Several BC mayors gather in Kelowna to support streamlining factory-built homes

A handful of BC mayors recently announced a partnership with Modular BC in an effort to streamline the process of constructing factory-built homes.

“Municipalities across British Columbia are increasingly being called upon to deliver critical housing supply at prices people can afford,” said Paul Binotto, spokesperson of Modular BC.

“With the BC mayors task force, we are ready to support the province and make BC a North American leader in delivering a high-quality, fast, affordable modular housing program in communities across the province.”

The new task force is headed by Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley and he is joined by Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield, Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog and Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor.

The mayors announced the new task force in Kelowna before the weekend and a press release stated they will act “as a conduit to all communities across the province.”

“Standardized, factory-built, modular housing offers an exciting opportunity for cities like Burnaby to deliver more housing solutions at the neighbourhood level,” said Hurley.

“I look forward to working with my mayoral colleagues and Modular BC to streamline municipal approval processes and get more housing built fast.”

Modular BC is a non-profit organization that says factory-built housing can reduce construction waste by 50 to 70% and reduce emissions by up to 43%.

“Expanding the factory modular industry in British Columbia, will create stable high-earning manufacturing jobs in communities across the province,” said Darren Bassett, general manager of SRI Homes Kelowna and Moduline Penticton.

“Building more homes quickly in factories across the province adds value to our natural resources and provides increased manufacturing opportunities for all British Columbians.”