As part of government’s review of Crown corporations, the Province will transfer a number of the key responsibilities under the Homeowner Protection Act effective April 1, 2010.
The transfer of responsibilities includes:
As of June 30, 2010 the PST Relief Grant for owners of homes with
completed building envelope repairs will be terminated in conjunction
with the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Applications
for the grant will be accepted at the current HPO address until 4:00 p.m.
on June 30, 2010.
Shayne Ramsay, CEO of the HPO and BC Housing, had the job of
a lifetime on Thursday, February 11 when he proudly carried the
Olympic Torch for 300 metres through Burnaby on this leg of the
fame’s 45,000 kilometre, 106-day journey through 1,000 communities.
The Licensed Residential Builder
survey has been providing the HPO
with a snapshot of perceptions on
a range of topics since it was first
introduced in 2003. Over the years, the
survey has attracted a growing number
of participants with 1,125 builders
participating in November, 2009.
Builders interested in online training can now purchase and view the HPO’s first
Building Smart Online seminar.
The introduction of online seminars provides a convenient and effective solution for builders who ask,
“How can I see the seminars that I have missed?”
Applying for a residential builder licence or renewing
an existing licence is now quicker, easier and more
convenient – thanks to new online services designed to
streamline and modernize our system.
The Homeowner Protection Office launched the online
services for residential builders and building envelope
renovators in January this year and the feedback has been
resoundingly positive.
If you are a Licensed Residential Builder and want to register a home for home warranty insurance, or renew or make changes to your licence,
you need to know your account name and your password.
As most Licensed Residential Builders know, the HPO
Compliance Team spends a significant amount of time
ensuring that owner builders comply with owner builder
authorizations. What licensees may not be aware of is that
the HPO’s compliance officers and investigators spend just as
much time investigating unlicensed builders and developers
who try to avoid compliance through other means.
Water heaters are among the largest users of energy in the
home and are a significant source of residential greenhouse
gas emissions. After carrying out a public consultation in
late 2008, in the fall of 2009, the Government of British
Columbia passed new energy efficiency regulations for
water heaters.
In Canada, approximately 30% of all
secondary energy is consumed in buildings
(NRCan 2005). Secondary energy is energy
used by final consumers (i.e. operation
energy) and does not include energy used
in the production and transportation of
energy. Sixteen percent (16%) is used in
residential buildings and 14% in commercial and institutional buildings. Of
the residential portion, 18% is used in
multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs).
High-rise MURBs are one of the fastest
growing housing segments in urban areas
and make up a significant percentage of the
housing stock in urban areas throughout
Canada.
2009 Statistics on the number of licences issued and the number of new homes enrolled in warranty insurance.
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