We all feel it. The rent is too damn high.
And here in Vancouver Centre—where more than half of us rent our homes—that’s not just a slogan. It’s a daily crisis.
But this crisis wasn’t inevitable. It’s the result of decades of decisions—by Liberal and Conservative governments alike—to abandon renters and reward corporate landlords, hedge funds and speculators.
Those choices led us here. But we can make different ones. And we are. Across the country, people are organizing—not just to survive the crisis, but to end it.
In our campaign, we’re fighting for a future where housing is a human right, and policy actually reflects that simple truth.
For too long, governments have handed the keys to our cities over to real estate investors and private equity firms. What used to be homes are now treated like stocks—flipped, traded, and squeezed for profit.
Meanwhile, renters in Vancouver Centre face soaring costs, endless renoviction threats, and shrinking options.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
In fact, around the world, we can see the opposite.
🏡 Vienna, Austria: More than 60% of residents live in affordable, publicly owned or co-op housing. The city treats housing as a public good—not an investment scheme.
🏙 Stockholm, Sweden: A strong tenant union negotiates rents nationwide, keeping housing stable and fair.
🗽 New York City, USA: After a wave of grassroots organizing, the city closed loopholes that landlords used to evict tenants and hike rents.
🍁 Quebec, Canada: With rent increase caps in place, housing costs have stayed far more stable than in B.C. or Ontario.
These examples show what happens when political courage meets people power.
All eyes are now on the national stage: Will Mark Carney or Pierre Poilievre become prime minister?
I get it. It’s easy to feel stuck between dangerous alternatives. But here’s the truth: no matter who wins nationally, what we do in Vancouver Centre matters.
We need representatives in Ottawa who’ll fight for renters, for affordability, for fairness—every single day. That means naming names and drawing real contrasts.
Mark Carney may seem like a safe bet for the Liberal brand. But when he led Brookfield, the company hiked rents, evicted tenants and doubled down on the very crisis we’re in. That’s not the leadership we need.
I’m running to bring a different kind of politics to Ottawa—grounded in community, focused on justice, and unwilling to cozy up to the corporations causing the harm.
Winning elections matters. But so does the movement we build in the process.
Because when we knock on doors and hear how isolated people feel, how many are living alone and struggling to stay hopeful—it reminds me what politics should be about.
Connection. Dignity. Belonging.
And when we fight together for public housing, rent control, and the idea that no one should be evicted so a billionaire can make another buck—we’re already changing the conversation.
Let’s keep going.
Onward, together.
Avi Lewis
Candidate for Vancouver Centre, NDP
Vancouver Centre deserves an MP who shows up for 2SLGBTQ communities every day of the year.
Canada needs a strong NDP opposition to protect what makes us different from the US, and your vote for Avi in Vancouver Centre could make all the difference.
From democracy forums to door-knocking marathons, from bold policy talks to joyful volunteer videos, this campaign is powered by care, courage, and community. We’re not just fighting to win an election—we’re building a movement where truth matters, no one is left behind, and politics feels human again.