Victoria council is considering a policy where 30% of new strata units must meet the city’s affordability criteria. The Times Colonist reports, “It’s a number that far exceeds the 10% affordable in large projects recommended by staff and one that even the city’s own consultant said would see development in the city grind to a […]
At a National Building Code meeting last week, a presentation by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) revealed the BC Step Code metrics and targets result in higher costs to build in some municipalities over others despite having similar climates. This has been covered in Canadian Contractor Magazine. The NRCan report says “Near the boundaries of climate […]
To understand rising home prices, a review of economic and population growth is necessary. Significant leaps in home prices are often preceded by several years of stagnation. From 1995 to 2000, single detached home prices in Greater Victoria stagnated due to a poor economy and slow population growth. As economic conditions improved and population increased, […]
Update: The housing forum appears to be postponed due to city hall dysfunction, not an unusal occurrence in Saanich. Read Saanich News story. The District of Saanich is planning a Housing Forum on Saturday May 4, 10 am to 3 pm at the Garth Home Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. Participants include “members of Council, community […]
The federal government has announced new initiatives to address housing affordability. These include a program called the First Time Home Buyer Incentive which provides a CMHC equity loan to first time buyers earning less than $120,000 annually. Still to be answered are questions about how CMHC will participate as an equity partner in the home […]
Update: After ignoring the Rollo Report on the EDPA, Saanich Council plans to spend several hundred thousand dollars on more reviews while imposing “interim” severe restrictions on private property and development. Here is our letter to council. Claims by some Saanich councillors that Saanich lacks tree and environment protection without the EDPA are simply without […]
The municipalities of Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria, Central Saanich and North Saanich are adopting the ill-advised Step Code bylaw increasing the energy efficiency of new homes before the National Building Code undertakes its diligence and public review anticipated in Fall 2019. Langford, the most efficient municipality offering the largest number of energy efficient homes will […]
Are you ready for 2019? Hear from experts at VRBA’s Crystal Ball Housing Forecast, Tuesday, January 15 from 6 pm to 9:30 pm (includes dinner) at the Royal Colwood Golf Club. Speakers include: Kyle Kerr, Past President, Victoria Real Estate Board Cameron Muir, Chief Economist, BC Real Estate Association Braden Batch, Senior Analyst-Economics, Canada Mortgage […]
In good and tough economic times, there are always those in need. During the holiday season VRBA supports fundraisers to make a difference in our community. One such event is the Festival of Trees for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation helping children benefit from research and critical care equipment. Every year, organizations throughout Victoria, including […]
Thinking of building a new home or renovating? Try our online Expression of Interest making it easy to get quotes from VRBA’s professional contractors. Visit vrba.ca/hire-a-vrba-member and fill out the form which is forwarded to members. There is no cost or obligation. Our Expression of Interest puts your project in front of Canada’s leaders in sustainable West Coast design and construction. […]
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