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.
Most controversially, City of Vancouver Council rescinded the ban on natural gas heating in new homes and restored an option for builders of new construction to use natural gas for space and water heating, with a timeline of implementation for November 1, 2024.
The Council vote was split 6 to 5 and not along party lines, a rare occasion in the current political environment of City Hall. The Mayor’s office acknowledged that messages and concerns received from our members and the sector, had a direct impact on rescinding the previous direction.
Prior to the vote taking place, HAVAN was given a heads-up by the City and afforded the opportunity to provide a quote to be included in their press release. We took the opportunity to acknowledge the very bold move by the City in removing barriers to reduce time and cost restraints in the delivery of housing. HAVAN had the opportunity to share their support to the City in both the Globe and Mail and CBC News, suggesting that the focus should be on the building envelope to building better buildings in an effort to reduce dependency on any and all energy sources as we look to balance the need for more homes, while lessening the industry’s environmental footprint.
HAVAN, while strongly supporting the shift towards climate-friendly construction, has long advocated for a consistent approach across the region when it comes to implementation of the BC Energy Step Code, and more recently, the Zero-Carbon Step Code, and has supported the recommended timelines set out by the Provincial Government to ensure best outcomes for the industry, our members and ultimately the end use, the homeowner.
Having said that, we would like to also recognize the City of Richmond which earlier this month took a step back to examine its implementation schedule for the BC Energy Step Code and to clarify the role of natural gas. A motion brought for forward suggested that the provincial timelines are appropriate and it would be prudent for the City to follow those guidelines. A majority of Council agreed with a staff response expected in September on aligning the City’s implementation of the step code with the province, rather than going faster as currently planned.
It takes courage for elected officials to question their previous decisions, recognize unintended consequences and take action on a different path, particularly in a time of both a housing crisis and a climate crisis. These are but two examples of local governments that have recognized potential negative impacts of policy implementation, have listened to those in the homebuilding sector who have advocated for continued engagement, consistent and measured approaches and consideration of outcomes that have direct impacts on the affordability of newly constructed homes.
Ron would have loved to have been here to see how his advocacy on behalf our members is getting some common sense, albeit after the fact, action from local City Halls.
HAVAN continues to work with CHBA BC and CHBA to advocate for all levels of government to work together to address the challenges of the housing industry including zoning restrictions, density limits, and NIMBYism.
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QUICK BITES …
- HAVAN Board 2024-2025 – Call for Nominations
The 2024-2025 Board of Directors Slate of Officers will be presented and voted on by members at the Wednesday, October 9 Annual Election and Leadership Awards Reception to be held in-person at the Riverway Clubhouse in Burnaby.
In preparation for the upcoming year’s slate, HAVAN is conducting a general call for nominations, inviting members in good standing to submit their candidacy for consideration by the Nominations Committee.All candidates are required to complete and submit this New Board Members Nominations Form by Friday, August 9, 2024, to wendy@havan.ca.The event notice for the October 9 HAVAN Leadership Awards and Annual Election Meeting will be sent out to members mid-August.
- BOC dropped the rate last Wednesday as anticipated by a quarter basis point. As usual, CHBA was invited to the briefing on the Bank’s monetary policy report. As per CHBA, “in addition to the July rate cut, the remarks and tone of the Bank’s statements suggest that they will need to be convinced by incoming data to not cut at the next policy announcement in September. For reference, the Bank believes a benchmark overnight rate set somewhere between 2.25% and 3.25% would be neither stimulative nor restrictive to the overall real economy over the long term. CHBA will continue to monitor the effects of interest rate on new home selling conditions through its Housing Market Index, which is helping to inform the Bank’s decisions. In its updated projections, the Bank believes that rate cuts now will help support home construction and renovations through 2025 and 2026, which CHBA has emphasized is essential. CHBA continues to guide Bank officials that the effect of poor selling conditions over the past 2 years has yet to truly materialize within multi-unit construction—given longer project timelines.”
