Vancouver City Councillor
While MLAs continue to debate how to regulate ride shares in Vancouver and across BC — here in the Lower Mainland, growth in illegal rideshares has been absolutely explosive!
Yesterday on CKNW I followed up with Lynda Steel on a conversation we had back in July.
Big money may continue to influence local elections in B.C., says a former city-council candidate. Pete Fry of the Green Party of Vancouver claims that this is due to a loophole in legislation that was passed by the province last month regarding campaign financing.
Under the City’s Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy, formally evicting long term tenants for “minor repairs” necessitates at a minimum 4 months free rent and moving expenses (in the case of a 10year tenant).
Zoning and land-use decisions are the big tools at the city’s disposal. The outrageous land valuation increase detailed in this article is a direct result of the city’s changes to permissible building height and scale — and it’s what is driving a rush on speculation as well as replacement and displacement of actually affordable housing in the West End.
The best part of political campaigns is meeting people and reconnecting with our city’s neighbourhoods.
But it’s bittersweet.
Too many folk are being pushed out. People are living on the street. Increasingly our city is becoming more about speculative investment and less about people who live and work here.