The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) supports the participation of all individuals in society. CHBA recognizes that society does not always accommodate every individual’s needs, and that this can limit their participation in society. CHBA supports accessibility and visit-ability as it applies to facilities and services open or provided to the public. Conversely, CHBA recognizes that Canadians view their homes as a private space—a space they expect to tailor to their individual needs, wants and budgets—and hence should not be subject to requirements in this area that further reduce affordability (and typically will not provide the desired outcome anyway).

Encouraging voluntary efforts

CHBA actively supports our members’ voluntary efforts
to improve the accessibility and visit-ability of both new and existing homes, providing them as voluntary options to their customers. The CHBA Adaptiv Home Council delivers services to support CHBA renovator-members’ activities, such as training for aging-in-place renovations, and a public-facing portal for homeowners and caregivers to find information and services to support renovations for aging in place. Encouraging the voluntary renovation of existing homes—some 13 million units—through efforts such as these will help fulfill the expectations of Canadians for housing that meets their individual needs, wants and budgets.

Protecting affordability and choice

CHBA actively supports the national code development process with its rigorous, scientific evidence- and consensus-based processes. The model National Building Code already includes provisions that address accessibility in public buildings, including barrier-free path of travel and barrier-free facilities. Adding provisions for accessibility and visit-ability in private homes will add to the cost of housing for all Canadians, while in most cases neither serving the owners nor visitors they may have. Some Canadians will be forced out of the housing market, and some forms of entry-level housing will be eliminated or be economically unfeasible to build.

Meeting individual needs

Health professionals agree that those needing home modifications for accessibility require individual and specific renovations tailored to their specific condition, with attention paid to planning for the progression of that condition so that the renovations continue to serve their purpose into the future. Mandating a “one-size-fits-all” solution will not fulfill this need. Focussing on the specific homes of Canadians where their daily activities are limited by a disability will better serve their needs.

Unintended consequences must be examined if governments determine that regulating all homes is the best route for any situation, including for meeting the needs of people with disabilities. Experts note that the variety of disabilities in the population mean that designing for accessibility means different things for different disabilities—for example, accessible design for mobility can cause problems for those with vision impairments. Therefore, adding general accessibility requirements may not only severely impact affordability, but be counterproductive.

There are also other direct conflicts. For example, a no-step entry may conflict with climate adaptation requirements for flood-resilience, or wide doorways may require a larger home than can be placed on a small lot or transported from a homebuilding factory. Wider hallways and doors also greatly increase floor space, adding greatly to costs not only in construction but in land.  Consideration must also be given to industry capacity, product availability, enforcement implications, maintenance costs and other costs that would be handed down to consumers.

Regulating accessibility and visit-ability in private homes may compromise the availability of housing that Canadians need and want. Supporting the voluntary efforts of CHBA members to improve the accessibility and visit-ability of homes will help ensure that the industry can deliver housing to meet the needs, wants and budgets of all Canadians.