Consistency is Key…
As HAVAN and its members continue to provide feedback to 21 municipalities and the Metro Vancouver Regional District regarding developer fees and charges, HAVAN is in the process of submitting…
NEW YEAR, NEW LIBERAL LEADER …
Happy New Year! I hope you had a chance to disconnect over the holiday season and are ready for a healthy and prosperous 2025. The big news to kick off…
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEW YEAR …
It’s safe to say that all of us are looking forward to some well-deserved rest and reprieve during this holiday season. It’s been a tough year for this industry with…
ALL WE WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS LOWER DCCs…
Instead of writing to the big man in red, maybe it’s time we asked the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure for this year’s holiday wish list. Development Cost Charges (DCCs)…
AND THE DECISION IS …
How did we get here? On July 13, 2016, Council approved the Zero Emissions Building Plan that was developed with industry and established a regulatory framework to set and progressively…
He’s Making A List and Checking it Twice…
Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice. In May 2023, the new Housing Supply Act and Housing Supply Regulation came into effect, giving the BC Government the authority to set…
BC GOVERNMENT ROLLS OUT THE MINISTRIES AND MINISTERS …
With apologies, that the Monday Morning Briefing didn’t get to your email this morning, we wanted to hold off and share the government announcements that took place earlier today. With…
HAVAN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM: Working for You!
Research, Education, and Advocacy Focus: Trusted Advisors to Municipal Governments This past year has been a pivotal one for housing advocacy, with significant actions taken by government to expedite housing…
PROVINCIAL ELECTION UPDATE…Every Vote Counts!
Here we are, nine days post-election day, still waiting for final results in what is a razor-thin margin in which one riding change could mean the difference between a minority…
A LOOK AT NEW LEADERSHIP…
HAVAN’s 2024/2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COUNCIL CHAIRS ANNOUNCED Vancouver, BC – Members of the Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) elected Alisa Aragon-Lloyd, founder and CEO, Bridgestone Financing Pros as their 2024/2025 Chair at…
ANALYZING BC’s PROVINCIAL ELECTION HOUSING PLATFORMS: THE STAKES FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
As we approach the provincial election, housing remains a critical issue for voters across BC. The ongoing housing crisis, characterized by limited supply, increased building costs, market uncertainty, and regulatory…
Why Are Big-Name Developers Writing Letter to the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors?
Around this time last year, it was announced that the Metro Vancouver Regional District was planning to more than double — even triple, in some cases — its Water DCC…
Provincial and Local Government Elected Officials Meet Next Week….
Next week in Vancouver the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) will be hosting its annual convention, a gathering of over 2,000 local government elected officials, influencers and provincial government representatives. For over…
HOUSING ANNOUNCEMENTS CONTINUE TO ROLL IN…
EXPANSION OF 30-YEAR AMORTIZATIONS AND INCREASED INSURED MORTGAGE CAP At a press conference this morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced significant reforms to the Canadian…
IN RETROSPECT, SOME THINGS CHANGE, AND SOME THINGS REMAIN THE SAME …
It is with a heavy heart that I write this guest edition of MMB. Ron Rapp and I knew each other in Toronto, where he held a senior position with…
UNITING A COLLECTIVE VOICE TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS …
As we look forward to the fall, the pending provincial election is top of mind. HAVAN, with our 1,100 members across the Lower Mainland’s 21 municipalities, collectively represent a powerful…
THE ONGOING QUEST TO BUILD HOMES, AFFORDABLY …
The need for affordable housing solutions has never been more urgent. While advancements in building science have paved the way for more energy-efficient and sustainable homes, they are not a…
COMMON SENSE IN CITY HALLS? …
As we head into a summer lull, we look to local governments that recently are realizing that some of their well-intentioned decisions have consequences that might have been previously considered.…
A FAREWELL TO RON RAPP
HAVAN Members, By now, many of you have heard former HAVAN CEO Ron Rapp passed peacefully last Thursday, July 18 surrounded by family and friends. We are re-posting the following…
Hot Town, Summer in the City …
As the temperatures are soaring across the province, WorkSafeBC’s new Heat stress screening tool is now available on the resources section of the Heat stress page on worksafebc.com. Users can use this interactive tool…
Some Did, Some Will, and Some Won’t…
Well, the June 30th deadline for local governments to enact legislation to align with the Provincial Government Bills 44 and 47, has come and gone. And across the region, there has been…
RON RAPP STEPS DOWN AS HAVAN CEO: ANNOUNCED JUNE 19
In case you missed the original announcement last week, we announced that Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO, stepped down to focus on his health and family. As many of you…
CELEBRATING HAVAN: A LEGACY OF BUILDING AND COMMUNITY
From its humble beginnings as a small gathering of builders and suppliers in the New Westminster Legion Hall basement 50 years ago, to becoming the largest homebuilders association in BC…
HUBBA HUBBA …
The province launched a new digital Building Permit Hub on May 27 in its next step to help build homes faster and address challenges in B.C.’s housing market. Still in…
JUST BORROW AND BUILD …
As we count down—just two weeks and three days left—until HAVAN’s 50th anniversary celebration, we’ve been digging in our archives and discovered an advertisement from 1974 promoting a government program…
TWO-FERS AND TRIFECTAS …
Last week May 23 – May 25 saw the CHBA-BC Provincial Meetings and Georgie Awards taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver. These meetings include networking, education, special guests,…
WEST MEETS EAST …
Last week In Saint John, New Brunswick the CHBA National Housing Week took place bringing members, HBA staff, EOs, and sponsors together for a week of committee meetings, AMM Meeting,…
MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU …
The grand halls of the JW Marriott Parq Hotel in Vancouver set the stage for an unforgettable evening of galactic celebration as esteemed members gathered for the unveiling of the…
MAKING HIS LIST, AND CHECKING IT TWICE …
Sorry, it’s not Santa Claus – it’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. Last week the Ministry of Housing announced the next 20 communities to be issued prescribed housing targets – also…
PERSISTANCE PAYS OFF …
On Friday, April 12, 2024, the Federal government announced and released details for Canada’s Housing Plan. Per the backgrounder provided by the federal government “Through Canada’s Housing Plan, the government…
$HOW ME THE MONEY …
This past week there were no less than 3 major housing announcements from the Federal government totaling $21.6 billion. MAJOR FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS Infrastructure Fund Allocation The week kicked off with…
IT’S AWARDS SEASON …
SAG, Golden Globes, Emmy’s, Tony’s, the Oscars, and a bunch of other awards have all been handed out over the last few weeks, but all are overshadowed by the highly…
A BILLION HERE, BILLION THERE … AND SUDDENLY, IT’S GONE.
Last week the federal government announced the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) was exhausted, and all funds had been earmarked for about 150 communities across Canada. These monies, specifically…
IN STREAM, OR UP THE CREEK? …
“In Stream” applications are applications that have been duly submitted into the approval process with the goal of satisfying stipulated requirements of the municipality to secure a development permit or…
A LASER FOCUSED VIEW ….
Do we have a housing crisis or don’t we? Has this crisis grown to a critical point where the ability to afford a home either purchased or rental is exceeding…
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK, REALLY …
As noted in previous Monday Morning Briefings (MMB) and Government Relations Updates (GRU), there has been no end to government consultations on competing fronts of crisis and we encourage all…
A LEGENDARY EVENING …
It was a full house last week as we celebrated our 2024 Legends of Housing (50-Year Retrospective and Future Outlook), as an inaugural kick-off to HAVANs 50th anniversary which will roll…
THE COSTS OF BUILDING, AND THE COSTS OF NOT BUILDING…
2023 had been a tough year for the construction industry and between rising construction costs, development cost charges, community amenity charges, interest rates, inflation, etc., the private sector continued to…
HEADWINDS PREVAILING …
HEADWINDS PREVAILING … The prevailing interest rate environment, a key factor shaping the 2024 housing landscape, is poised for the first Bank of Canada Rate announcement scheduled this Thursday, January…
BRANCHING OUT …
Looking towards a more sustainable future. As we embark on a new year, a holistic approach to the homes we are building is predicted for 2024 and beyond. Recognizing the…
HAVAN END OF YEAR RAPP-UP …
As we begin our new fiscal year and look forward to 2024, I wish to extend a warm welcome to our new Board Chair, Henri Belisle of TQ Construction, who,…
UNPRECEDENTED … YET AGAIN …
The fall of 2023 has witnessed an unprecedented surge in announcements and housing-related legislation, surpassing the cumulative measures introduced over the past decade. The sheer scope, scale, and volume of…
Days at the Legislature …
Submitted by Diana Dilworth, Director of Government Relations December 4, 2023 It was a few long days spent in Victoria last week as HAVAN participated in CHBA-BC’s Day at the…
IT IS BROKEN…AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
The recent string of housing announcements by the Province since the beginning of November represents the most significant changes in how we approach zoning, approvals, as-of-right zoning, infrastructure financing, short-term…
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR YOU, … AND YOU, … AND YOU …
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR YOU, … AND YOU, … AND YOU … Over the past few weeks, the Province of BC, with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, has made four noteworthy announcements addressing…
VAGUELY ENTERTAINING …
This past Wednesday, HAVAN hosted its annual Connect: Municipal Dinner, presented by BC Housing and Patron Sponsor FortisBC at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver with 190 registered members including 24 elected…
THEY CARE … JUST NOT THAT MUCH.
Following on last week’s MMB concerning the pending increase in DCCs being considered, a letter sent by Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser to the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board was…
DCCs and Cs, and Cs, and Cs …
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, one of Aesop’s Fables, is a story of an impoverished farmer and wife who have the good fortune of coming into possession of…
ASSOCIATION ELECTS 2023/2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Members of the Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) elected Henri Belisle, President and Co-owner, TQ Construction as their 2023/2024 Chair at HAVAN’s Annual Election Meeting online, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. A HAVAN…
UBCM 2023 HIGHLIGHTS
With the attendance of the Province’s Premier, Ministers and MLAs, and over 2,000 local government officials debating over 200 resolutions, it was a record Union of BC Municipalities Convention (UBCM)…
A SWEEPING FIRST STEP FOR CoV …
Last Thursday, after a lengthy eight-hour public hearing, the Vancouver Council unanimously passed a motion for lower-density neighbourhoods to allow up to eight homes on a single lot. The new…
WILL RATES RALLY? …
This past week the Bank of Canada held its rate at 5% after raising its benchmark rate 10 times since 2022. Creating a sense of relief across the housing industry,…
Ron’s Rant
As summer closes in, Ron has taken a few days to catch up with family in cottage country and scour the streets of Toronto, as seen in this shot below…
Peter’s Post
When Ron Rapp asked me if I would provide a guest Monday Morning Briefing (MMB) column while he is visiting family in Ontario, I jumped at the chance. MMB is…
DON’T PUT THE LOAD ALL ON ME…
We are once again in the grips of a heat wave in Metro Vancouver and while a lower order of magnitude than the “Heat Dome” of 2021, it is still…
UP, UP AND AWAY …
On July 10 of this year, the Township of Langley (TOL) staff presented to council a proposal for increases in DCCs that amount to significant increases in the charges levied…
SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE …
This week, the City of Vancouver will consider staff reports in regard to the program of “gentle densification” and the creation of the opportunity to apply four to six units…
NEW HEIGHTS …
The Bank of Canada (BoC) has raised its benchmark overnight lending rates by another 0.25% to 5%, the highest level since 2001, in a continued battle to bring down inflation…
CH-CH-CHA-CHANGES …
The City of Vancouver on May 30 approved a motion to expedite approvals and permits through a triage and prioritization process that will provide the most units in the fastest…
BENEFITS FOR EVERYONE …
Ron is taking a well-deserved few days to get some R&R, and in his absence, I bring you this week’s MMB. ICYMI Last week, HAVAN presented ‘Let’s Talk Mental Health…
MISSING MIDDLE, MISSING THE TARGET …
With the recent announcements from the province identifying ten municipalities to be focused on in terms of increasing housing supply under the umbrella of the Housing Supply Act (HSA), Vancouver…
THE NAUGHTY LIST …
Last Wednesday Housing Minister the Honourable Ravi Kahlon announced the first group of ten municipalities that will be dealt with under the terms of the Housing Supply Act previously enacted…
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MINISTER …
Falling on the Victoria Day long weekend there was no MMB last week, but I would like to take a moment to recap the meetings and events that took place…
HAVAN GOES TO OTTAWA …
As I was away last week, I wanted to thank Dawn Sondergaard for stepping in to post last week’s MMB and providing an insightful article focusing on mental health issues…
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
May is Mental Health Awareness Month across North America and an issue that impacts our industry sector particularly hard. Of the many issues faced throughout the past few years with…
GENTLE DENSITY …
We need to find ways to enhance flexibility and choices, to encourage innovative and creative solutions, and not to reach into the “old bag” of compounding and conflicting regulations as…
NIGHT OF NIGHTS …
The 14th annual HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence gala took place on Saturday night, April 22 at the JW Marriot Parq Hotel in Vancouver, with 550 guests in attendance to…
REALIZING RESULTS …
The Province, on Monday, April 3, announced the Homes for People initiative that is focused directly on producing housing for the “missing middle” and includes the concept of extending province-wide…
FEDERAL BUDGET GIVETH … TAKES … OR DOES NOTHING
The federal government tabled its 2023 budget last week and in many ways, it was characterized as a relatively light budget seeking to provide some relief for Canadians challenged by…
HURRY UP AND WAIT …
It was widely reported last week that for the first time in this country’s history, our population grew by over 1 million people, year over year in 2022. International migration…
MORE BILLIONS HERE, AND BILLIONS THERE …
Following up on the last Federal budget on Friday, March 17, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the launch of the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) directed toward funding local governments…
They Will Come – Now We Have to Build It …
It has been extensively reported that the immigration targets set by the federal government will require effectively doubling housing starts, and it has to start now. The number of newcomers…
A Billion Here, a Billion There …
… pretty soon it starts to add up to real money! On Tuesday last week, Finance Minister Katrine Conroy presented the 2023 BC budget, the first budget under new Premier David…
WINNERS WINNERS …
Last week was Family Day with no MMB, and the week prior I was away in Banff, Alberta, attending CHBA National Home Building Week 2023, from Sunday, February 12, to…
LEVERAGING YOUR MEMBERSHIP
Byline: Dawn Sondergaard, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, February 13, 2023 Ron is in Banff AB this week at CHBA National…
FINDING ROOM FOR THE MISSING MIDDLE
Byline: Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, February 6, 2023 Connect with Ron on Twitter @havan_ceo Last week, City of Vancouver staff…
RECKLESS OPTIMISM OR REALISTIC?
Guest Byline: Diana Dilworth, HAVAN Director, Government Relations, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, January 23, 2023 Connect with Diana on Twitter @DianaDilworth This past week…
STEPPING UP …
Updated January 23, 2023 MMB CORRECTION In last week’s MMB we highlighted changes coming forward with the adoption of Step Code into the BCBC and spoke of mandating Step 3…
A NEW YEAR …
Byline: Ron Rapp, HAVAN CEO, first published in the HAVAN Monday Morning Briefing Members-only email, January 9, 2023 Connect with Ron on Twitter @havan_ceo Happy New Year to all and…
