Subject Matter of the Lobbying Activity
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Specific Topics of Lobbying Communications
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Intended Outcomes
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Associated Subject Matters
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Establish a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable of Experts
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.
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- Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly
- Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation
- Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity
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Consumer Issues, Housing
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Housing Taxation Review
Conduct a thorough housing taxation review:
1. Property Transfer Tax as it was originally intended as a Luxury Tax. Properties sold below the current average BC home price (reviewed annually) should be exempt. Resale properties and new builds should be treated the same for the purposes of the tax. There should be no distinction made between them. Simplify the tax by reducing the number of thresholds and taxation rates. Periodically review special categories (First Time Home Buyers, for example) for effectiveness.
2. Review the efficacy of the Speculation and Vacancy Tax (SVT), Foreign Buyer Tax, and BC Home Flipping Tax: Eliminate the duplication of an existing federal tax (the Underused Housing Tax) by repealing the SVT. Examine Foreign Buyer Tax exemptions with an eye upon unique markets such as ski resorts, where the impact on the local housing market is minimal, but the effects on the local tourism economy are significant. Repeal the BC Home Flipping Tax, as analysis from BC Real Estate Association's Economics Department has shown that the tax will have minimal impact on affordability (see https://www.bcrea.bc.ca/economics/more-trouble-than-it-is-worth-analyzing-the-impacts-and-consequences-of-the-provincial-flipping-tax/).
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- Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly
- Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation
- Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity
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Consumer Issues, Housing, Taxation and Finance
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