Vancouver building permit backlog hurts homebuilders

Vancouver homebuilders say a backlog of permit approvals first identified in January is still resulting in delays at city hall that are costing jobs, and millions of dollars.

Jeff Langford with JDL homes says a permit that would typically take six weeks is now taking up to six months.

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"Layoffs are happeningamong oursubtradesand their employees, and the work is there," he said. "That's the hardest partthat the work is actually there."

BrynDavidson withLanefabDesign and Build says his compnay haslaid off five people over the summer and they're still not back at work.

"For businesses like ours and the impact on our clients, it really is an emergency situation."

The city says homebuilders had beenrushing to get approval before new building codes went into effectover the summer.

That deadline has now been pushed to the beginning of next year.

Langford says the city clearly wasn't prepared.

"This influx happens on a regular basis," he said."It happened with the HST when it came in, and when it came out."

Brian Jackson, the city's general manager of planning and development,admits permits are taking about 10 weeks to go through.

New staff has been hired, andthe city is hoping to clear out the backlog over the next couple of months, Jackson said.