MLA wants homes previously used as grow-ops to be made available to buy

Homes previously used as grow operations could be put on the market ifa private member's bill is passed by the B.C. Legislature.

Chilliwack-Kent MLA Laurie Throness, who introduced the bill on Monday, said in a statement that it would "protect homeowners and get more units onto the market."

In a written statement, Throness said that police have estimated there are 20,000 grow operations in B.C. He said he anticipates there will be "many more" now that cannabis has been legalized.

The bill,called the Homeowner Protection Amendment Act,would taskan existing government office, the New Homes Registry, with developing remediation standards for homes formerly used as grow operations.

A licensed home inspector would then be required to confirm that a home has been safely and completely remediated according to those standards, at the expense of the homeowner.

"Because more banks and insurers refuse to provide mortgages and insurance for homes previously used as grow-ops, we risk these homes being left vacant or continuing to be used for illegal activityonce these operations cease to existmore or less permanently excluding them from the market," Throness said in the statement.

He said that "with the way things currently stand, thousands of homes will be unavailable to buyers because of past and future grow operations in B.C."