The housing crisis in BC calls for modern, innovative solutions, according to Neil Moody, chief executive of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia.
“There is tremendous opportunity in using technology to automate code compliance and process permits so homes can be constructed faster, and this is a step we can take quickly,” he posits.
We reported on how the Province of British Columbia is embarking on a plan to digitize the BC Building Code and streamline the building permitting process, paving the way for faster approvals and construction of new homes.
The Ministry of Housing, in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizens’ Services, is set to pilot the digitization process in select local governments in 2024, with an aim of making British Columbia a leader in digital permitting and construction.
“Technology helps us do just about everything these days, but the housing sector remains reliant on the paper system,” stated Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “To help speed up the homebuilding process, we’re investing in technology that will make us a North American leader in digital permitting and construction.”
The BC Building Code, currently available only in print or PDF format, will undergo a digital transformation to enhance accessibility and usability for builders and building inspectors. The digitally enhanced code will feature advanced functionalities that will facilitate faster and easier understanding and interpretation of information, and enable automation during the building permit review process.
“We don’t have time to waste when it comes to getting new housing on the market, so we need to look for efficiencies throughout the sector,” stated Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “That’s why we’re investing in new tools and technologies that will make it easier for homebuilders to focus on what they do best—build homes—and not worry about red tape.”
“Utilizing technology is vital to cutting wait times and making government more effective,” agrees Ken Sim, mayor of Vancouver. “We are pleased to see these further efforts being made across the province.”
Sim’s election campaign in 2022 had a focus on speeding up housing production.
“Vancouver recently moved over to a fully digital permit system, where builders can apply, pay and receive their permit electronically through our ePlan system,” Mayor Sim stated. “Vancouver is proud to be a leading government in embracing technology, and we are excited to see other jurisdictions doing so as well.”
Kelowna believes it can reduce the goal of Vancouver’s permit time window from three weeks down to three minutes.
As Canada’s fastest-growing metropolitan region, Kelowna is looking to flex its longstanding tech prowess. The area is already known for innovation organizations such as Accelerate Okanagan powering events like the OKGN Angle Summit, and having a solid ecosystem of its own tech startups and investors. If Vancouver is Silicon Valley North, the Okanagan region of BC is our Silicon Vineyard.
City of Kelowna staff have been working with Microsoft on an AI bot that could receive applications and issue permits within a matter of minutes.
“When you submit a digital application, it will be digitally reviewed through AI, and you’ll get a digital response saying it’s compliant,” Doug Gilchrist, Kelowna’s chief administrative officer, explained to Dan Fumano for the Vancouver Sun. “Or it’s non-compliant and here’s the errors, here’s the fixes, without sitting on a stack of paper that a plan-checker might get to after they come back from vacation and after they’ve reviewed all the ones on top of it.”
Gilchrist believes it is the first municipality in Canada to pilot this tech-forward, AI-powered approach to permit applications.
A basic version of the bot is expected to drop by end of summer. It will understand things like zoning bylaws, official community plans, and lot specifications.
An advanced version of the bot that can handle permits will arrive in 2024, according to an estimate from Gilchrist.
And when it is polished, Kelowna will look to offer its technology to other municipalities throughout BC and across Canada.
“Whatever we build as a local government is open information, and open processes for sharing to help raise the tides for all,” Gilchrist informed Fumano. “It’s the future.”
As for the threat of AI replacing jobs? In this case, it’s not a major concern.
Humans are “not completely obsolete, at least not yet,” writes Fumano. “People would still conduct building inspections to ensure safety, and the technology is not expected to replace the staffers in Kelowna’s permitting and planning department, but instead aims to ease the burden of requests and questions for them.”
AI continues taking over BC. In futuristic Silicon Vineyard, bots push the papers so that humans can do human work.
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