tinney said.

Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie agrees.

"This is a temporary accommodation people for people that don't need extra space and need relatively cheap accommodation and as their needs change they'll move to another location," he said.

Louie says the suites could provide a "mortgage helper" and a public team would ensure high building standards would remain in place if the proposal goes through.

"The suites would be an improvement over what currently exists," he said.

"We'll ensure they meet minimum standards and that means they'll have a washroom a kitchen and a separate entrance."

Those opposed to the plan say the city is under pressure from developers.

Alicia Barsallo, the leader of the Coalition against EcoDensity and for Livability, says the plan is misguided and is unfair to renters already living in a cramped space.

"This is a step in the wrong direction," Barsallo said. "What we should be doing is we should be building really affordable housing,"

"There's no reason why low income people can't live in decent spaces. Everybody deserves decent housing, not just people with money."

City staff are asking for the issue to go to a public hearing.

The suites are only proposed for several areas of Vancouver, including residential areas inside the downtown core and southeast False Creek, near the new Olympic Village.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber