Related Initiatives and Planning Processes

Regulatory Reform

The Office’s regulatory reform initiatives are designed to ensure that British Columbia’s regulatory climate supports strong, safe and healthy communities.

The ministry will support Government’s Regulatory Reform initiatives by committing to controlling regulatory burden and improving regulatory quality by:

• Identifying at least one regulatory reform opportunity that will shift the ministry’s regulations to be more citizen-centred, cost-effective, results-based, and responsive to our clients by reducing and/or streamlining the steps or business processes involved in complying with ministry regulations; and
• Adhering to the regulatory criteria set out in the Regulatory Reform Policy, and targeting a zero per cent net increase in regulation through 2008/09.

In support of the first objective above, over the next two years the Office of Housing and Construction Safety will amend the Safety Standards Act and new editions of the B.C. Building Code and B.C. Fire Code will be adopted in an objective-based code format, increasing harmonization with building regulation in other provinces and territories.

Ministry Citizen-Centred Service Delivery

Ensuring that clients have convenient access to high quality, seamless services is a priority for the Government of British Columbia. To make sure that citizens, businesses and public sector organizations can access the services they need with ease, work is underway to coordinate a government-wide shift towards citizen-centred service delivery. A citizen centred approach will help ensure that services are designed and delivered to meet the evolving needs of end users and do this in a cost-effective and responsive manner.

The Office of Housing and Construction Standards provides services indirectly through its funded agencies (e.g., BC Housing) and directly through the Residential Tenancy Office (RTO). Improvements are underway in the RTO to provide better and more efficient services to citizens.

With respect to the services provided directly by the Office of Housing and Construction Standards, the RTO Case Management System will be fully implemented, including the capacity for major landlords to apply and pay for arbitration online. Arbitration processes and procedures will be restructured to reduce wait times and help resolve disputes quicker. RTO administration is improving to ensure quicker responses to telephone, fax, e-mail and in-person requests for information and services. Persons needing information after office hours can contact RTO’s 24 hour recorded information line. RTO publications are being revised and updated, and a full complement of information materials is available on the RTO website.

Legislative changes will result in consumer protection for assisted living and supportive housing tenancies. A comprehensive range of information and dispute resolution services will be available to meet the special needs of these landlords and tenants.

The Office of Housing and Construction Standards will continue to strive to improve the delivery of services to all of its clients.