As my term as Chair of HAVAN’s Board of Directors comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on this past year, one filled with challenges, collaboration, and meaningful progress for our industry. Serving as Chair has been one of the great privileges of my professional life, and I want to thank each of you for your trust, your engagement, and your steadfast belief in what HAVAN stands for.
Over the past twelve months, I have had the privilege of connecting with so many of you at HAVAN events, committee and council meetings, and industry gatherings. Each conversation reminded me of the incredible people that make up this association: the builders, renovators, designers, suppliers, and service professionals who pour their creativity, expertise, and heart into shaping the communities where we all live and work. HAVAN’s strength has always been rooted in the people who show up and this past year, you showed up in remarkable ways.
Of course, we have also navigated a year of considerable headwinds. Economic uncertainty, U.S. tariffs, and escalating delivery costs have placed new pressures on our businesses. Consumer confidence has wavered. Government fees and regulatory barriers continue to strain affordability and delay housing delivery. These are not small challenges they test even the most experienced among us. Yet, through these difficult conditions, our collective resilience has shone through.
Amid these pressures, HAVAN achieved real wins on behalf of our members. Our Rising Development Costs Threaten Housing Delivery in Metro Vancouver report gained significant media traction, successfully amplifying our industry’s voice across the region. More importantly, it helped frame the affordability conversation in practical, solution-oriented terms emphasizing the need for collaboration between government, industry, and community.
We also contributed meaningfully to the province’s Development Financing Review Committee, advancing important reforms such as the deferral of Development Cost Charges (DCCs) and the broader adoption of surety bonds. These policy changes may sound technical, but they have tangible impacts on how projects get built and how homes reach families faster. These achievements demonstrate what’s possible when HAVAN members stand united behind a common cause.
In the spirit of looking ahead, our Board and senior management team recently came together for a strategic planning session to chart HAVAN’s path forward. The 2025–2028 Strategic Plan establishes a clear direction for the next three years: to strengthen HAVAN’s role as the trusted voice of the home building industry, to deliver high-value programs and services that meet the evolving needs of our members, and to build a strong organizational foundation that ensures long-term sustainability and growth. This plan is more than a document it’s a commitment to serve you better, advocate louder, and build stronger together.
This year also marked a pivotal leadership moment for our association with the appointment of Wendy McNeil as HAVAN’s new CEO. Wendy brings energy, insight and commitment that will guide HAVAN into its next chapter. To Wendy and to the entire HAVAN team: Renee, Dawn, Diana, Carolyn, Vanessa, Sonali, Sheri, Sim, Donavan, and Mariam, thank you. Your dedication, professionalism, and heart are the engine that keeps this association moving forward. Even through a year of transition and external pressures, your commitment never wavered.
To my fellow Board members, it has been an absolute honour to serve alongside such a thoughtful and engaged group of professionals. Each of you has contributed your expertise, your perspective, and your time all in service of a stronger industry. A special thank you to our outgoing Board members Dan Glavind, Larry Clay, and Garret Wall for your leadership and contributions. You have left a lasting mark. And to our incoming Board members, welcome. Your fresh ideas and energy will help drive the next phase of HAVAN’s growth.
On a personal note, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to my husband, Keith. His patience, support, and understanding have been the quiet foundation that allowed me to fully commit to this role. For that, I am deeply grateful.
To every HAVAN member reading this I see the challenges you face, and I know how much weight you carry. The decisions you make every day ripple outward to your staff, your clients, your partners, and your communities. These are difficult times, but they are also defining ones. The conditions may be tough, but the opportunity is real.
What you build today, your business, your reputation, your relationships, your resilience will determine where you stand when the next wave of growth arrives. And it will arrive. Our industry has always emerged stronger from periods of uncertainty because we innovate, we adapt, and we collaborate.
HAVAN’s voice is only as strong as the voices of its members. When our team reaches out for your input, please engage. Share your experiences, your pain points, and your ideas. Your feedback fuels our advocacy and ensures that when HAVAN speaks to government, to media, or to the public it speaks with authenticity and strength. Together, we are far more powerful than we could ever be alone.
As I close this chapter, I want to thank you once again for the privilege of serving as your Chair. This experience has deepened my respect for this industry and for the people who make it thrive. It is now my honour to pass the role of Chair to Jonathan Meads of StreetSide Developments. Jonathan, I have every confidence you will lead with integrity, clarity, and purpose.
To all HAVAN members thank you for your trust, your resilience, and your unwavering commitment to building a better, more affordable, and more sustainable Metro Vancouver. I look forward to seeing what we will achieve together in the years ahead.
REPORTING FROM CHBA NATIONAL WEEK IN OTTAWA
Last week I attended the CHBA National Fall meetings, which brought together Executive Officers, member representatives, and guest speakers from across the country to share ideas, discuss industry challenges, government policies and code, and move forward on initiatives to position our Association as the voice of the residential construction industry from coast to coast.
As the second largest homebuilders association in Canada, HAVAN has seats on the CHBA Board of Directors, and the management committees of the Canadian Renovators’ Council, Women in Residential Construction and Urban Council, with members also participating in the other committees as well, to share our insights with the rest of the country.
CHBA Advancing Member Priorities in a Challenging Market
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHBA’s Board of Directors’ meeting focused on the current state of the industry. Members engaged in discussions on the federal political environment, including ongoing advocacy around the GST relief for new homes – CHBA has prepared a two-page fact sheet for members and HBAs to share with your MPs. Meeting participants expressed the importance of continuing to distinguish between housing affordability (market-rate) and affordable housing (social housing), which the federal government is currently conflating. Board members discussed reasons for regional differences in builder sentiment across the country as evidenced by CHBA’s Housing Market Index Report, as well as sector productivity changes and labour force needs, and provided input into BuildForce Canada’s future plans for labour market statistics development. Most of the Board discussions focused on the vast array of government relations activities that are ongoing, and next steps for advancing advocacy on behalf of members.
Pursuing Alternative Financing Methods for Development Charges and Working with the Federal Government on Housing Goals
URBAN COUNCIL
CHBA’s Urban Council continued talks on pursuing alternative financing methods for development charges (DCs). Retired professor Mario Polèse, who has studied and written extensively on Quebec’s alternatives to DCs, provided thought-provoking data on how the rest of Canada could pursue such alternatives to help lower housing costs. OHBA rounded out the discussion on DCs by speaking to the work they are doing with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to address these out-of-control costs. Members of Urban Council also provided their feedback on the next issue of the Municipal Benchmarking Study in order to ensure that the study remains a useful advocacy tool at the local level. The meeting concluded with officials from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada on Build Canada Homes (BHC) and how the government sees this entity evolving; extensive feedback was provided, especially on the need to go beyond BCH and put much more effort into supporting market-rate housing.
Shaping the Future, One TRC Meeting at a Time
TECHNICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE (TRC)
The TRC discussed efforts to focus the development of national codes on housing affordability. Members started a dialogue with federal government departments such as CMHC, NRC, NRCan and Health Canada on easier access to relevant housing research. Provincial TRC representatives engaged on CHBA’s idea of creating a National Building Code Interpretation Centre and members learned about a new design concept of ‘Accessibility-Ready Housing’ and the newest national code changes on adaptability and visitability.
Advancements in Supporting Modular Construction for Factories, Builders, and Homebuyers
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION COUNCIL
In the wake of several promising government relations wins as advocated in CHBA’s Sector Transition Strategy, the Modular Construction Council meeting participants discussed the ongoing importance of better data to support the sector, and weighed in on what has been helping or hindering productivity in the last decade. A lot of work is being done on the codes and standards front related to modular construction, including a new dedicated National Building Code task group. Financing for modular continues to be a priority, and members provided critical feedback on implementation of CMHC’s new pilot program for modular multi-units and RBC’s residential mortgage financing to support buyers, builders, and factories. To support builders partnering with modular factories, CHBA is undertaking a new “Moving to Modular” training project, and CHBA-BC president Lisa Lacey shared her company’s experience as a builder who is incorporating more modular construction with success.
Capacity Building, Promotional Tools, and Innovative New Programming Supports both Net Zero Builders and Renovators
NET ZERO COUNCIL (NZC)
With all three NRCan-funded projects (Net Zero Renos, Codes Acceleration, and LEEP) having a significant focus on capacity building, attendees learned about new activities helping CHBA’s education efforts gain momentum to support members as they bridge the knowledge gap between what the industry leaders have voluntary been delivering and what’s coming in the new tiered codes. Potential new programming for both GHG emissions and resilience were discussed, continuing CHBA’s role in supporting innovation for early adopters. The upcoming knowledge dissemination activities for the Towards Net Zero Reno project will highlight key lessons learned and help to improve the Net Zero Home Labelling Program for Renovations. A new promo opportunity offering lasting marketing value to CHBA Qualified Net Zero Builders was also introduced.
Driving Innovation in the Renovation Industry with RenoMark, Advocacy, and Sustainability
CANADIAN RENOVATORS’ COUNCIL (CRC)
At this week’s Canadian Renovators’ Council (CRC) meeting, members received important updates and provided input across several strategic areas. The RenoMark Governance Committee (RGC) reported on its October 2nd meeting, highlighting the successful Renovation Month campaign, a comprehensive audit and update of the RenoMark website, and preparations for the annual renewal process. Council members also heard an overview of the breadth of national renovator advocacy efforts, including the upcoming launch of the Renovation Market Index (RMI), a new tool to measure industry trends. Technical insights were shared by the CHBA Tech Team, focusing on the future of greenhouse gas emissions in the renovation sector and equipping renovators with practical tools for climate leadership. Finally, CHBA Net Zero staff and expert panelists presented lessons learned from the “Towards Net Zero Renovation” initiative, offering resources and strategies to help renovators achieve high-performance results and grow their businesses.
Actioning Measures to Support Women in Residential Construction
WOMEN IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION COUNCIL
On Wednesday, CHBA’s Women in Residential Construction Council (WIRCC) came together to advance priorities to support local and provincial HBAs in developing, growing, and sustaining their own women in residential construction initiatives. With the help of WIRCC representatives and their HBAs, CHBA compiled a repository of activities going on across the country to support and promote women in the sector for others to leverage. The group also discussed measures to promote women in industry, including through two new CHBA webpages focused on women in residential construction and through CHBA’s communications plan for Women in Construction Week (March 1-8). Finally, the WIRCC participated in an extensive discussion about the proposed development of a CHBA children’s book centered around the careers and experiences of women in industry, an initiative aimed at equipping CHBA members and HBAs with tangible resources for presentations to schools about careers in the sector.
Executive Officers Share Resources and Strategies for Stronger Associations
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS’ COUNCIL (EOC)
The EOC is comprised of Executive Officers (EOs) and HBA staff members from local, provincial, and national levels of the Association. It focuses on supporting the professional development of EOs, continuous improvement in the administration and management of the Association at all levels and enhancing collaboration and sharing of experience among EOs to strengthen all of our associations. EOs engaged in a roundtable discussion about challenges and opportunities at their HBA, touching on various issues, including membership recruitment and retention, priority advocacy issues for members, and best methods for disseminating information in advance of media engagement. Overall, the meeting reinforced the value of strategic planning, peer learning, and communication among the network of EOs at all three levels.
Did you attend this event or participate in these committees and councils? What are your thoughts on the conversations and points above? Share your thoughts at wendy@havan.ca.
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.
Looking to stay up-to-date on Metro Vancouver’s residential housing industry? Sign up for Wendy’s weekly Monday Briefing and other HAVAN emails here.
QUICK BITES …
- HAVAN’s Annual Connect Municipal Dinner November 13 – Three Mayors. One Night. Endless Connections! Mayors Linda Buchanan (City of North Van) and Eric Woodward (Township of Langley) moderated by Frances Bula (Globe and Mail) promises to be an engaging evening. Tickets.
- HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence Call for Entries opens today at 4 p.m.
- HAVAN is looking to members to sign up as a drop off location in support of the Coats for Kids campaign to help collect gently used outerwear and new toys during your business hours. This is an easy way to connect with your community and help support the Lower Mainland and Surrey Christmas Bureaus. Deadline to sign up is October Join the fun here.
- Bank of Canada expected to cut key rate despite mixed inflation, jobs data | BIV
- Richmond warns property owners B.C. Supreme Court decision could ‘negatively affect title’ | The Globe and Mail
