GOVERNMENT RELATIONS + ADVOCACY
In 2023, BOMA BC advocated to all levels of government for policies that allow the commercial real estate industry to succeed in our Province. Through meetings, advocacy, and consultations, we continued to move the needle forward on key regulatory priorities such as climate change, labour shortages, permitting, property taxes and other issues.
IMPROVING PERMITTING PROCESSES
Permitting delays continue to pose challenges for our members. BOMA BC held quarterly check-in meetings with the City of Vancouver Development Building and Licensing team to encourage improvements to the permitting process for tenant improvements and we coordinated a joint proposal with the business community calling for quick wins to improve the process around communication and customer service. In early 2023, the City of Vancouver reinstated the Tenant Improvement Program (TIPs) for buildings built after 2007 – a long time advocacy-ask of BOMA BC.
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Leading up to Vancouver’s 2023 Budget and a proposed tax increase, BOMA BC coordinated with the business community to communicate our concerns to the Mayor and Council. BOMA BC also organized a joint response from Vancouver’s business community calling for a property tax shift to address the residential–commercial imbalance. Following considerable advocacy with the Mayor, Council and Finance officials, the City of Vancouver struck up a Mayor’s Budget Task Force, and a Property Tax Review Commission to assess Vancouver’s property tax competitiveness.
BOMA BC and its partners maintained our property tax-related advocacy efforts throughout the year, and 2024’s Property Tax Increase was smaller, or in line, with other large Canadian cities.
ADDRESSING CHALLENGES + BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
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Vancouver Office Market
The Office Market has continued to face headwinds across North America following the pandemic, and Vancouver was no exception. To ensure proper monitoring of the situation and rising vacancy rates, BOMA BC struck up a regular meeting with the City of Vancouver’s Employment Lands and Economic Review Team where we presented quarterly office market reports to ensure the City was abreast of challenges and improvements in the market.
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Creating Safer Communities
Property crime and disorder continue to pose challenges in downtown cores across the Province, adding costs and challenges for small businesses. In 2023, BOMA BC joined the Downtown Vancouver Safety Task Force, chaired by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. Throughout the year, we met with the Province’s Attorney General, Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, and Vancouver’s Deputy Chief of Police, where we communicated the costs, challenges, and burden of property crime, and calling for additional provincial focus.
BUILDING THE WORKFORCE
We continued our work on the Sector Labour Market Partnership Program to identify opportunities to alleviate our industry’s labour shortages. BOMA BC, through the Workforce Development Committee, started a dialogue with BCIT to create a new Commercial Real Estate Program for Property Managers and Building Operators. We are in the early stages of exploring curriculum development.
ADVANCING CLEAN ENERGY + DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY
The Province has significant jurisdiction around the cost of doing business and assisting industry with decarbonization. We began discussions with the Ministry of Finance to continue to strongly advocate for the introduction of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) as a financing tool to incentivize clean energy retrofits, and review measures within provincial jurisdiction to reduce the cost of doing business.
In May 2022, the City of Vancouver passed Carbon Pollution limits for existing large commercial buildings. In 2023, BOMA BC continued to work closely with the City of Vancouver and other partners to ensure a smooth program rollout, hosting webinars, and sharing information with the membership. BOMA BC also worked closely with utilities, the Province, and the City of Vancouver to ensure issues around data sharing and privacy were resolved before launch.
