MHABC Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2022-23

Contents

Highlights Meet Our Board Board Matters What's New? Statistics

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2023 Summit/AGM Program nearing finalization

The Program for the MHABC’s 2023 SUMMIT/AGM is nearing completion with only minor refinements expected. The current program and registration information are available on MHABC.com.

In summary, this year’s SUMMIT will build upon the successful 2022 SUMMIT which addressed affordable housing, energy efficiency, climate change as well as others focusing upon the government goals of providing more affordable, energy efficient homes while targeting strategies to address climate change. While May 8th is the standard golf tournament and ice-breaker, May 9th will include presentations by MHABC support personnel on achievements via the government advocacy program, Brian Yu of Central One Credit Union will provide the economics update followed by presentations by CMHC and Dr. Mohamed Al Hussein. May 10th is targeted at energy efficiency with workshops on plant optimization, energy modelling and Step Code compliance and concluding with a workshop provided by BCIT’s Department of Construction and Environment on building envelope strategies.

This SUMMIT is considered the most important in decades with the government’s move towards greater energy efficiency and ensuring an awareness by our Members towards ensuring compliance with the government’s objectives.

Full registration information is available upon MHABC.com. With the support of our key partners, the MHABC has been able to promote greater participation by local government planners and building officials as well as numerous elected officials. MHABC Members are encouraged to take the time to attend this SUMMIT due to the importance of ensuring affordable and energy efficient homes for our customers. See you in Harrison in May!

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MHABC Executive Director Recruitment Proceeding

Following the announcement by current MHABC Executive Director Gord Rattray in late 2022 on his plans to retire, the MHABC Board has established a Recruitment Committee involving President Matthew Salmon, Vice-President Mark Ellis, Director Dean Johnstone with the support of MHABC Contract Administrator Jennifer Barter and FRESH INC’s Jennifer McKinney providing social media services. A portal has been created on MHABC.com for interested candidates to submit applications. Members aware of persons with the necessary skills and looking for a new opportunity in a very important endeavour are asked to direct these people to the MHABC.com portal.

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Coming May 1, 2023: BC Building Code Changes

CHBA BC

The BC Building Code changes to enable 20% better energy efficiency and provide an opt-in Zero Carbon Step Code (formerly known as the Carbon Pollution Standard) were signed by the Minister of Housing last week and will take effect May 1, 2023.

Highlights include:

• The opt-in Zero Carbon Step Code will be available for local governments to reference starting May 1, 2023.
• Read a PDF convenience copy of the BC Building Code changes (for information only).
• The performance approach for Step 3 in Part 9 construction remains the default option. Local governments wishing
to enable a prescriptive energy efficiency approach for Step 3 in Part 9 construction must pass a bylaw to enable that approach. This responds to feedback from rural or remote communities who wish to maintain a prescriptive-based option, while also meeting requests from other local governments wishing to retain the performance-based approach.

Backup heat from wood stoves and decorative gas fireplaces will be excluded from GHG modelling in Part 9 buildings. This responds to feedback from communities that experience frequent power outages.

CHBA BC’s submission incorporated member feedback from all locals and provided recommendations to exclude backup emergency heat. We’ll be providing additional updates as the effective date gets closer.

2023 BC Budget Includes a Focus on Building More Homes (CHBABC) VICTORIA, British Columbia, February 28, 2023

Today, the Hon. Katrine Conroy, Minister of Finance, presented the 2023 BC Budget that spends big on housing and focuses on creating more supply through $4.2 billion in funding over the next three years.

This includes $2 billion in capital funding and other investments that will go towards affordable housing programs and projects. Items in the 2023 BC Budget that are in-keeping with residential industry priorities include:

• $1 billion for a new Growing Communities Fund;
• $91 million towards a new pilot project that financially incents homeowners to develop new secondary suites for long-term rental opportunities;
• $77 million to speed up natural resource permitting and modernize the permitting service delivery model, like the Permitting Strategy for Housing and Housing Action Task Force;
• $57 million to create more homes through new residential zoning measures and by reducing the time and cost associated with local government approval processes;
• $11 million that will help implement the Housing Supply Act: and
• New property transfer tax incentive to encourage the construction of new purpose-built rentals.

“This budget signals that the BC government is serious about removing the barriers and red tape fueling the housing shortage that exists in the province” said CHBA BC CEO, Neil Moody. “We’re encouraged by the recent announcements related to housing being magnified by what we see in the 2023 BC Budget today. However, more supports are needed to help the industry meet CleanBC goals.”

Unfortunately, funding for CleanBC enhancements has been drastically reduced from $24 million to $11 million for the 2023/ 24 period. While this investment potentially allows the CleanBC Better Homes Program to continue, it is inadequate to enable low carbon market transformation in new residential construction.

CMHC data shows over 500,000 new homes need to be built to restore affordability in B.C. Increasing housing supply and streamlining its delivery remains a priority for CHBA BC and the association will work with the government on creating more housing choices across the province. With demand for housing of all types at an all time high, interest rates seeming to have plateaued and the expectation of stability with inflation, CHBA BC is pleased to see that no new tax increases on housing are included in the 2023 BC Budget.

BC Announces Provincial ELD Mandate for August 1st (BC Trucking Assn February 21st)

The BC Government has announced the implementation of a provincial ELD mandate, effective August 1, 2023.

The announcement made on February 13 comes after much lobbying by BCTA and now harmonizes BC with the federal government and most other provinces.

Of significance is the following:

1. The mandate comes into effect August 1, 2023, including violations and ticketing.
2. Any exemptions provided to this regulation are by Director approval which can be removed/added by way of notice. This was an ask of BCTA so that exemptions are not enshrined subject to another regulatory amendments, but rather can be added/removed quickly and efficiently by way of notice from a government statutory decision maker.
3. The mandate only applies to provincially regulated vehicles that travel outside of 160 kilometers from their home terminal (does not apply to local vehicles operating under local driving hours)
4. Local drivers will be permitted, by way of CVSE circular to occasional travel outside of 160 km and not require an ELD if the driver has no more than one trip outside of 160 km for the current day or within the previous 14 days to a maximum of 6 days within a 60-day period.
5. BCTA held a webinar with Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement on February 17th to review the regulation and answer any questions carriers may have. If you would like a copy of the presentation, please contact Samira Hosseina, BCTA Policy Analyst.

For details on the Provincial ELD Mandate, please refer to:

• NSC Bulletin #01-2023 Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in British Columbia; or
• Provincial ELD News Release found here.