An introduction to GVHBA. Huh? Hands up all those who know what the acronym, GVHBA, represents.

Okay, some readers know the answer, but for the rest of you shaking your heads or shrugging, it stands for Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. Incorporated under the Societies Act in 1974, GVHBA is governed by a volunteer board of directors and has grown over the past 30 years into one of the most prominent and active homebuilding industry associations in Canada.

Now that you have the condensed version of who we are, here’s what we do.

Ongoing liaison with elected officials and senior staff in 19 Lower Mainland municipalities is critical to ensure that housing affordability and choice are taken into consideration when new bylaws, regulations and policies are approved by municipal councils. After all, home buyers ultimately pay the tab for development cost charges and the seemingly endless array of transaction costs. Vancouver city council, for example, just approved a 50-per-cent hike in development cost charges. In a future column I will elaborate on the rather thorny topic of taxation on housing, including the tax-collector status of the federal, provincial, regional and municipal governments.

Access to current trends and technologies provides a competitive edge, so education and training programs are important to our members. We provide a variety of seminars, workshops and forums, including such topics as economic forecasts, construction law, project management, how to mitigate the high cost of construction, and interpreting the complexities of building-envelope science.

When it comes to consumer education, GVHBA is at the head of the class. Each spring we present North America‘s largest seminar for first-time home buyers. More than 800 young people attended our 10th annual seminar last April, after the unprecedented response forced us to stop accepting registrations more than three weeks prior to the free two-hour event. The young folks obviously left the seminar armed to buy because housing starts have climbed 32 per cent so far this year.

Twice a year we offer two-hour, evening seminars for homeowners eager to renovate their homes. Professional renovators, a building official and a lawyer de-mystify the renovation process and explain how, without due diligence by the homeowner, a dream renovation can easily turn into a nightmare. Our spring seminar was attended by more than 200 homeowners and we expect a similar crowd when we present our fall seminar on Oct. 26. We also offer a parade of renovated homes each spring, when people can tour a dozen or so recently renovated homes. More than $4.3 billion will be spent on home renovation this year in B.C., with 65 per cent of those dollars spent in the Lower Mainland.

Our What’s New in Homebuilding seminar is also quite popular. Held four times a year, this full-day seminar benefits people contemplating the construction of a custom home. Speakers address recent advances in architectural design, technology, indoor air quality and innovative building materials.

Most people in the Lower Mainland are familiar with the two home shows held at B.C. Place Stadium. GVHBA sponsors both the B.C. Home and Garden Show, held each February, and the Vancouver Home and Interior Design Show, which opened Thursday and runs through Sunday. Our renovators, architects, interior designers and home inspectors are on location to answer questions.

We also present two parades of new homes each year — one in April, one in October. From today until Oct. 24, 16 prominent builders will showcase 50 model homes and presentation centres at 25 locations in 10 Lower Mainland municipalities. The selection includes detached homes, condominiums and townhomes — all chosen for their superior architectural and interior design elements. Values range from $169,900 to $1.7 million. For details, click on www.paradeofhomes.ca.

The GVHBA leadership and members believe strongly in outreach activities which assist charitable and community-based organizations. We sponsor a scholarship for exceptional construction-management students, at BCIT, and support a carpentry skills course in two Surrey high schools. Our annual Coats for Kids campaign last year resulted in the collection of more than 1,600 warm winter coats which were distributed to children and teens through the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau. And each Christmas our members donate more than 500 new toys to the Salvation Army Toy Drive.

GVHBA is an active group of committed volunteers who strive for excellence and professionalism in their business pursuits. Our members regularly receive a host of provincial and national awards. This year they led the country in national awards. Provincially, our members won 34 of 38 Georgie Awards for excellence in residential design, construction, technology and marketing.

This column introduces GVHBA to readers of Westcoast Homes. I will be joining colleague Bob Ransford on these pages, writing columns on alternative weeks. My next column will focus on accessibility in housing, an important topic for baby boomers who are starting to give some attention to mobility issues. Subsequent columns will address housing trends, community concerns about encroaching development, and much more.

Peter Simpson is the chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. To learn more about GVHBA visit its website at www.gvhba.org or e-mail [email protected].

© The Vancouver Sun 2004