The Village of Lytton (Lytton Village) today announced it has passed Building Amendment Bylaw No. 711 2022 which includes Part 24, where the construction of new Part 3 and Part 9 buildings shall comply with SAFERhome Standards to ensure all new homes are built to the universal standard of design and build homes that easily support a much broader range of people with different abilities to fully use and fully enjoy their homes.

SAFERhome Standards provides the only building standard and certification program in Canada that anticipates the needs of British Columbians, from young children to grandparents, through the application of universal design where anyone can age-in-place and live healthier lives in an ergonomically safer and electronically pre-prepared home. SAFERhome’s 15-point building standard ensures homes include simple and practical design features like:

• wider doorframes with little to no thresholds that improve ease of use and lessen tripping hazards,
• wider hallways and stairs, with wall reinforcement improve flow and ease of use, and the addition of stairlifts in future if needed,
• bath and shower controls that are easier to reach and use,
• electrical outlets and light switch heights that are easier to reach and use, benefitting people with back, shoulder or neck issues as well,
• sinks that can easily be lowered in future to allow use from a seated position, and
• technology-ready to connect automation and control systems such as automated door openers.   

The adoption of the SAFERhome Standards as compared to current housing units presents significant potential cost savings to the Village of Lytton and its residents in the following areas:

• lower future cost of renovations for any mobility enhancements if needed,
• less cost or need for direct home support services,
• less unexpected costs due to injury in the home,
• reduction the number of healthcare worker accidents in the home,
• less personal occupant costs and opportunities associated with negative social labelling,
• reduction in the number of ambulance call-outs related to falls and other mobility-related in-home accidents,
• healthcare cost savings related to shortening patient hospital stays as SAFERhomes are ready to accept walkers, scooters and other mobility devices and easily adapt to your changing needs such as adding safety bars, safety gates or stair lifts,
• cost reduction for developers to provide units for social-based housing within their main market developments as issues around accessibility are automatically eliminated as a by-product of good design; and,
• negative social labelling is also eliminated as a by-product of good design

Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0082-001070

The Province, through BC Housing, has partnered with the SAFERhome Standards Society to create a new certification program that will improve liveability and accessibility in existing and future public-housing buildings.

“Everyone, regardless of their age, size, ability or mobility, should be able to live comfortably in their homes, without barriers,” said Dan Coulter, Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, on behalf of David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing. “With this partnership, we’re making sure we’re building homes that work for everyone and proving it’s possible for all developers, public and private, to do the same. This is a necessary step to ensure that homes meet people’s needs, now and into the future.”

The SAFERhome Certification Program will support a review of all BC Housing units built since 2019 to ensure they are either accessible or can be renovated easily to improve accessibility with minimal costs. Approximately 2,000 existing units and 8,000 new units soon to be completed will be inspected and potentially certified. Certified homes will be added to a public registry managed by the SAFERhomes Standards Society.

The SAFERhome Standards Society, a non-profit, public-interest organization, will operate the new program. The society encourages safer home environments and a better standard of living for all people through its certified building standards and training programs. Certification will be given to homes that meet SAFERhome’s standards. These include universal design elements, such as standard light switch and door handle heights, wider hallways, consistent shower and bath control positioning, and reinforced walls.

“BC Housing is leading the country when it comes to incorporating universal design into their housing,” said Colin Doylen, board director, SAFERhome Standards Society. “They are future-proofing homes by including SAFERhome standards into their building and design guidelines. This proactive and inexpensive approach to housing represents a new model for future home design that meets the needs of British Columbians, from young children to grandparents, to live a safe and supportive lifestyle.

The program will employ graduates of the Rick Hansen Professional Access Consultant Program as inspectors. They will receive training through the SAFERhome training program.

The inspection and certification process will begin in June 2021 and is expected to be completed by spring 2022.

Quick Facts:

• The Province is providing a grant of $75,000 to the SAFERhome Standards Society to support inspection and certification costs.
• In 2019, BC Housing updated its design guidelines to make sure all new public housing can be altered to improve liveability and accessibility and meet the needs of all future residents.
• The 2019 BC Housing Design Guidelines and Construction Standards applies to all affordable housing projects whose capital budgets are funded by BC Housing, regardless of project type.

Learn More:

Learn more about SAFERhome Standards Society: https://saferhomestandards.com/

A map showing the location of all announced provincially funded housing projects in B.C. is  available online: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/