an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney<\/a> on its website calling for the federal government to halt implementation of the 2025 National Building Code and all future code development until the 2025 code can be revised and reforms made to the code development process. The key demand is for code development to consider affordability when making changes, which is not officially part of the development process now. CHBA estimates the changes to the 2025 NBC will add between $50,000 to $100,000 to the minimum cost of a new 2,500-square-foot home. The association also expresses concern with the impact of frequent code changes on sector productivity; a lack of transparency and industry involvement in the development process; and an ongoing lack of code harmonization across the country owing to the provinces\u2019 continued ability to modify the NBC or make different interpretations of it in their jurisdictions.<\/p>\nThe tone of the letter is scathing in places:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot support the 2025 model codes or their adoption and call for an immediate pause to redo them properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCHBA has become seriously concerned over the last few years with how Canada\u2019s new governance system for national codes and its updated code development process is neither transparent nor evidence-based anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter references Australia, where building code development has been paused in response to similar concerns. Specific actions the CHBA is calling for include:<\/p>\n
\n- Immediately stop the adoption and implementation process of the 2025 National Construction Codes and assess them with a plan to only put forth for adoption cost-neutral changes for housing in Part 9 of the 2025 national codes (such as the prescriptive point-based compliance paths for all energy efficiency tiers);<\/li>\n
- Pause all 2030 code development until critical reforms are made to the development approach, such as:\n
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The Canadian Home Builders\u2019 Association has