In what may be viewed as the first step in speeding up the permitting process for building homes, the B.C. Government has a plan to deal with the backlog at the provincial level. Or, as Premier David Eby put it: “remove obstacles to constructing new homes that families desperately need.”
Current regulations require builders to have multiple permit applications. That means multiple authorizations, by multiple ministries. The Premier’s plan — Permitting Strategy for Housing — will “streamline the process and create a single, co-ordinated approach.”
The hope is that permits will be approved faster by eliminating multiple applications, funnelling housing permits through a cross-ministry team, the Housing Action Task Force, and have a single-application process. Priority will be given to municipalities with the greatest housing needs, lowest vacancy rates and most demand.
The next step?
It could be — or perhaps even is expected — that the government will move to reduce the backlogs at the municipal level, once the provincial permit approval process is smooth. Some areas — North Vancouver is one — have already taken steps towards having a one-stop shop for permit approvals. The delays are one of the reasons given for contributing to the rising cost of homes by restraining the growth of the housing inventory.
Speculation is that the same type of process will need to be implemented by municipalities, where building permits can also be tied up for many months. The government has admitted the current process has taken up to two years.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said at a news conference: ”Given our current situation, we cannot afford unnecessary delays that prevent new homes [that are] desperately needed from breaking ground.’’
The Premier also said the government’s goal is to tell developers how long the permit process would take, before they purchase the land to be developed. The government hopes that fast-tracking that part of the process will inspire municipal governments to operate with the same spirit.