POLICY PROBLEM
The BC Government has been under significant pressure in recent years to quickly introduce dramatic measures that mitigate housing cost increases and affordability issues across the province. While many of the new policy ideas have had merit, the policy development process has lacked advance, detailed consultation with a variety of housing experts, which is necessary to ensure a holistic view is adopted. This lack of advance consultation has created numerous problems, with avoidable mistakes being made by government. As a recent example, we can point to two changes to the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) as they relate to buyers of tenanted properties. Effective July 18, 2024, Bill 14 amended the RTA to require four months’ notice – instead of the previous two months’ notice – for evictions due to personal or caretaker use. The
legislation also raised the dispute period from 15 days to 30 days. However, in the immediate wake of publicly and jointly voiced concern from BCREA and the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association – BC, the BC Government reversed course to lower the personal-use notice period to three months and the dispute period to 21 days for situations when a landlord gives notice to a tenant on behalf of a purchaser. This backtracking and sectoral upheaval once again demonstrate the need for government to meaningfully consult with diverse housing policy experts in advance of implementing new policy to avoid unnecessary delays and unanticipated difficulties in addressing the housing crisis.
Notably, the concern about insufficient provincial government consultation to address BC’s housing crisis has long been echoed by a growing number of organizations from across the housing sector, including LandlordBC, BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Appraisal Institute of Canada – BC, Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association – BC, Aboriginal Housing Management Association, Small Housing BC, and others.
RECOMMENDATION ESTABLISH A PERMANENT PROVINCIAL HOUSING POLICY ROUNDTABLE
The BC Government should immediately convene a permanent provincial housing roundtable, bringing together ten to 12 carefully chosen policy experts from mortgage, real estate, and civil society organizations, as well as market and non-market developers and builders. These experts would work together with federal, provincial, municipal/regional, and Indigenous governments to implement and monitor the efficacy of new housing policies introduced by the provincial government. The roundtable should consist of individuals representing the various housing sub-sector groups. Subgroups could work in partnership with the provincial government on different issues such as non-market housing and strata issues, for example. The purpose would be to review potential housing legislation early, ensuring that the draft policy is holistic, pressure tested for unanticipated consequences, and likely to achieve stated goals.
Where expertise on particular topics is required, roundtable members could be temporarily swapped out to ensure due diligence is conducted on consequential issues while maintaining a manageable roundtable size. Roundtable members could also represent specialized subcommittees, so that relevant expertise is available to support policy development in specific areas. The full roundtable could meet quarterly to evaluate the overall impact of new policies and advise the government on the viability of incoming policies and regulations. The roundtable model has already been successfully employed by the provincial government (Energy Step Code Council and Development Finance Review Committee), and the federal government (National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care). These examples can be reviewed for guidance on the creation of a permanent provincial housing roundtable, ensuring effective structure and processes for new housing policy directions.
BCREA is the provincial association for BC REALTORS®. As a champion for the real estate sector, BCREA advances REALTOR® professionalism and ensures the REALTOR® voice is heard, for the benefit of consumers and communities, across BC. By working in collaboration with the province’s real estate boards and associations, our mission is to provide professional development opportunities, advocacy, economic and policy research, and standard forms so REALTORS® are rusted, respected, and proud of their profession.
To learn more, visit BCREA
