Vancouver mayor promises 200,000+ homes over 10 years if re-elected, opponents slam proposal

Vancouver’s mayor has released his party’s plan to help create more homes if re-elected, which quickly came under fire from political opponents also vying for seats at city hall this fall.

Vancouver’s mayor has released his party’s plan to help create more homes if re-elected, which quickly came under fire from political opponents also vying for seats at city hall this fall.

Forward Together mayoral candidate Kennedy Stewart promised Tuesday to help create 220,000 new homes in the city over the next decade, including 140,000 market and below market rental units, social housing, and co-ops.

“Everybody should be able to live in every part of the city,” he said. “We know that houses can’t get built unless they’re approved, so that is the main job that we’re doing at the city. By increasing approvals, we’re enabling the construction. So that is why we also want to modernize the permitting process to get things done faster.”

The party’s housing platform also includes approving 40,000 new “ground-oriented homes for purchase by the middle class” and 40,000 full market condos or townhomes over 10 years.

Forward Together also plans to add permanent vacancy controls to many new rental units, make the public hearing process more efficient, and maintain the empty homes tax at a minimum of five per cent.

Other City Hall hopefuls are taking aim at the incumbent mayor's housing promises. Council candidate Peter Meiszner’s party ABC Vancouver said in a news release on Tuesday it intends to release its housing plan soon.

“He’s had four years to help create more housing in Vancouver and from my perspective it’s been a failure,” Meiszner said of Stewart and Forward Together's plan.