This message was sent to [email protected]
To advertise in this publication please click here
|
|
|
| |
Georgie Awards Virtual Gala Link
CHBA
 The 2021 Georgie Awards Virtual Gala is just a few days away, and we can't wait to see you all there. If you haven't already, book this Saturday, at 6:00 PM to join us and hundreds of others in finding out which finalists will be Georgie Award winners.
The Georgie Awards Virtual Gala is open to all people and there is no need to register beforehand. Simply click on this link at 6:00PM and let the party begin!
|
|
Ministers Eby and Osborne Speaking at Spring Provincial Meeting
CHBA BC
 Hon. David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing, along with Hon. Josie Osborne, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, will be participating in a roundtable discussion with members at tomorrow's Spring Provincial Meeting. Discussion topics will include economic impacts COVID-19 has had upon the residential construction industry, the supply and affordability of housing in the marketplace, development approval processes and more.
|
|
Real estate rolling on rock-bottom costs of borrowing
Business In Vancouver
Commentary: This article goes on to explain how "rock-bottom" interest rates have been pouring fuel onto the housing market, which currently isn't able to be kept up by homebuilders. While this article goes into greater detail about the effects of these interest rates upon the market, less attention is given on providing solutions for greater housing supply to meet these needs. CHBA BC is trying to focus priorities of the provincial government to streamline processes that will allow our members to provide the housing supply that meets the growing demand.
Excerpt: Through early March, housing market activity was surging in Canadian metropolitan areas, with year-over-year resales in many cities running at least 50% higher. The Vancouver area provides a good example of the national froth. In the combined Metro Vancouver/Abbotsford-Mission region, home sales in January-February were 78% above year-ago levels.
Looking at 2020 as a whole, housing sales across B.C. jumped by 21%, while average selling prices were up almost 12%. New starts, however, dropped, underscoring the problem of inadequate supply and the sluggish pace at which homebuilding tends to respond to increased demand in a number of B.C. metro regions.
You can read the full article here.
|
|
Opinion: Vancouver's housing crisis is worse than ever, so what are we doing about it?
Vancouver Urbanized
Commentary: City of Delta Councillor, Dylan Kruger, argues against a number of the impasses that are propped up against home builders from building needed homes in our communities. With so many articles these days discussing the booming housing market, such as the one directly below this article, more discussion should be focused on what we can do to fix this problem of supply rather than constantly trying to affect consumer demand.
Excerpt: An entire generation is being priced out of the housing market before our eyes. We all know the narrative by now. Responding to COVID-19, the Bank of Canada drastically cut interest rates, encouraging Canadians to invest in the economy. At the same time, work from home and social distancing requirements mean young professionals are staying local and saving money. The result: an unprecedented run on housing.
From the Councillor's perspective, zoning that bans apartments and townhomes on most residential land, constantly escalating fees and red tape delays, and planning approval processes that undervalue the underhoused have put us decades behind in building housing stock that is proportionate to demand.
Read the full article here.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
- 1st or 2nd mortgages
- Fully open terms
- Quick turn around on draws
|
|
BCCSA readies launch of groundbreaking asbestos awareness courses this summer
CHBA BC via Journal of Commerce
It has been a year in development and the first module just needs to be cleaned up a bit,” said Mike McKenna, BCCSA executive director, of the seven-module Asbestos Competency Training (ACT) program which also has an interactive tool.
McKenna said it is a collaborative effort involving industry, labour and WorkSafeBC with BCCSA investing $850,000 into creating the suite of online courses that focuses is on education and protection of workers.
“The third wave is coming and we are doing everything we can to make people take it seriously,” said McKenna.
McKenna said the BCCSA will charge only a modest fee for the courses but will provide them to high school students looking to work in trades for free. It can also be made available to trades students working in technical institutions. He said the courses are drawing interest from right across Canada and there is the potential for sales to other provinces, which can also help defray distribution costs in B.C. McKenna said the course provider is D2L (Desire to Learn), a large international provider of online learning educational content.
Whitemarsh said the seven course modules include content for new workers, low-exposure work, moderate exposure, high exposure, samplers within a building, supervisory personnel and technicians.
Read the full article here.
|
|
|
|
|
B.C. condo insurance crisis continues in 2021, but faint signs of hope for unit owners
Times Colonist
There are early signs the condo insurance crisis might be easing in 2021, but it is far from stopping: Multi-unit developments are entering a second year of high insurance premiums and deductibles, creating financial hardship for many homeowners and major headaches for strata councils.
The government promised a flurry of changes last June, but some were not enacted until late in the year and many others are still under consultation this year, with no schedule for when they will come into effect. And it is still unclear how quickly these measures could reduce strata insurance prices, which started to escalate at an alarming pace in late 2019 as insurers fled B.C.’s market.
Finance Minister Selina Robinson said in a recent interview there is not one simple answer to quell the “perfect storm” that has attacked condo insurance in B.C., so the government has made a number of changes hoping to make conditions more attractive for insurers to return to this market — and to, eventually, provide some relief to unit owners.
Read the full article here.
|
|
|
| There are countless ways the unexpected can impact a small business. The Co‑operators® can help you make sure you’re prepared and protected. Talk to us today.
|
|
|
|
|
Thousands of industry professionals subscribe to association news briefs, which allows your company to push messaging directly to their inboxes and take advantage of the association's brand affinity.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|
