TORONTO — The Ontario Real Estate Association says it is asking agents to halt plans for open houses, as the province reported a record high of 939 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
Open houses resumed in mid-July as part of the province’s Stage 3 reopening plan, which at the time allowed gatherings of 50 people, or 30-per-cent capacity, with physical distancing enforced.
On Friday, the province announced a modified return to Stage 2 COVID-19 restrictions, which would limit open houses to 10 people. The government is also asking people in those areas to leave their homes only for essential purposes.
Ontario real estate association president Sean Morrison said that notwithstanding the 10-person limit, he is encouraging members to shift open showings virtually, instead of a Sunday afternoon slot allowing anyone to touch the surfaces of a home.
“OREA is pleased that the government is again listening to our advice on restricting open houses and we are hopeful that they will go a step further and ban them province-wide,” Morrison said.
Morrison says agents and brokers could still follow safety precautions for private showings.
Ontario real estate agents do have a disciplinary body, the Real Estate Council of Ontario, which can issue punishments to rulebreakers. In September, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board took down an agent’s listing after he hosted an open house while a COVID-infected tenant was home.
But Morrison says the government would be a better first line of enforcement in terms of making sure open houses stay under control.
“Open houses in smaller properties like condominium units can be very difficult to conduct with social distancing. A province-wide ban would set a clear rule,” said Morrison.
Quebec’s real estate regulator, The Organisme d’autoreglementation du courtage immobilier du Quebec, said that while no formal restriction, clarification or ban regarding open houses has been issued by local government authorities, “the organization of open houses in the current context is neither desirable nor recommended.”
The new restrictions in Ontario come after months of record-high sales in many Ontario real estate markets, as pent-up demand to buy homes has outpaced supply of single-family homes and lifted prices. In March and April, transactions plunged as agents were encouraged to avoid any in-person transactions that weren’t urgent. Morrison said he isn’t recommending that level of shutdown at this point, and that he doesn’t think limiting open houses will slow down the hot market or limit sellers’ willingness to list.
“We are calling for our members to do the right thing,” said Morrison.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2020.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
