(00:00:00) Ep 81: Bringing New Housing to Market

(00:00:46) How housing has changed in 50 years

(00:02:28) Layers of regulation & red tape

(00:04:09) Government fees and taxes on new homes

(00:07:28) The cost of affordability: who really pays?

(00:10:15) Comparing Canada & U.S. housing systems

(00:12:20) The rise of fees: 1,943% increase since 2015

(00:15:57) Why the private sector builds 95% of homes

(00:20:02) CMHC programs keeping construction alive

(00:23:58) Mass timber: made-in-BC potential

(00:28:27) Policy overload: 123 active consultations

(00:31:00) The Missing Middle Initiative data insights

(00:35:00) DCC timing reform: real affordability impact

(00:40:01) Transparency in housing costs

(00:45:02) Foreign buyers & financing realities

(00:48:30) The GST/HST rebate gap

(00:50:58) Collaboration over blame

(00:54:58) Westgroup’s transparency & advocacy work

(00:57:59) Final thoughts & call for alignment

(00:59:27) Sponsor credits & outro

Wesgroup’s Brad Jones joins HAVAN CEO Wendy McNeil to discuss what it really takes to bring new housing to market. From overlapping regulations and skyrocketing fees to the role of CMHC’s loan programs and transparent data from the Missing Middle Initiative, this episode cuts through the noise to explore how collaboration and policy alignment can rebuild affordability across BC.

You will find “Measure Twice, Cut Once” on iTunes, Spotify podcasts. For images, transcript, and resources shared by Guido Wimmers, go to https://havan.ca/episode-81-bringing-new-housing-to-market/

Thanks to sponsors: FortisBC, BC Housing, BC Hydro, Trail Appliances, Rami Films, jPod productions, and AI Technology & Design. It takes a team to build a home, as it does to build a podcast.

HAVAN – the Homebuilders Association Vancouver rRepresents over 1,100 members. We’ve been a trusted voice in the homebuilding industry since 1974. Our members include builders, developers, renovators, designers, suppliers, trades, and professionals — the people who build over 65% of Metro Vancouver’s homes. As a not-for-profit association, we bring people together — connecting industry and consumers through education, resources, and shared opportunities. We work closely with government to promote smart policy, with a focus on housing solutions that meet the region’s growing needs and are proudly  affiliated with CHBA BC and CHBA National.