BC NDP promise investments in factory-built homes

BC NDP Leader David Eby kicked off the weekend with Friday’s first campaign promise, weeks ahead of the Oct. 19 election.

Eby says, that if his party is re-elected to government, they’ll work to fast-track B.C.’s factory-built home construction sector.

He says cutting red tape and streamlining regulations should make it easier for people to buy a home.

“By growing B.C.’s own factory-built home construction industry, everyone from multi-generational families to municipalities will be able to quickly build single homes, duplexes, and triplexes on land they already own,” Eby said.

Eby made the announcement at ORCA, a Vancouver Island-based company specializing in “precision-crafted” home construction.

The party says 10 manufacturing plants are in B.C. already, and many have the capacity to expand. It says the construction of “state-of-the-art” homes can take as little as 12 weeks.

The NDP platform includes promises of “reducing red tape and letting the industry get on with the job,” by creating a province-wide framework to “put every municipality on the same playing field;” approving “ready-to-use” designs to reduce the permitting process; and investing in necessary skill training for home construction.

“By acting now, we will position B.C. as Canada’s factory-built home construction leader, opening the door to exporting homes to Western Canada and the Western States,” the party said.

The BC NDP claims factory-built homes cut waste by 70 per cent and reduce harmful emissions by 43 per cent.