Comox Valley local candidates on housing affordability

Leading up to the 2026 municipal election in the Comox Valley, The Discourse surveyed readers to learn what they wanted to know from candidates running for council and mayor.

The top issues that readers said are on their mind are: environment, reconciliation and housing.

Based on your feedback, we sent five reader questions to candidates for Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland and asked them to respond with a maximum of three sentences. Many readers also wanted to know more about candidate track records and values, not just talking points, with some folks submitting questions to help indicate how much candidates actually know about their municipal roles and responsibilities.

Responses are listed with mayoral candidates first, followed by council candidates, each in alphabetical order by last name, and have been lightly edited for length, clarity and fact-checking.

As a reminder, Cumberland and Comox mayors are acclaimed but we still asked candidates for responses.

Q. What will you do to support housing affordability and an increase in affordable housing supply in the region?

City of Courtenay

Trish McPhail (Mayor)

Trish McPhail did not respond by the deadline.

“Housing & Shelter Partnerships: Leverage city-owned land, supportive/non-market housing partnerships, and shelter capacity” (Trish McPhail campaign website)

See more on the campaign website.

Manno Theos (Mayor)

Manno Theos did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Bob Wells (Mayor), incumbent

I will continue to advocate for more affordable housing which has increased by over 200 units in the past 4 years while continuing to encourage market housing.  We have gone from 0% vacancy for decades to over 4% vacancy in the past couple years.  We need to work with non market housing organizations as well as developers, ensuring there is a clear vision for housing through the OCP.  

Editor’s Note: Projects that opened in this time include the set-to-close Connect warming centre (33 beds), Junction (46 units) The Lodge (67 beds) Darry’s Place (40) and Mission Ridge (48 units). The City of Courtenay 2024 housing needs assessment reports only one year of healthy vacancy rates since 2023 (between 3 to 5 per cent).

Phil Adams

Phil Adams did not respond by the deadline.

“Adams believes the city must approve more attainable housing, support practical solutions to homelessness and public disorder” (Comox Valley Record, Sept. 8)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Vasil Beaton

Housing affordability is one of the biggest issues facing families, seniors, workers and young people in the Comox Valley.

We need to increase supply, but we also need to make sure we’re building the right types of housing.

I support making it easier to build secondary suites, townhomes, smaller multi-unit housing and purpose-built rental housing, while using incentives and partnerships to encourage genuinely affordable and below-market housing.

Guan-Carlo (Benny) Benvenuti

Guan-Carlo (Benny) Benvenuti did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Rosanna Chamberlin

Rosanna Chamberlin did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Dick Clancy

Dick Clancy did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

John Dacombe

Extending municipal boundaries is bad for taxpayers, residents, and the environment, because sprawl means more depreciating assets that taxpayers are responsible for maintaining in perpetuity: roads, sewers, sidewalks, water lines. Actual solutions to create more affordable housing, both market and non-market, must instead focus on densification.

If an area already has existing municipal infrastructure, the cost is connecting services to the lot line, not extending services out into some old farm field, which means savings at the front end, but also less depreciating assets in the future.

Erik Eriksson

Erik Eriksson did not respond by the deadline.

“To me, the word Affordability means ability to afford.  While we are advancing the issue of affordable housing, we need to advance the issue of economic development. Together.” (Erik Eriksson campaign website)

“This is how we will be better able to access Provincial and Federal funding for social endeavours, such as housing, long term care, mental health and more.” (Erik Eriksson campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

David Frisch, incumbent

David Frisch did not respond by the deadline.

“He hopes to continue the push for a regional housing function to build more affordable rentals with federal and provincial funding.” (David Frisch campaign website, Sept. 21, 2022)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Evan Jolicoeur, incumbent

Rapidly leverage City assets – funding & land – to support the CV Housing Authority mandate to build below market housing; clarify and update the City’s goal of percentage of affordable units in up-zoning developments, review opportunities such as inclusionary zoning & density bonuses, offer up land to local non-profits to build housing, and continue our advocacy related to the pause in BC Housing funding for affordable housing.

Jessie Lightburn

Jessie Lightburn did not respond by the deadline.

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Jin Lin

Jin Lin did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Kelly Matthews

Kelly Matthews did not respond by the deadline.

“Housing & Homelessness: Pursue creative, long-term housing solutions that support all residents while easing the operational and safety burdens on downtown business owners.” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Sept. 30)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Thomas McDevitt

Thomas McDevitt did not respond by the deadline.

“He also supports reducing unnecessary delays in the building-permit process to help get more homes built.” (Comox Valley Record, Sept. 28)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Dave Mellin

Dave Mellin did not respond by the deadline.

“Housing affordability is a responsibility shared across provincial and federal levels — not the city’s to solve alone.” (Dave Mellin campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Wendy Morin, incumbent

I want to: take an active role to assure the success of the newly formed Regional Housing Authority, specifically set up to promote below market housing; continue the practice of securing below market suites in all new housing developments; consider incentivizing and/or fast-tracking the development of below market housing; and work on streamlining the development approval process.

Kitty Pitt

Kitty Pitt did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Davina Singh

Davina Singh did not respond by the deadline.

“She would like to advocate for improved options for affordable housing, community safety, supporting local businesses and responsible spending with future needs in mind.” (Davina Singh campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Kam Singhania

Kam Singhania did not respond by the deadline.

See their Facebook page.

Darin Tufts

Darin Tufts did not respond by the deadline.

See their Facebook page.

Town of Comox

Nicole Minions (Mayor, acclaimed)

Nicole Minions did not respond by the deadline.

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Steve Blacklock, incumbent

Steve Blacklock did not respond by the deadline.

“…continuing to work with Habitat for Humanity to add affordable housing for working families, like the recently donated old fire hall site on Gladstone St.” (Steve Blacklock campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Lisa Bourgeois

Lisa Bourgeois did not respond by the deadline.

“Work with residents, builders and community partners on creative housing solutions that meet Comox’s needs. Use thoughtful design to add housing choices while respecting the character, charm and natural beauty of our neighbourhoods.” (Lisa Bourgeois campaign website)

“I support adding housing, but growth should consider infrastructure capacity, traffic, neighbourhood character and long-term costs.” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Sept. 29)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Vivian Chislett

Vivian Chislett did not respond by the deadline.

“We need the right types of housing for our current residents—seniors wanting to stay in Comox, our kids needing to rent near home, places for incoming families, accomodation for workers, students, military.” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Sept. 29)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Ken Grant, incumbent

Ken Grant did not respond by the deadline.

“…meet provincial housing needs while respecting our neighbourhoods,” (Ken Grant campaign website)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Chris Haslett, incumbent

Chris Haslett did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Jonathan Kerr, incumbent

The biggest gap in our local housing market is the need for 3,200 below-market rental housing units, which is critical as a stepping stone, and as a safeguard, as people move up and down the housing spectrum.

At the Regional district, I have been championing the creation of a regional Housing Authority, which has been designed to increase the number of below-market rental units in the Valley.

The Housing Authority is going to attract provincial and federal dollars, and work with local builders to decrease red tape, so that more Comox Valley residents will have an affordable place to live.

Editor’s Note: This figure matches the Comox Valley Regional District’s 2024 Housing Needs Report, which projects a need for about 3,160 below-market and deeply affordable rental units across the whole Comox Valley by 2041. The report for the Town of Comox alone estimates 806 such units.

Neil Ladell

I believe that the next Comox Council needs to pass renter protections from redevelopment proposals that could displace affordable rentals. The next Council also needs to catch up with other BC municipalities who require 10-20% affordable housing quotas in a multi-family development. Comox should also participate in regional collaborations on housing affordability.

Jenn Meilleur, incumbent

We need to do three things at the same time to improve housing affordability: build more market housing, create more genuinely affordable housing, and protect the affordable housing we already have. I support gentle growth and missing-middle housing, faster and more predictable straightforward applications, co-op and cohousing, moving suitable publicly-owned land toward permanently affordable housing, and a strong Tenant Protection and Relocation Bylaw. Housing is regional, and one of my priorities is for Comox to participate fully in the Comox Valley Housing Authority so we can work together to secure land, funding and partnerships for more affordable and non-market homes.

Ruby Sidhu

Ruby Sidhu did not respond by the deadline.

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Maureen Swift, incumbent

Maureen Swift did not respond by the deadline.

“… encouraging and promoting the development of industrial lands and housing options in Northeast Comox” (Comox Valley Record, Sept. 23)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Jessica Wegg

Jessica Wegg did not respond by the deadline.

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Village of Cumberland

Vickey Brown (Mayor, acclaimed)

Look at every opportunity to work with developers to create more rental units, diverse forms of housing and infill housing.  Also identifying land to offer for affordable housing projects, along with property tax exemptions if possible. Cumberland has a project ready and are waiting for funding.

Zanoni Agnew

Zanoni Agnew did not respond by the deadline.

“I believe a healthy community doesn’t price out lower income homeowners, and doesn’t price out renters trying to buy.” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Oct. 1)

See their Facebook page.

Ellian Bell

Ellian Bell did not respond by the deadline.

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Neil Borecky, incumbent

I think the best way to do this, especially for a small village, is by offering the conditions for private industry to build housing, and by partnering with other agencies such as the Comox Valley Housing Authority to seek funding for below-market housing.  It’s impossible for a village the size of Cumberland to enter the business of building houses, but we can direct growth through our OCP and zoning processes to allow a more diverse set of dwellings. I support streamlining and improving the permitting process  which goes a long way toward incentivizing developers, contractors or even private individuals in our community to construct additional housing.

Kevin Snaden

I’d support a broader mix of housing, including duplexes, townhouses, suites, laneway homes and modest apartments, while keeping new development in scale with the neighbourhoods around it. I don’t think local government can simply build its way to cheaper housing, so I’d focus on making it easier to build more economical housing by making approvals clearer, faster and more predictable, including letting applicants know where their project is in the process. I’d also like Cumberland to make better use of provincially approved standardized housing designs where the zoning and site fit.

Sean Sullivan, incumbent

Sean Sullivan did not respond by the deadline.

“My top three objectives are reasonable tax rates, affordable housing, and community wellness” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Oct. 1)

See their candidate listing on CivicInfo BC.

Troy Therrien, incumbent

Troy Therrien did not respond by the deadline.

“…four units are now permitted on most single family lots within the urban containment boundary and there are many multifamily zoned lots within the boundary as well. We continue to work with senior government to fund housing projects.” (Troy Therrien campaign website, Sept. 21)

“My audacious dream is a civic block with affordable housing.” (Decafnation candidate questionnaire, Oct. 1)

Read their platform on their campaign website.

Nick Ward, incumbent

Continue to try to advance our shovel-ready affordable housing project here in Cumberland, to zone for smaller housing types to ease the pressure at that end of the market, and to encourage further accessory dwelling creation by seeking to ease the code and permit requirements on small units.