The Homeowner Protection Office (HPO), now a branch of BC Housing, started as a provincial Crown corporation that was formed as a response to many of the recommendations from the original Barrett Commission report on the quality of condominium construction in British Columbia.
The report prompted the development of the Homeowner Protection Act which passed on July 28, 1998 for the main purposes of strengthening consumer protection for buyers of new homes and improving the quality of residential construction in the province. The Act provided for the creation of the HPO which officially opened on October 1, 1998.
The HPO's mandated responsibilities included:
- residential builder licensing and establishing the framework for and monitoring the provision of mandatory third-party home warranty insurance
- administering a no-interest repair loan program and PST Relief Grant for owners of leaky homes, and
- a research and education function designed to benefit the residential construction industry and consumers.
As of April 1, 2010, many responsibilities for the Homeowner Protection Act transferred to BC Housing and the new HPO branch was created. This includes the residential builder and building envelope renovator licensing, owner builder authorization and the research and education responsibilities under the Homeowner Protection Act.
As part of government’s review of Crown corporations, the Province transferred the administration of the Reconstruction Program to the Ministry of Finance on April 1, 2010. HPO stopped accepting new applications for this program in July 2009. The PST Relief Grant for owners of homes with completed building envelope repairs was terminated June 30, 2010 in conjunction with the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
The Barrett Commission
In April 1998 a commission of inquiry into the quality of residential construction, led by former Premier Dave Barrett, was established. The Barrett Report brought forward specific recommendations for action by all three levels of government, the building industry and various professions to strengthen consumer protection and restore confidence in the residential construction industry.
The Commission was re-appointed in August 1999 to inquire into the quality of condominium construction in British Columbia; the financial failure of New Home Warranty of British Columbia Inc.; and the impacts on homeowners, the industry and the economy because of this situation.
- The Renewal of Trust in Residential Construction, Part II, Volume One - February 2000
- The Renewal of Trust in Residential Construction, Part II, Volume Two (full version) - March 2000
