British Columbians head to the polls for local elections on Saturday, October 17, 2026. In many locations, they will have candidates who work or have worked in the BC real estate sector on their ballots. 

In the election lead-up, we reached out to candidates from the sector to ask for their thoughts on housing challenges and policy solutions. See below for full interviews with candidates from the Lower Mainland, and click here for candidates from the Interior and Vancouver Island. 

Note: This is an incomplete list. We reached out to as many candidates from the real estate sector as we could find, but we were unable to gather answers from all. Also, some interviews have been edited for length. 

Danielle Beausoleil

Residential and commercial real estate advisor
Chilliwack City Councillor Candidate 

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

The biggest housing challenge facing Chilliwack is affordability. As our community grows, we need to ensure that people who work here can afford to live here. If elected, I would support responsible housing growth that makes better use of existing urban areas and infrastructure, while protecting the Agricultural Land Reserve. I would also work with developers, non-profits, and provincial and federal governments to encourage a range of housing options, including attainable and family-friendly homes.  

Housing decisions must be part of broader planning for transportation, infrastructure, and community services. We need to add housing thoughtfully while keeping Chilliwack affordable, livable, and connected. 

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

I would support thoughtful, long-term planning that creates more housing choices while protecting Chilliwack’s character and infrastructure capacity. That includes encouraging a broader mix of housing types, including townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and other missing-middle options in appropriate areas.  

I would focus growth where existing or planned infrastructure can support it, while coordinating housing decisions with roads, transportation, recreation and other community services. I would also work with developers, non-profits and senior governments to identify barriers and opportunities to increase housing supply.  

The goal is not simply to build more homes, but to plan communities where people can afford to live, work and thrive. 

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Yes. Housing pressures do not stop at municipal boundaries, so our solutions shouldn’t either.  

I would support greater collaboration among municipalities, regional authorities, First Nations, the provincial and federal governments, non-profit housing providers and the development community. That means sharing information, identifying regional housing needs, coordinating infrastructure and transportation planning, and working together on practical solutions that reflect the needs of individual communities.  

Each municipality has unique circumstances, but we can learn from one another and avoid working in isolation. By bringing the right partners to the table and working toward common goals, we can create more housing options while planning responsibly for the region’s long-term future.  

Steve Bede  

REALTOR®
White Rock City Councillor Candidate  

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

The biggest challenge is delivering more housing choices that people can actually afford and that still fit White Rock’s character – without overloading infrastructure or turning our neighbourhoods into high-rises. If elected, I will focus on the first priority of my platform: Beautiful Homes & Neighbourhoods. That means encouraging attractive, well-designed homes (especially missing-middle forms) that create real options for families, seniors, and first-time buyers while protecting the look and feel of our community. 

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

I will push for more missing-middle housing – duplexes, triplexes, small townhouses, and coach houses – designed to a high standard so they enhance rather than detract from neighbourhood character. I will work to streamline processes for quality projects that deliver genuine housing choices for families, seniors, and first-time buyers, while ensuring new homes are attractive and well-designed. This is the practical way to increase supply and variety without sacrificing what makes White Rock special.  

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Yes – thoughtful regional collaboration makes sense where it helps White Rock. I would support practical coordination with neighbouring municipalities and Metro Vancouver on shared infrastructure and housing targets, but only when it respects White Rock’s unique character and local priorities. Collaboration should deliver better outcomes for our residents, not simply import density decisions made elsewhere. My mandate remains clear: build a more beautiful, vibrant, and prosperous White Rock. 

Michael Dunn  

REALTOR®  
Surrey City Councillor Candidate  

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

Affordability is the biggest long-run factor. In the short run, the sector will suffer from the general economic malaise caused by the “Trump Tariffs,” inflation, and immigration issues. These short-run issues should resolve themselves over the next two years. Affordability will be with us for some time to come.  

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

I am a firm believer that government should allow the marketplace to determine the products required. The best role for government is to reduce red tape, taxes, and cut costs. Then allow the market to determine the product mix required.  

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Are there efficiencies to be gained from greater regional control? In general, I think the cities of British Columbia have a proven track record of efficient and prudent growth. I am concerned about aggregating power in a regional authority or at the provincial level. I think the local rate payers should have control over zoning issues. This has not been perfect but has been a workable system since the founding of our province.  

Jasroop Gosal  

BC Real Estate Association Government Relations Manager  
Surrey City Councillor Candidate 

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

Surrey’s biggest housing challenge is accommodating substantial growth without letting housing outpace the infrastructure and services that make communities work. If elected, I would align housing growth with roads, drainage, water, sewer, power, fire protection, parks, and transit, while fixing planning inconsistency and making approvals more predictable. I would modernize neighbourhood plans, publish clear application stages and target decision dates, and fast-track non-profit, supportive, seniors, workforce, and deeply affordable housing without weakening safety or environmental standards. 

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

I would use Surrey’s Official Community Plan and neighbourhood plans to support more housing types and well-planned density where transit, infrastructure, and services can support it. For missing-middle housing, that means clear rules, predictable approvals and practical pathways for additional housing within established communities. I would also support a clear legal-suite approval process, evidence-based parking standards, more family, workforce, seniors, and accessible housing, and modern construction methods such as prefabricated housing. The goal is more choice without relying on endless outward sprawl. 

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Yes. Surrey’s housing and infrastructure needs are regional, so collaboration should be practical and decision-focused. I would support issue tables with Metro Vancouver, TransLink, BC Hydro, School District 36, Fraser Health, post-secondary institutions, and senior governments to coordinate housing growth with transit, utilities, schools, health services, and other infrastructure. Surrey should publish its asks, commitments, and unresolved barriers, coordinate regional and municipal fee changes where possible, and use its scale to provide regional leadership rather than defaulting to conflict. 

Chris Kloot

REALTOR®; former director of the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board  
Chilliwack City Councillor Re-election Candidate 

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?

One of our biggest challenges is providing enough housing choices for a growing community while keeping infrastructure and community services affordable and sustainable. Chilliwack has already taken action. In 2018, the City permitted secondary suites in single-family homes throughout the municipality years before the Province introduced its broader small-scale, multi-unit housing requirements. I would continue supporting a range of housing options, responsible development, and policies that increase supply while ensuring roads, utilities, parks, and other infrastructure keep pace. 

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

Chilliwack should continue using a range of housing forms, including secondary suites, coach and garden suites, townhouses, apartments and other small-scale multi-unit housing. The City has already permitted secondary suites broadly since 2018 and updated its zoning in 2024 to comply with provincial small-scale multi-unit housing legislation. I would continue looking for opportunities to streamline appropriate development, support diverse housing choices, and use our updated 2050 Official Community Plan to guide growth while protecting farmland and environmentally sensitive areas. 

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Housing, transportation, employment, and infrastructure do not stop at municipal boundaries. Greater regional collaboration can help municipalities share information, identify opportunities, and coordinate planning where it makes sense. That should include working with neighbouring municipalities, the Fraser Valley Regional District, First Nations, and senior levels of government. However, local communities also have different geography, infrastructure capacity, and housing needs. Regional collaboration should therefore support municipalities in addressing shared challenges while allowing local governments to make decisions appropriate for their own communities. 

Daryl Moniz

REALTOR®; Past President and current Director of the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board  
Chilliwack City Councillor Candidate 

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

Affordability is the biggest housing challenge facing Chilliwack. A major part of addressing affordability is ensuring we have enough supply across the housing spectrum, including attainable ownership options and not only purpose-built rental. If elected, I would focus on identifying barriers that unnecessarily add time and cost to delivering new homes, while supporting responsible growth that is matched by the infrastructure and services our community needs.  

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

I would start by reviewing what Chilliwack already has in place, what is working, and where unnecessary barriers remain. I’m interested in opportunities such as pre-approved or standardized building plans, prefabricated and modular construction, and gentle density that can add missing-middle housing while fitting appropriately within established neighbourhoods. We should look for practical ways to shorten timelines and reduce costs without compromising building standards, good planning, or the character of our community.  

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Yes. I have been a proponent of bringing government and industry together through a housing roundtable. Housing challenges do not stop at municipal boundaries, and neither should the conversation. I would support a regional forum that brings together local governments, First Nations, provincial and federal partners, REALTORS®, builders, developers, non-profit housing providers, and other housing experts. The goal should be practical: identify barriers, share successful approaches, improve coordination, and make sure housing policy is informed by people working directly in housing delivery. 

Brian White  

REALTOR^®  
Delta City Councillor Candidate 

1. What is the single biggest housing challenge facing your community, and what would you do about it if elected?  

Affordability. This is a difficult question that has plagued our province for decades. I believe this requires all three levels of government to sit at the table until a solution can be hammered out. We need to work together on housing supply, infrastructure, and taxation, as well as involve government-owned land and address barriers that add time and cost to building homes. If elected, I will advocate for practical solutions that recognize the different housing needs of families, seniors, and people with disabilities. We need less finger-pointing between our governments and more cooperation focused on one goal: making housing attainable for the people who live, work, and want to retire in our communities. 

2. What specific steps would you take to increase the supply and variety of housing in your community, including missing-middle housing?  

The biggest barrier to increasing housing supply and variety is zoning regardless of municipality. Too often, we know what needs to change, but it takes years to make it happen. If elected, I would push to modernize zoning, streamline approvals and allow more missing-middle housing – duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and other options – where they make sense. Zoning is one of the most powerful tools a municipality has, and sometimes change really can begin with the stroke of a pen. But increased density must be planned responsibly, with infrastructure, services, and neighbourhood character considered at the same time. 

3. Housing pressures often cross municipal boundaries. Would you support greater regional collaboration on housing policy, and if so, what should that look like?  

Housing doesn’t stop at municipal boundaries, and neither does transportation, employment, or infrastructure. We need greater regional collaboration, but not a one-size-fits-all approach. Delta, Surrey, Vancouver, New West, and other communities have different housing needs, infrastructure capacities, and neighbourhoods. Metro needs better regional planning. I believe it should focus on upgrading utilities and increasing employment while allowing each municipality to determine how growth best fits their community. We should share data, identify regional housing gaps, and coordinate major infrastructure investments. Collaboration would help municipalities make better decisions – not remove local accountability or replace the voices of the residents who live there. 

---

Authorized by British Columbia Real Estate Association, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 604.683.7702.

To subscribe to receive BCREA publications such as this one, or to update your email address or current subscriptions, click here.