Yes, No, and Maybe votes on housing

Municipal politics doesn't get a lot of news coverage, and municipal political parties don't have strong brands, so it's not easy to keep track of who to vote for.

For Vancouver city council, here's a summary of who consistently votes Yes on housing, who consistently votes No, and who's a Maybe.

Yes votes:

• Kennedy Stewart (Forward Together)

• Christine Boyle (OneCity)

• Lisa Dominato (A Better City)

• Melissa De Genova (NPA)

No votes:

• Colleen Hardwick (TEAM)

• Adriane Carr (Green)

• Jean Swanson (COPE)

Maybe votes:

• Sarah Kirby-Yung (A Better City)

• Michael Wiebe (Green)

• Rebecca Bligh (A Better City)

• Pete Fry (Green)

I'd really like to see at least two more solid Yes votes on housing.

Some past decisions:

• June 2019, 4575 Granville, rental townhouses: failed, 4-7. Property owners of rejected Granville townhouse development now plan to build a 12,000 square foot house. Stewart, Boyle, De Genova, and Dominato voted in favour; everyone else voted no. (The applicant did eventually try again, and got a unanimous approval in October 2021.)

• July 2019, 3833 Fraser, six-story rental building: passed, 7-3. Vancouver council approves new Fraser Street redevelopment with 121 rental homes. Hardwick, Swanson, and Carr voted against.

• December 2019, 1805 Larch, five-story rental building with 20% below-market units: passed, 8-3. Vancouver council approves controversial Kitsilano five-storey rental project. Hardwick, Swanson, and Carr voted against.

• July 2020, 2538 Birch, 28-story rental building with 20% below-market units: passed, 6-5. Here’s why and how Vancouver council voted on 28-storey tower for West Broadway. Kirby-Yung and Wiebe voted yes; Bligh and Fry voted no.

• July 2020, Streamlining Rental Plan: postponed, 6-5. 'Postpone and delay' — Vancouver council defers rental-housing incentives . Kirby-Yung voted against postponing; Wiebe, Bligh, and Fry voted to postpone. (Came back to council in November 2021, approved 10-1, with Hardwick opposed.)