As the cost of home ownership in Metro Vancouver and many other parts of the province continues to overwhelm would-be buyers, a new concern is beginning to creep into the home construction sector: a lack of skilled labourers.

The Canadian Home Builders Association of BC says it is beginning to see a “grey tsunami,” with older skilled workers beginning to retire, and fewer young people looking at the skilled trades as a potential career option.

“Over 60 per cent of our members responded [to a survey done in the spring], noting that skilled trades and labour shortages were presenting challenges to the housing projects. And in particular, they’re having challenges with securing skilled trades in the likes of carpenters, dry wallers, general contractors,” says Carmina Tupe, director of Policy and Government Relations with the Canadian Home Builders Association of BC.

Tupe also says there are other factors which are likely to continue dragging down the time it takes to build new homes.

“We saw during the pandemic that there has been a decline in new apprentice registrations from 2019,” she notes. “It is likely that we will continue to experience a skilled trade shortage in the foreseeable future.”

She says while difficult to quantify, Tupe notes the lack of available workers on-site is slowing down projects, which is pushing up construction costs — and subsequently the purchase price of homes.

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