Vancouver City Councillor
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.
I love my job as a Vancouver city councillor. But I’d get a lot more done and the city would be better off if Pete Fry were to join me at the council table.
Dynamics were different at city hall when I was elected as Vancouver’s first Green councillor in 2011. The two NPA councillors—Affleck and Ball—were willing to second my motions even if they didn’t vote for them, just to ensure they got publicly debated. Vision councillors, who often tried to dissuade me from even making motions, occassionally seconded one, then basically quashed it by referring it to staff for review.
Party candidate Pete Fry is hoping to join Green Party councillor Adriane Carr on Vancouver’s city council. rabble.ca spoke with Fry to find out how a second Green Party member would change the dynamics on city council. This interview has been edited and condensed.