Builder beware

A man who has physical disabilities and cancer was issued a grant from the province’s Home and Vehicle Modification Program (HVMP) to build a porch lift at his home. The contractors falsely told the man that building permits were not required, and after a city inspection found it was not built to code, the lift had to be torn down. The man then called our Office for help, and after our staff spoke with the Ministry of Community and Social Services, officials there agreed to make additional funds available to the man to build another lift. They also committed to institute greater oversight of the HVMP in future.