The province has unveiled a “one-stop-shop” approach to provincial permitting to help speed up approvals and construction to build more homes in the face of a housing crisis.

CINDY HARTNETT, VICTORIA TIMES COLUMNIST (BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER) - “Today we are taking action to remove obstacles to building the homes that we need,” Premier David Eby said Monday in an announcement at the University of B.C.

“We will be identifying those high impact housing projects and moving them through the system maintaining those high standards, but prioritizing them through the system to get them out the door so that we can start out building so we desperately need as our population growth was dramatically,” said Eby.

​Homebuilding in B.C. can require multiple provincial permit applications involving different ministries and processes, including permits related to riparian area approvals, water licences, transportation approvals, road rezonings, contaminated sites, and requirements for heritage inspections, according to the province.

The average approval time is two years “and obviously are goal was to improve on that,” said Eby in a media availability following the announcement. “The goal is to reduce that dramatically” — from years to months.

The permitting strategy will be streamlined, potentially eliminating the need for multiple applications across ministries, says the province.

“This is more than just a single place to drop off your application,” Eby said. “Our goal is an expedited process where information doesn’t have to be re-submitted, reconsidered and redetermined by multiple decision-makers throughout the process.”

The government has introduced several housing-related changes since Eby became premier in November, including changes to the Housing Supply Act to set targets in the province’s fastest-growing municipalities as well as to the Strata Property Act to open up more rental options and more housing for families.

Eby said B.C. municipalities have in the past cited long wait times for provincial approvals and now the province is doing its part. 

“One thing that’s been obvious to me is each time I’ve raised this issue, the mayors rightly point to the problem and they say: ‘Look, you need to get your own house in order’ … So that’s what today’s announcement is all about,” he said. “We’re doing our part, we’re doing the work.” 

While the single application process is being established over the coming months, a cross-ministry team focused only on processing housing permits will be in place to expedite permits and approvals.
To start, 42 new full-time positions will prioritize housing that most urgently needs to be built, such as Indigenous-led projects, B.C. Housing applications and applications for buildings with multiple units.
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Once those positions are filled, the plan is to to increase the team to 203 positions.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
 

​(BCFSA) Today, the Government of B.C. announced changes to legislation that will remove rental restrictions in strata properties and introduced the new Housing Supply Act which will provide select municipalities with increased powers to address housing development. These changes will have implications for consumers, real estate licensees, and real estate developers in our province. 

Amendments to the Strata Property Act will end all strata rental-restriction bylaws and limit age-restriction bylaws so that the only permitted age restriction is to preserve and promote seniors’ housing through the “55 and over” rule in strata housing. Moving forward, it will not be permissible for a strata to have 19-plus age restrictions; however, “seniors only” strata will still be allowed. 

If approved, the changes to the Strata Property Act would take effect immediately. Bylaws restricting short-term rentals, such as AirBnB, will continue to be allowed. 
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These actions are new steps to deliver homes in B.C., building on B.C.’s 10-year, $7-billion Homes for B.C. plan.

Office of the Premier
News Release
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​To help deliver more good homes for people, the Province is introducing new laws to build the homes people need, make it possible for homes that are vacant to be rented and remove discriminatory age and rental restrictions in stratas that hurt young families.

“B.C.’s housing crisis is stressing out and hurting people while it holds back our economy,” said Premier David Eby. “As a first step in my 100-day plan, we are making changes to deliver more homes for British Columbians, faster. We will work with municipalities to set housing targets and make sure the homes people need get built. For those searching for a home today, there's good news. We're making it possible for thousands of condos that are vacant to be rented out as soon as these new laws pass. For those worried about the future, we're setting out a new way to co-ordinate the efforts of our cities and the Province to build the homes people need quickly.”

The first piece of legislation, the housing supply act, will help speed up housing development and increase supply by giving the Province the power to set housing targets in municipalities with the greatest need and highest projected growth. Targets will be based on information provided by and in consultation with municipalities. The new housing targets will encourage municipalities to address local barriers to construction so that housing can get built faster, including updating zoning bylaws and streamlining local development approval processes.

“I had a good job lined up and even I had a hard time finding a home,” said Omama Shoib, a health-care worker who moved from Alberta to Victoria. “We need more housing options across the board urgently. Some people aren’t as lucky as I was and have to turn down job opportunities or schooling because they can’t find suitable housing. I’m relieved the government is doing more to increase housing so people don’t have to give up on pursuing their goals just because they can’t find a place to live.”

The Province will monitor progress and work with municipalities to help address barriers to meeting housing targets and to support the increased community needs associated with targeted growth. The act enables compliance options as a last resort, should municipalities with the highest need struggle to create the conditions that are necessary to ensure housing gets built.

If passed, the housing supply act is scheduled to be brought into force in mid-2023. To support implementation, the Province will continue to help local governments speed up local approval processes through the continued implementation of the Development Approvals Process Review and work underway to accelerate provincial approvals. 

In addition, the Province is making amendments to the Strata Property Act to end all strata rental-restriction bylaws and to limit age-restriction bylaws so that the only permitted age restriction is to preserve and promote seniors' housing through the “55 and over” rule in strata housing. Some buildings have “19+ only” age restrictions that mean couples starting a family have to plan to move out as soon as they become pregnant. Stratas will be able to appear at the Residential Tenancy Branch to evict problem tenants and recover costs of those appearances. 

“There’s a lot of things on your mind when you are getting ready to start a family. It can be a very stressful time,” said Sarah Arnold, an expectant mother and condo owner in Victoria. “The last thing you need to think about when you’re preparing to welcome a newborn is finding a new place to live. These unjust age restrictions have hurt a lot of families, and I am pleased to see the Province is taking action to make sure no more couples have to uproot their lives and leave their homes if they decide to start a family.”

In areas where government has data through the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, there are approximately 2,900 empty condos that cannot be rented out because strata rules prevent them from renting out their condo, and government expects there are more empty units in strata buildings in other parts of the province. This amendment will enable owners to rent out these badly needed homes immediately. Government also expects that some owners in strata buildings would choose to rent out a room in their condo if they were given the opportunity to do so.

“Rules that prevent families with children from living in a home or prevent people from renting the unit they own are no longer acceptable in our current housing market,” said Murray Rankin, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “These amendments will open up more rental and homeownership options for people at a time when they’re needed the most.”

If approved, the changes to the Strata Property Act would take effect immediately. Bylaws restricting short-term rentals, such as AirBnBs, will continue to be allowed.
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These actions are new steps to deliver homes in B.C., building on B.C.’s 10-year, $7-billion Homes for B.C. plan.

Royal Bank, CIBC, TD, Laurentian and more raise rate

FINANCIAL POST / CANADIAN PRESS - Canada’s commercial banks began announcing hikes to their prime rateWednesday after the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate by half a percentage point.

By Wednesday afternoon Royal Bank of Canada, CIBC, TD Canada Trust, Laurentian Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, Equitable Bank and HSBC Bank Canada had all announced they were increasing the prime rate by 50 basis points to 5.95 per cent from 5.45 per cent, effective Oct. 27.

The central bank surprised markets by hiking less than expected Wednesday and signalled it was drawing closer to the end of what’s been one of the fastest rate hike cycles in its history.
However, it also made it clear more hikes are to come as inflation stays hot.

“We are getting closer to the end of this tightening phase but we’re not there yet,” Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said during the news conference Wednesday.

Since March, the central bank has raised its key interest rate six consecutive times, bringing it from 0.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent, and Canadian banks’ prime rate has risen too.

Royal Bank, CIBC, TD, Laurentian and more raise rate