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, the provincial board meeting, AGM, and meeting of the incoming board for 2024/2025.
Things got rolling on the afternoon of the 23rd with all the provincial presidents, their 1st vices, and selected guests from HBA’s across BC meeting to introduce themselves and discuss matters of mutual concern. Concurrently all the provincial executive officers met to review national meetings, and also touch on issues of mutual concern affecting HBA’s across BC. It was of immense value to be able to meet in person, which allowed for more direct and engaged conversations. The meetings extended into dinner and added a social dimension that helps to build strong and effective alliances for the association when we can all find common ground and support each other to the benefit of the industry as a whole.
Friday the 24th of May saw a full day of back-to-back meetings with networking continued through breakfast, and moving into an hour-long session focused on dealing with Code of Ethics, the process of reviewing formal complaints against members and affecting potential disciplinary actions in a fair, open-minded, and balanced manner that protects the association and members. Presented by lawyer Sarah McCalla, partner at Norton Rose Fullbright Canada LLP, Sarah provided a great session that covered the issues in a very focused and concise manner. The PowerPoint summary was made available by Sarah and will steer the conversation as we seek to build more structure around adherence to our by-laws and code of ethics.
The highlight of the meeting was a one-hour Q&A session with the Honourable Ravi Kahlon, BC Minister of Housing and Government House Leader. Appearing in front of local HBA representatives, EOs, and GR members and with the discussion moderated by David Bieber, Consul of the Minister, five areas were discussed that stemmed from members, the provincial GR committee, and the GR representatives at the local level.
ACCESSIBILITY
Starting with a discussion on the pending Code changes calling for 100% adaptable units in large condominium and apartment buildings as of March 1, 2025, it was presented that these requirements could have a significant impact on floor areas with estimates ranging from 6% to as high as 20% increase in square footage per unit being required that would drive accelerated costs and, in bumping into municipal FAR restrictions, the loss of units. The question to the Minister was direct: How will the province balance housing affordability and supply priorities with accessibility?
The Minister indicated that he was aware of the concerns being presented by industry and that he was committed to maintaining the open dialogue and roundtable discussions going on with industry and government representatives and reviewing the analysis of the impacts being undertaken with the working groups in both an empirical and practical manner. He would also look to work with authorities having jurisdiction to avoid the accessibility requirements becoming prohibitive to delivering housing projects.
DCCs and ACC POLICIES
The next series of questions concerned charges being imposed onto new residential housing by municipalities in the ongoing application of the “growth pays for growth” concept of financing new development. Industry is concerned with government-imposed charges that have in some cases ballooned to as much as 30 to 40% of the cost base, with Vancouver, Surrey, and Burnaby applying charges that are over three times the national average. The Minister was asked;
- if the province would consider a freeze in increases to charges,
- a higher mandated minimum assist factor than the current 1%,
- more robust protection of instream applications, and
- what the feedback from municipalities was regarding the new ACC policies.
Minister Kahlon was somewhat evasive in addressing these questions and acknowledged that many projects were now being rendered financially unviable on account of no longer penciling out in the face of unpredictable and significant increases in charges. He noted that the funding of the growth of new development and the new ACC policies intended to provide more predictability and certainty and that the opportunity to review a more fair and effective grandfathering protocol could be examined.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure challenges were also discussed regarding capacity issues associated with the increased density driven by multiplex policies and increased density being proposed adjacent to transit hubs and corridors and what was the province prepared to do to support the required expansion and or upgrading of existing infrastructure. The Minister suggested that the multiplex infill proposals were the best use of existing infrastructure and that careful consideration of estimating impacts and capacities is required, and that the province was committed to providing support for extending and expanding services as required.
PROMPT PAYMENT
The question was posed to the Minister with respect to the lobby surrounding Prompt Payment legislation which is looking to mirror similar legislation in Alberta and Ontario that would stipulate that approved invoices be paid in a maximum of 28 days. The Association is opposed to adopting this type of legislation for the residential construction sector due to it being unwieldy, with added expense, additional administration, and an additional layer on top of the Builders Lien Act. We are concerned that other construction associations more focused on ICI and capital works projects are pushing hard on Prompt Payment. The Minister indicated that he was aware of the concerns raised by our sector and that at this time the government is not contemplating adopting this protocol.
2030 CLEANBC ROADMAP
The Minster was very generous in his responses and did take note of many issues raised by members about what was being discussed and his responses were open and forthright. Constrained by time and other commitments we were not able to delve too deeply into the last item on the agenda, which concerned the pending requirements of Highest Efficiency Equipment Requirements, Zero Carbon Buildings, and the CleanBC Roadmap 2030. We wished to specifically touch on electrification requirements and hydro capacity which are becoming a barrier to increased housing supply and affordability. The Minister did invite comment concerns being forwarded by members and the association to his office for further consideration and discussion.
One serious issue that was raised by those in attendance was that in the course of consultations taking place with ministry staff on a variety of pending matters, the input of industry participants was not being taken seriously, and in some cases, members were being discounted and or disrespected. The Minister expressed his regret that this might be happening and vowed to review the issue with his staff, and that he felt collaboration with industry and our input was essential as we seek to address the ongoing housing crisis.
Overall, it was a very robust engagement with the Minister with meaningful dialogue and exchange. We thank the Minister for taking the time to meet and hear our concerns and hope this will contribute to more consultations that can lead to positive outcomes for all.
HAVAN REPRESENTATION
The day moved on to the provincial board meeting and AGM which saw Randy Chin, HAVAN board member stepping down as the CHBA-BC president, and Mark Bernhardt from Vancouver Island assuming this role for the next year. HAVAN has a total of three positions on the Provincial Board, and Randy will carry on as provincial representative to National, HAVAN board member Dan Glavind will continue as treasurer, and will be joined on the executive by Henri Belisle as presidential appointee. This provides HAVAN with good representation on the provincial board and serves to strengthen our ties with CHBA-BC.
CELEBRATIONS AND THE GEORGIE AWARDS
The day capped out with the President’s dinner also at the Hyatt where tribute was paid to Laura Sew on the 10-year anniversary of her tenure as events manager and producer of the Georgie Awards, to Randy as outgoing president, and welcoming Mark as the incoming president. There was lots of good humour and cheers offered and the association awards were also handed out which saw HAVAN as the recipient of The Highest Number of New Members award – many thanks to the efforts of HAVAN Membership and Retention team Renee Auer and Carolyn Beale.
The last event of the provincial meetings was the Georgie Awards themselves, and Laura and her team transformed the Hyatt reception area and ballroom into the World of Willy Wonka hosted by HGTV personality Todd Talbot with candy coated décor, audio visuals, and costumed performers. The evening was also attended by Premier David Eby who rounded out the political “two-fer” weekend first with Ravi Kahlon, and then the premier which is a testament to the relevancy and traction our association has established. We extend our gratitude to both Minister Kahlon and Premier Eby for taking the time to attend and address our membership.
The room was sold out with an excited crowd numbering close to 700 in attendance with 49 awards handed out reflecting the best in production home builders, custom home builders, renovators, multi-family homes, small homes, sales and marketing, landscaping and outdoor living, interior design, environmental initiative, and energy labeling. HAVAN was extremely well represented among both finalists and winners with 36 of the 49 awards going to HAVAN members.
Of particular note were multiple Georgie award winners Tavan Developments Inc who were also awarded Residential Renovator of the year, Naikoon Contracting Ltd. who were named Custom Home Builder of the Year, multiple award winner Sarah Gallop Design Inc. including Best Interior Design, Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing Ltd, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Alabaster Homes, Residential Community of the Year, StreetSide Developments BC Ltd, Multi-Family Home Builder of the Year, and Miracon Development Inc who were awarded Single-Family Production Home Builder of the Year.
Miracon and their multiple entries and awards in the HAVAN awards, the CHBA National Awards, and the CHBA-BC Georgie Awards scored a rare and coveted “trifecta” being recognized for their excellent work at all three levels of the Home Builders Association. Congratulations to the Miracon team and many thanks for your support of the local, provincial, and national wards programs – please display your accolades with pride.
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners in all three levels of the awards program which highlights some of the best work being undertaken by residential construction industry in BC and highlights the outstanding work of our members. It has been widely acknowledged that our BC builders, and HAVAN members are leading the country in many aspects of the housing spectrum and our work in high performance, climate response, lowering carbon footprints, innovative land use and zoning response, and creative housing solutions are leading the rest of the country.
Congratulations to all HAVAN members who participated in the HAVAN Awards, the Georgies, and or the National Awards and thank you for your support. A complete list of winners and finalists is available on the websites of HAVAN, CHBA BC, and CHBA National.
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 Ron’s weekly Monday Morning Briefing and other HAVAN emails here.
QUICK BITES…
- As reported in Bloomberg News Canada’s inflation rate dropped to 2.7% just outside of the 2% target identified by the Bank of Canada. In some ways the fall in the rate of inflation is hard to discern at the grocery store and in the cost of construction, and we will have to see what this new threshold means in terms how the Bank of Canada will react on June 5 when they announce if the overnight rate will be held or rolled back which we would hope to be the start of easing interest/mortgage rates.
- This article in Storeys provides an overview commentary on the Federal Canada Housing Plan. The author states: Overall, I have to say I’m pleased to see the government taking this holistic, systems approach. I believe these strategies will add to the supply and make housing more accessible for more Canadians.
- BC’s new Short Term Rental Rules continue to be controversial and are impacting homeowners challenged by mortgage carrying costs as reported by the Globe and Mail. Views on this issue vary and prioritizing housing availability is aspirational but there are certainly fallout effects that have yet to be fully realized including the impact on the cost and availability of hotel accommodation.
- G&M reports that HAVAN member Concord Pacific Development Corp. and the City of Vancouver are starting to move forward on the balance of the remaining Expo lands in Northeast False Creek. These sites represent the last portions of land secured by Concord in the 1980s and can bring thousands of units into the housing spectrum for Vancouver. It will take some doing but the potential for a great master-planned mixed-use community in the heart of the city is very exciting.
- BBC.com discusses just another potential load factor that our electrical grid will have to accommodate moving forward – the substantial amount of electrical energy required to drive AI Data centers – we are going to need a lot more water!
