Four Vancouver mayoral candidates debate housing and affordability

Vancouver Liberals’ Kareem Allam, Vote Vancouver’s Rebecca Bligh, Green Party candidate Pete Fry and TEAM’s Colleen Hardwick debated housing, affordability, the failed Villages Plan, luxury development and density on Tuesday.

Allam said young people are leaving because of inadequate jobs, unaffordable housing, safety concerns and barriers to services. Bligh said renters account for 72 per cent of net new residents and that the private market cannot be expected to solve the affordability crisis. Fry said the city’s central problem is affordability, while Hardwick said she wants to apply her knowledge to fix what is broken at City Hall.

All candidates except Hardwick supported reversing the ban on new supportive housing units. Hardwick said the City is not responsible for the health-care or housing systems, though it must address problems occurring within its boundaries, and called for a more distributed approach rather than concentrating services in the Downtown Eastside. Allam said the City has a role in the toxic drug crisis, intimate partner violence and transitions from care.

Mayor Ken Sim, who is seeking re-election, did not attend. ABC Party said it was waiting for the full candidate slate while deciding which debates to join. One City’s William Azaroff withdrew Tuesday to support Fry, saying he wanted one progressive mayoral candidate next month. Nominations close Sept. 11 and election day is Oct. 17.