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As 2022 comes to a close, CHBA BC would like to wish its members, partners and other industry professionals a safe and happy holiday season. As we reflect on the past year for the industry, we would like to provide the readers of CHBA BC's Provincial Update a look at the most accessed articles from the year. Our regular publication will resume Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
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New Legislation to Help With Trades Training
B.C. Government
From February 17:
On Monday, the B.C. government introduced a new Skilled Trades Act to establish a system to support and train apprentices with the intention to Increase training seats.
The legislation will also modernize the Crown agency responsible for trades training with a new focus on promoting and supporting apprentices and trainees throughout their training. To reflect this, the Industry Training Authority BC will be renamed SkilledTradesBC.
The provincial government forecasts there will be 85,000 new job openings in the trades over the next 10 years.
You can read the government announcement here.
The Vancouver Sun looked at the announcement details. Read more here.
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CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program Reopens
CleanBC
From May 19:
The CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program has reopened and is now accepting registrations to access rebates for new, high-performance electric homes built in accordance with the BC Energy Step Code or for homes that use electric heat pumps to provide heating.
In September 2021, the CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program was temporarily closed due to an overabundance of registrations. In response, CHBA BC requested that it should continue to be funded and significantly expanded. Under the BC Budget 2022, additional funding has been provided to the CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program.
The program provides rebates up to $15,000 for a new home that meets a minimum BC Energy Step code level and is all-electric, and for new homes that use an electric heat pump for space heating or water heating, regardless of Energy Step Code level.
Through the CleanBC plan, the Province is supporting the adoption of the BC Energy Step Code and making energy efficient, climate-friendly homes more affordable and accessible for British Columbians.
Funding for the program is limited and subject to availability – ensure you pre-register as early as possible.
Click here to review the program details and eligibility requirements.
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$21-million Grant from Federal Government to Create Apprenticeship Opportunities in BC
Government of Canada
From August 25:
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CHBA BC board member Mark Bernhardt
and Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera
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On Wednesday, the Government of Canada announced a $21 million grant to hire a minimum of 2,100 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades over the next 2 years in BC.
The funding will be paid directly to contractors who participate is intended to incentivize the hiring and registering of new apprenticeships.
To qualify, a contractor must demonstrate they are hiring a labourer to become an apprentice or registering someone who wants to switch trades and apprentice in another discipline.
Participating employers will receive $5,000 for hiring or registering any worker. An additional $5,000 will be received if the worker self-reports as a woman, new Canadian, LGBTQ+, Indigenous, a person with a disability or a visible minority.
Employers can receive payments for up to two first-year apprenticeship positions per year during the two years of the drive, for a maximum of $40,000 per employer.
According to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, to meet the demand for skilled journeypersons in Red Seal trades, an average of approximately 75,000 new apprentices will need to be hired per year over the next five years.
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From the luxury appliances we sell to the relationships we keep, we value quality in all its forms. More than just high-end ranges, professional refrigeration, and laundry appliances — you can count on our dedicated sales teams to help build a dream home worth living in.
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The Challenge of Making BC 'Affordable' by 2030
Business in Vancouver
From August 18:
In June, a CMHC report on the housing shortage across Canada presented the harsh reality that B.C. would need 570,000 new homes by 2030 to return the province to a state of affordability.
The challenge to build those homes has been described as ‘insurmountable’ without significant government support according to an analysis of the report by local developer and CHBA BC member, Wesgroup.
A variety of factors, including government policies, labour and development costs, and the cost of financing for both builders and purchasers stand in the way of achieving anything close to meeting this ambitious goal in less than 10 years.
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How Much to Build a House?
Daily Hive
From May 26:
Altus Group recently released its 2022 Canadian Cost Guide which includes estimates on the cost to build a new home across Canada.
The guide estimates in Vancouver, the home building process is between $150 and $275 per square foot, while in the Greater Toronto Area it runs from $165 to $260 per square foot.
Montreal is estimated at between $130 to $190 per square foot. While Calgary and Edmonton are also lower where prices range from $125 to $200 per square foot.
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Opinion: It is Taking Governments too Long to Approve the Housing we Need The Province
The Province
From October 27:
The housing crisis in the province continues to worsen and shows no sign of abating. With home ownership and much-needed rental units slipping out of reach for many in the province, governments must take urgent action to reverse this trend.
B.C.’s housing crisis means young people must live in alternative living arrangements, often with their parents for much longer than they would like.
The evidence is clear and supported by expert panels and institutions that there is not enough supply to meet the needs of British Columbians. CHBA BC’s recently released Municipal Housing Supply and Benchmarking Study shows how supply and demand imbalances have contributed to the predicament.
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UBCM Paper Deflects Responsibility for Housing Shortage
Journal of Commerce
From April 7:
CHBA BC continues to provide feedback to media on the recent UBCM paper, Building BC: Housing Completions & Population Growth 2016-2021.
As you can read in the linked Journal of Commerce article, the position of CHBA BC is the paper deflects any responsibility or accountability municipalities have in significantly increasing our housing stock, and the industry sees this as a signal that municipalities remain resistant to reducing red tape, increasing service levels and approving more housing in their communities.
We can no longer afford to dismiss the housing supply-demand imbalance, and UBCM’s position frustrates the alignment we need to see at all levels of government to meaningfully and boldly address our housing needs.
Read the full article here.
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Merritt, B.C., aims to 3D-print homes to replace those damaged by flooding
CBC News
From March 17: The City of Merritt is considering an unconventional solution to replace some of the homes that were lost in last November's floods: 3D printing.
More than 400 homes and three schools were damaged in the southern B.C. Interior city due to catastrophic flooding, which forced the entire community to be evacuated.
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CHBA BC's Benchmarking Study Reveals Average 13 to 14 Month Wait Time for Municipal Permits and Economic Cost of Housing Shortfalls in B.C.
CHBA BC
From October 6: As British Columbians prepare to head to the voting booth to elect representatives in municipal elections across the Province, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia’s (CHBA BC) Municipal Housing Supply and Benchmarking Study released yesterday demonstrates how supply and demand imbalances have contributed to B.C.’s current housing crisis.
CHBA BC retained Altus Group Economic Consulting to research evidence of housing supply shortfalls in B.C. and the economic consequences of those shortfalls, both past and future. The study also examines municipal development applications timelines in 13 B.C. municipalities to understand the current capacities associated with housing approvals.
As municipal government approval is the first step in building new housing, development applications processes play a key role in encouraging the construction of more supply. Altus Group’s analysis studied residential development application timelines through a sample of 650 individual approvals from across the municipalities studied. The data showed that it takes on average 13-14 months to approve rezoning and development permits and over 20 months for a subdivision application.
As new leadership is about to take charge at both the municipal and provincial level, CHBA BC is recommending the Government of B.C. create a provincial reporting system to require municipalities to produce an annual standardized report on development applications. The implementation of a transparent, reliable, and standardized source for timelines and quantity of approved housing data can ensure that supply shortages relative to housing demand can be anticipated and acted upon as early as possible.
The study’s findings show a disconnect between the housing supply that is being demanded versus the housing governments are approving and planning for. Increasing household sizes and higher share of multi-generational homes are a symptom of deteriorating housing choices. Homeownership rates are declining, especially for young adults between the age of 25 and 44, who still live in their parents' home. While demand is growing for family-sized ownership units, there has been an increasing proportion of housing starts in apartments.
The Altus study shows roughly 71,000 more people are moving to the province each year, and this pace of population growth is expected to continue over the next 30 years. Unfortunately, in 2021 an average household in B.C. would have to devote 58% of its income to meet mortgage payments when purchasing an average priced home in 2021 — the highest rate, and most expensive market compared nationally.
If housing matched more closely with the demand, there would have been the creation of almost 87,000 more households between 2011 and 2021 in B.C. If this trend is not corrected, the province could see an additional 145,000 lost households by 2051. The economic costs of these “suppressed households” in B.C. has been estimated to have been $33 billion between 2011 and 2021 in lost nominal GDP and will be $196 billion between 2021 and 2051.
Read the full News Release Here.
Read the Backgrounder Here.
Read the full Altus Group Municipal Housing Supply and Benchmarking Study Here.
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7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
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