Civic Elections ’88 Unity hits mayor on housing, Aninternal city hall report that shows the Lower Mainland is facing a housing crisis has placed the issue of low-income housing in the political arena as the date for the Vancouver civic election nears. The three progressive political forces uni- ted to unseat the majority Non-Partisan Association have cited the report from the social planning department to blast the NPA for a weak housing policy. Independent mayoral candidate Jean Swanson, Committee of Progressive Elec- tors Ald. Libby Davies, and council con- tender Ian Reid of the Civic New Democrats said the report shows the lack of substance on NPA policies regarding secondary suites, the massive Marathon Realty and Concord Pacific projects, and the skyrocketing assessment values on sev- eral residential properties. And aldermanic candidate Bruce Yorke charges that under a continued NPA rule, there will be more service cutbacks and higher taxes. The three groups, all backed in a unity slate by the Vancouver and District Labour Council, are counting on exposing the NPA’s bankrupt policies to make a change on Nov. 19. Civic progressives slammed an announce- ment last week by NPA Mayor Gordon Campbell that the city would pay up to $20 million to buy land on Marathon’s Burrard Inlet site and Concord Pacific’s False Creek holdings for mixed-income housing, con- tingent upon senior government involve- ment. Davies slammed the plan, stating that it relieves the developers of the responsibility to ensure housing for low-income earners. The progressives point out that the time to set aside housing was during public hearings Vancouver's unity slate MAYOR Jean Swanson CITY COUNCIL COPE: Libby Davies Bruce Eriksen Harry Rankin Carole Walker Bruce Yorke CIVIC NDP: Sandra Bruneau Linda Ervin David Levi Adrienne Peacock lan Reid SCHOOL BOARD COPE: Chris Allnutt John Church Sadie Kuehn Gary Onstad Pauline Weinstein CIVIC NDP: Anne Beer Gerry Brown Les Martlew Jean McMurdo PARK BOARD COPE: Michael Chrunik Tim Louis Patricia Wilson CIVIC NDP: Charlotte Beresford Michael McEvoy Daryl Nelson Janice Vichert > « Pacific Tribune, November 14, 1988 into zoning the former Expo lands, when housing groups and community activists were pressing council to ensure that the big projects set aside 33 per cent of their lands for affordable housing. “The NPA has discovered housing 13 days before the election,” Swanson ob- served. On Wednesday the mayor suffered further embarrassment over the issue by admitting that the question of who pays for the housing—the developers or the city — has not been resolved. The NPA faces anger at the polls over its do-nothing approach to the skyrocketing assessments, which has resulted in 3,000 appeals, and over its attack on so-called “illegal” suites in single-family zoned areas. There is political dynamite also in an in-camera document from city hall released by the CND’s Reid. In the social planning department’s report, tabled in September, the warning is sounded that 13,000 Lower Mainland residents are waiting for social housing. It points out that 22 per cent of - total rental households take 50 per cent or more of tenants’ incomes for rent, and that secondary suites account for 25 per cent of the city’s housing stock. The labour-backed forces point out that the report is an embarrassment to the mayor and the NPA majority, and that they are deliberately withholding its release until after Nov. 19. Yorke called the suppression of the document “an almost illegal use of the mayor’s office.” COPE is offering Vancouver voters a housing policy that includes the creation of city housing commission, a moratorium on secondary suite closures until the housing crisis is resolved, and the creation of a social housing land bank. The Civic NDP and Swanson have similar policies. Yorke, who has been leading the move- ment to appeal the B.C. Assessment Authority’s residential property assess- ments, criticized the NPA for not appealing on behalf of the city’s taxpayers. He hit the council right-wingers for not demanding a hike in the homeowner grant or the return of industrial taxing powers to local school boards. And, Yorke noted, the NPA’s claim to “keep the cost of government down” to reduce taxes is meaningless when council has been cutting transfers from fiscal © reserves — the rich property endowment o date lan Reid examine housing document. fund — which the previous COPE-Unity council used to help balance the operating | budget and keep tax hikes low. The progressive forces have also scored points hammering the opposition on its failure to oppose yearly bus fare hikes and service reductions, for abolishing the city’s fair wage program, and for cutting city ser- vices. “COPE is the group raising the issues,” Davies asserted in an interview. — Davies said the NPA’s slogan, “the non- partisan approach is working” is meaning- less for low-income tenants, bus riders and hungry school children. She noted council had no problem shovelling $800,000 into Tourism Vancouver while denying $200,000 to the school board’s meals program. “The major issue is, who is going to speak up for the public interest. It is really impor- tant to have a council independent of the developer interests,” Davies said. “We're up against a huge megabuck campaign from the downtown developers and other interests. We figure the NPA is spending at least $1 million on this cam- paign, while COPE, the CND and Swanson campaigns are operating on a shoestring.” But weaknesses such as the bungling of the suites issue, the caving in to developer Li Ka-shing over False Creek, and the lack of leadership by Campbell can spell increased gains by the unity slate this election, she Kamloops activist runs | Unemployed activist Donna Biro says Kamloops city council is run by big business interests that pour thousands of dollars into tourist gimmicks and unwanted megapro- jects while ignoring services for the Interior city’s residents. Biro, who is co-ordinator of the Kam- loops unemployed action centre, is running for an aldermanic spot with the backing of the Kamloops and District Labour Council and an interchurch organization. Last year Kamloops residents turned down a developers’ attempt to build a hotel and recreation complex encroaching on part of the city’s Riverside Park. That pleb- iscite, which city council backed with a $200,000 publicity campaign in 1987, is back before voters on Nov. 19, Biro warns. Now, as then, voters must defeat the pro- ject, partially sponsored by Marathon Realty, which would effectively privatize public lands, Biro said. Groups opposed to the project include the West Side Ratepayers Association. The West Side, along with the community of Dallas, lacks sewer and water, and adequate bus services, while paying high taxes, she noted. Biro, who ran for school board as part of a civic alliance in 1986, calls for long-range planning that includes manufacturing industries to utilize the region’s forest resources, pollution controls, public servi- ces and the establishment of a university. She calls for public input into the city’s direction. » Biro also backs the mayoral bid of Ald. Kenna Cartwright, who is running against former Socred minister Phil Gaglardi and the incumbent. In Coquitlam, the Association of Coquit- lam Electors is running Lorna Morford for district council and Nettie Kachmar for school board. (Nettie Kachmar is no rela- tion to ACE incumbent, trustee, Anne Kachmar.) Morford, a former ACE trustee, said the key issues are affordable housing, a fine arts centre, rapid transit and preservation of the Colony Farm agricultural lands. Ald. Eunice Parker is ACE’s representa- tive on council. -In Surrey, Steve Gidora and Iqbal Kah- lon are running for alderman with the Sur- rey Coalition of Progressive Electors. COPE Ald. Libby Davies, mayoral candidate Jean Swanson, and Civic NDP candi- taxes wat contended. The mayor is also under fire from COPE Ald. Bruce Eriksen over the use of his city hall office by a taxpayer-paid assistant for NPA election purposes. He noted that an NPA press release announcing the group’s policies carried the city hall office phone number of the mayor’s communications assistant, Muriel Honey. “The NPA is basically a group of oppot- tunists, without policies, who use the NPA electoral machine. We’ve got far-reaching policies for housing, jobs and services. The unity slate is going to do a lot better this time,” Davies said. ‘Yes’ vote urged on plebiscites Two plebiscites are before Vancouver voters Nov. 19, and the Committee of Pro- gressive Electors is urging a “tyes” vote on both. Voters get to choose a 10-ward system, and a 60-per-cent approval will end the at- large method of electing candidates, which has effectively denied neighbourhood rep- resentation since the mid-Thirties. COPE also urges a yes vote on the ques tion which asks, “Are you in favour of 4 neighbourhood review to discuss secondary suites being allowed in single-family areas © your neighbourhood?” : A yes vote does not mean automati¢ legalization of secondary suites, but allows further “reviews” at council’s discretion, after which all, part or none ofa neighbour hood may be rezoned to allow suites. A 1° vote means a poll will be conducted before enforcing the single-family (RS-1) residen® zoning, which means closing secondary suites. That plebiscite is limited to RS-1 areas, a vote COPE Ald. Libby Davies calls discrim- ination. She said the plebiscite in the No™ Partisan Association majority’s way ° ducking the issue they created. COPE calls for scrapping the entire process. COPE needs E-day volunteers During the last month the Committee of Progressive Electors has distributed 100," leaflets and 3,000 lawn signs for its candi dates and independent mayoral candidal? Jean Swanson. But COPE campaign mat ager David Lane says the civic alliance ® still going to need hundreds of volunteers? ensure gains at the polls on election 44) Nov. 19. Door-knockers, slate card distributo™ drivers and phoners are among the m0 than 1,500 positions to be filled. To volu™” ter, phone the COPE office, 251-2963, go to 2240 Commercial Dr.