Business View-Oct 2023

21 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 10 CHBA EDMONTON REGION Advocacy and Industry Focus Laura Bruno, CEO of CHBA- Edmonton, relays the strategic pillars of the association, which are devoted to advocacy and membership engagement. She shares, “On the advocacy front it’s representing our members and working with our municipal partners in Edmonton and regional municipalities, on ensuring housing affordability and housing choice, reducing red tape, ensuring a good build environment. In terms of what we do as an organization, we’re a not-for-profit organization that engages and serves its core membership of builders, renovators, and general members by advocating on behalf of the residential construction industry in pursuit of our member’s success.” While there are certain members within the association involved in mixed-use developments or who have commercial divisions, she underscores that CHBA exclusively represents the residential aspects of the industry. Outlining the advocacy priorities that are part of the association’s three-year strategic plan, Bruno says CBHA Edmonton Region is focused on City Plan Implementation, Impacts of Energy Efficiency on Housing, and Permit Process Improvements. She elaborates, “There’s a city planning framework, a growth management framework, and district planning, that all fall under that City Plan Implementation umbrella. So, we’re involved in all of those files.” Balancing housing affordability with energy efficiency is also top of mind for CHBA, and the organization is continuously involved in discussions surrounding innovations in energy efficiency, including their implications for housing costs. CHBA is also committed to streamlining the permitting process, seeking to reduce red tape and enable builders to construct high-quality homes in Edmonton as efficiently as possible. “One other piece of advocacy that’s important to us is relationship building,” stresses Bruno. “We want to be building good relationships with administration at the municipalities, as well as elected officials in Edmonton and the region.” Shaping the Future of Edmonton’s Housing Landscape Highlighting that Edmonton is one of the most affordable large cities in Canada, Bruno emphasizes the association’s commitment to preserving this reputation. “We’re fortunate to have supply keeping up with demand in Edmonton currently, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what’s going to happen in the future,” she says. “So, it’s just about making sure that we’re continuing to be able to bring on products that allow new homebuyers, first- time homebuyers, new immigrants to Edmonton, to be able to afford a home.” Of course, the region is not insulated from the external challenges of rising interest rates and labor shortages that are affecting communities across North America, and Bruno points out Laura Bruno