News — 2009
2008 Georgie Awards® Tickets Selling Out Fast!
Tickets for the upcoming 2008 Georgie Awards® are selling out fast! Don’t miss out on BC’s premier housing awards show on January 30, 2009 at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver. To purchase tickets, please click here.
A special room block has been set aside at the Westin Bayshore. To make an online reservation, please click here or call 604.682.3377 and ask for the Canadian Home Builders’ Association or Georgie Awards® rate of $169 plus tax per night. The cut off date to receive this special rate is January 16, 2009.
BC Energy Regulatory Proposal Update
The Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC) in collaboration with the Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association (CAMA) and the Retail Council of BC commented on the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources’ new energy efficiency regulations with respect to refrigerators and freezers. The recommendation that was made by CHBA BC was to reject establishing a minimum energy standard and another labeling method for refrigerators and freezers. To view the response by CHBA BC or for more information on CAMA’s response, please contact Nafisa Abdulla at 604.432.7112.
BC Safety Authority Fee Schedule
The BC Safety Authority is temporarily freezing all fees to the 2008 levels. The fee increases originally approved to begin January 2009 will not be implemented. For more information on the fee schedules for each industry sector, please click here.
HPO New Homes Registry
The Homeowner Protection Office has launched a new tool for prospective homebuyers to make a more informed decision when buying a new home. The New Homes Registry is a free online resource for homebuyers, realtors, lawyers, local government and others interested in quickly checking the status of a new home or a new home under construction.
Use this easy and convenient registry to find out if the home has a policy of home warranty insurance and is built by a Licensed Residential Builder, or whether it is built without home warranty insurance under an exemption, such as an Owner Builder Authorization. Both single detached homes and multi-unit homes, including duplexes can be searched on the registry by civic address.
For more information on this new tool, please click here.
Information on FINTRAC
As of February 20, 2009, all new home builders and developers will have to comply with record-keeping and reporting requirements under the federal Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act. These requirements are managed by FINTRAC (Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada), Canada's financial intelligence unit.
The regulations under the Act are complex and the information provided to our industry by FINTRAC is not straightforward or useful. In order to assist members in understanding what FINTRAC requires, CHBA has developed a FINTRAC information website. You can find this at www.chba.ca/fintrac. Please note that the information contained in this website does not represent legal advice and is intended as information only.
New Affordable Housing Project Announced for Nanaimo
A new affordable housing project has been announced for Nanaimo. Construction is underway at 2104 Bowen Road in Nanaimo on a 20-unit development for single adults living with low or fixed incomes who are at risk of homelessness, announced Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development.
This project is in partnership with CHBA Central Vancouver Island. “We are proud to be involved in a constructive initiative addressing housing affordability,” said Rob MacCallum, president of CHBA – Central Vancouver Island. “This development will go a long way towards providing a long-term solution to the issue of homelessness in our community.”
CHBA BC would like to congratulate and commend CHBA CVI on their hard work and dedication in bringing this project to fruition.
For more information on this initiative, please click here.
