Bishop and Team Delta say they’ll move quickly on housing file

TWO-TERM councillor Sylvia Bishop, now seeking election as Mayor of Delta, along with her slate of council candidates running under the Team Delta banner, on Monday released ‘A Made-in-Delta Solution: A Research Paper on Affordable Housing and Rental Accommodation’ and Bishop reiterated she will move quickly on the housing file if elected as mayor on October 20.
“I’ve made a commitment to hold a housing-affordability and rentals ‘Summit’ within 100 days of winning election,” she said. “Delta residents want action – and Team Delta and I intend to deliver.”
The 16-page paper examines many of the factors that have impacted the housing market over recent years in British Columbia and the City of Delta, and looks at policies enacted by the Province of British Columbia and a number of B.C. municipalities.
“My tenure as a councillor has convinced me that affordable housing and related issues represent  a real and growing concern for many if not all Delta families,” said Bishop.
“The City of Delta has taken some steps to address the issue, but it is increasingly clear that the situation is becoming more urgent, and I believe that the new Council elected in October must take prompt and decisive action.”
Simran Walia, a newcomer to municipal politics and a Team Delta member seeking election to Council, said that housing affordability was an issue raised frequently by local voters when she goes door-to-door canvassing.
“Many people I speak with tell me they are concerned about the ever-rising prices of homes and rental accommodation in Delta,” said Walia. “I am very pleased to be part of Team Delta, and that all of us are willing to explore new ideas and find new solutions to this growing challenge.”
Kim Kendall, another Team Delta candidate seeking election to Council, observed that she knows many North Delta families who are concerned that their children when grown might not be able to reside in the local community.
“I have my own children and I would like them to be able to continue living and making their homes in Delta once they become young adults,” said Kendall. “Unfortunately, the increasing unaffordability of houses and lack of availability of rentals is causing a great deal of anxiety for many families, including my own.”
Team Delta’s local-government candidates include Bishop, Walia and Kendall, along with veteran councillor Robert Campbell and newcomer Dr. Joan Hansen.

 Click here to download the paper