“It should never have come to this”: Rakocevic responds to HCRA fines against Albion

QUEEN’S PARK — In response to Ontario’s Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) levying the largest fine in its history against Albion Building Construction Inc., Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Tom Rakocevic (Humber River—Black Creek) has issued the following statement:

“While the HCRA has finally stepped in with strong enforcement against an illegal builder, it should never have come to this.

“This builder built 39 homes without a license or warranty coverage. This follows previous fines and a license revocation, and shows why enforcement matters.

“In September, I wrote a letter to Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford, recommending that the province require builders to register with the HCRA upon applying for a building permit at the municipal level. This was first proposed by Justice D. Cunningham in his 2017 Tarion Review.

“Illegal building poses major risks to Ontarians through potential structural deficits and financial losses. We can’t wait for harm to be done before regulatory bodies commit to strong enforcement. The Ford government must enhance proactive regulatory oversight, and prevent these problems before they occur.”