Recommendations include creating a Condo Office, better consumer education, and improved dispute resolution options
OTTAWA, Sept. 24, 2013 /CNW/ - Residents, stakeholders and experts representing Ontario's booming condo industry today shared their proposed solutions for updating the province's Condominium Act. This report is the result of extensive public engagement efforts undertaken by Canada's Public Policy Forum and Ontario's Ministry of Consumer Services (MCS).
Key recommendations in the report include:
- Creation of a Condo Office, an arm's length umbrella organization that could provide functions such as education and awareness, dispute settlement, condo manager licensing, and a condo registry.
- Improved consumer education and protection.
- Updated financial management rules and dispute resolution mechanisms.
- Stronger qualification requirements for condo boards, including mandatory training for first-time members.
- A new licensing program, managed by the condo office, to ensure that condo managers are properly trained and qualified.
There are over 100 recommendations in the stage two report from the public engagement exercise that is informing a three-phase review of Ontario's Condominium Act,1998.
In stage one of the review, hundreds of stakeholders—owners, developers, property managers, and others—met through the fall of 2012 to talk about their vision for a modernized Condominium Act. The Forum published the issues they identified in the stage one Findings Report. In stage two, launched in March 2013, stakeholder working groups and industry experts reviewed the stage one findings and developed recommendations for renewing the Act. In stage three, starting this fall, the residents' panel from stage one, together with the broader condo community, will have an opportunity to review the recommendations, after which MCS will draft an action plan proposed changes to the Act.
"The review process is as much a pilot project in collaborative policymaking as an effort to build better condo communities, and we appreciate the ministry's confidence in this approach," said Don Lenihan, Senior Associate at the Public Policy Forum. "The working group and expert panel members were enormously dedicated. They gave generously of their time and worked respectfully with their colleagues to analyze the issues and arrive at these recommendations."
The public is invited to comment on the solutions report in a survey. For the executive summary, complete stage two report, backgrounder, supporting documents, and updates on the project, please visit www.ppforum.ca.
The Public Policy Forum is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of government in Canada through enhanced dialogue among the public, private, academic and non-profit sectors.
Ontario's Condo Act Review--Stage Two Solutions Report
Backgrounder
Ontario's current Condominium Act, 1998 came into effect in 2001. Since then, Ontario's condo sector has experienced remarkable growth and change. Today, condos account for half of all new homes built in Ontario. There are close to 600,000 units in the province, and about 1.3 million Ontarians call a condo home.
In June 2012, the Ontario government launched a review of the Act to align it with developments in the sector. The Ministry of Consumer Services (MCS) engaged Canada's Public Policy Forum, based in Ottawa, to lead a public engagement process to review and recommend changes to the Act. The Forum is engaging condo owners, developers, managers and other community stakeholders in a three-stage, 18-month review process that will identify issues, consider options, and propose an action plan for renewal.
The first stage of the review, completed in early 2013, identified numerous shortcomings in the existing law. Participants, drawn from across the condo sector, proposed options for improvement and highlighted areas of agreement and differences of opinion.
Under stage two, the Forum set up five working groups representing a broad cross-section of condo sector interests to reviewed the stage one findings and come up with possible solutions. Each group focused on one of five areas:
- Consumer protection
- Financial management
- Dispute resolution
- Governance
- Condo management
In addition, a 12-member panel of experts provided a forum for "sober second thought". Panel members were selected for their expertise in key areas such as consumer protection, engineering, condo development, finance and condo management, and to provide a balance of perspectives.
In stage three, starting in the fall of 2013, the residents' panel from stage one, together with the broader condo community, will have an opportunity to review the recommendations, after which MCS will draft an action plan for implementing them.
For more information and updates on this project, please visit www.ppforum.ca
SOURCE: PUBLIC POLICY FORUM
Natasha Gauthier
Director of Communications
Public Policy Forum
(613) 238-7858, ext. 220
[email protected]
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