With 30 days to the election, more questions are being raised about the NPA’s hidden agenda on housing and development, after a debate hosted by neighbourhood groups failed to yield clear answers from the NPA on what their plans are for housing and development.

At a debate last night hosted by the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods, the NPA’s Kirk LaPointe spoke at length about launching a new “city plan.” Despite several questions, he refused to explain how it would work, raising fears from neighbourhood groups that the NPA will throw out long-standing neighbourhood plans, and ignore existing targets for affordable housing.

A review of the NPA’s affordable housing platform shows that an NPA government would actually reduce the amount of affordable housing being created, at a time when Vancouver desperately needs more housing for low and middle incomes.

Yesterday the NPA committed to ending the City’s successful Rental 100 Program, which provides incentives for the creation of rental apartments, instead of condos. The program has helped deliver more than 1,000 new rental apartments a year for the past two years, compared to zero rental apartments built in 2008 – the last year of an NPA Council.

With the release of the NPA's housing platform, Vancouver voters have a clear choice in November's election. On November 15th, voters have a clear choice between a Vision Vancouver council that is committed to building new affordable housing, or an out-of-touch NPA who have no plan to address Vancouver's affordability challenges.

"The NPA's approach on housing represents the same tired, out-of-touch policies that failed before and will do nothing to help people in Vancouver," said Vision Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs. "The NPA's belief that we should let 'the market' decide what housing gets built in Vancouver will only drag our city backwards. It's not a surprise this is coming from the same party that has voted 25 times against measures to address affordable housing and homelessness."

Comments made at the Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly by the NPA's mayoral candidate on transit should be a big concern for Vancouver voters, says Vision Vancouver.

When asked his position on supporting better transit and if he would champion the new 10-year Transit Plan for Metro Vancouver, the NPA's Mr LaPointe said he did support the 10 year plan, but then did not support the proposal as it involves using the carbon tax.

With only 36 days to the election, the NPA have not proposed any plans to build housing for families, create child care spaces, make our city more affordable, or protect our waters from an expansion of oil tanker traffic: all of which are important challenges requiring strong leadership at City Hall.

A review of the public comments of the NPA show that may be because they can’t seem to decide whether or not they will release policies or a platform at all.

Vision Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson today announced his Affordability Agenda, promising to strengthen and expand on the work his party has started to support families across Vancouver.

“Whether it's building 4,000 new units of rental housing, opening more child care spaces, or providing free access for kids to our pools, our new commitments today are critical pieces of our continuing work to make life more affordable for all Vancouver families,” said Mayor Robertson.

Mayor Robertson was joined at his announcement by several other members of Vision Vancouver’s team, including Council Candidate Niki Sharma.

Vision Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was joined by Vision City Council candidate Niki Sharma at Coal Harbour this morning to release A Greener City, Vision’s environmental platform that puts leadership against Kinder Morgan as a top priority.

“Vancouver needs strong, experienced leadership that is willing to stand up for our city’s environmental and economic interests, which is why speaking out against Kinder Morgan’s 340 more oil tankers is a priority for Vision -- and will be part of the choice voters will have on election day,” said Mayor Robertson.

“With 40 days to the election, the NPA are still silent on Kinder Morgan, a project that threatens to wipe out the environmental progress we’ve made. The choice on November 15th is ultimately about leadership and representing Vancouver’s values. With the NPA, we have a party that will only drag our city backwards.”

Yesterday, the NPA's Mr. LaPointe published a blog post detailing a tour of the Downtown Eastside, and outlined his proposals for the neighbourhood. His positions on the neighbourhood and housing show what's at risk in this election, and the clear choice between Vision Vancouver and the NPA.

1. Mr LaPointe says: “Whether with the help of a DTES czar or a bi-partisan group, we need a new dialogue."

Fact: The City just completed a two year community planning process for the Downtown Eastside, which included a resident-led neighbourhood committee and more than 335 meetings and events. Mr. LaPointe did not attend a single meeting.

With 50 days to the Vancouver election, Vision Vancouver released a new campaign ad, highlighting Mayor Gregor Robertson’s work to move the city forward as a green, innovative city.

Vision Vancouver has put forward a number of policies in this election campaign, outlining a clear contrast with the NPA:

• A detailed commitment of $400,000 a year to reduce child hunger, by expanding the Vancouver School Board’s Breakfast Programs to 1,300 kids;
• A clear position in support of a Broadway Subway to reduce congestion, and to advocate in support of better transit in the 2015 referendum;
• A commitment to speaking out against Kinder Morgan’s risky increase of 340 more oil tankers in our waters, by intervening in the National Energy Board hearings;
• A new Affordable Housing Agency that will build 500 new homes in its first three years, for people who live and work in Vancouver.

Vision Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson joined Vision School Board Chair Patti Bacchus outside of Strathcona Community Centre this morning, announcing that the Vision Vancouver team will build on Vancouver’s Healthy City strategy and double the reach of the VSB's Breakfast Programs, ensuring that 1,300 kids in Vancouver have access to a hot, healthy breakfast each morning before school.

"In a city as prosperous and compassionate as Vancouver, there is no reason why any kid should go to school hungry," said Mayor Gregor Robertson. "Reducing child hunger is a straight-forward way to enable our kids to succeed in school and build a healthier, stronger, more compassionate city. 

"Vision Vancouver is the only party with a track record of investing in local food, increasing support for child care and providing strong, experienced leadership at all levels of local government. Building on our new Healthy City strategy, the Vision team will move Vancouver forward by providing direct help for our city's most vulnerable kids."