Vancouver Voters Back Drug-Use Plebiscite as Housing Priorities and Kingsway Proposal Shape Post-Election Agenda

Alongside the official 2026 Vancouver election results released by the City of Vancouver, ballot returns from the city's public safety plebiscite show strong voter support for stricter rules on public drug use. According to Daily Hive, 68% voted "Yes" in the Vancouver public safety plebiscite on tougher public drug-use laws and a secure treatment facility. CBC reported that Vancouver residents voted yes on 2 plebiscite questions regarding drug use. Business in Vancouver reported that the plebiscite results show Vancouver voters saying "yes" to strengthening laws to forbid open-air hard drug use, while the Vancouver Sun reported that Vancouver voters were overwhelmingly opposed to open-air drug use.

The plebiscite tally follows a municipal election in which mayor-elect Pete Fry and his Vancouver Greens got out the vote and won, an outcome covered by Daily Hive under the headline "David and Goliath" and followed by a one-on-one interview with CityNews Vancouver. Beyond public safety, a poll reported by CityNews Vancouver found that the cost of living and housing are the top priorities for new B.C. municipal councils. In Vancouver, new housing proposals include five towers with 1,000+ homes proposed for the Safeway site on Kingsway, according to Daily Hive. At the same time, Business in Vancouver reported that debate over the empty homes tax is swirling 10 years after the pioneering tax in Vancouver.

Economic pressures are also affecting regional development and real estate sentiment. According to the Delta Optimist, a development downturn is contributing to less DCC cash for Metro. In the private sector, kalkine.ca reported that Wall Financial Corporation (TSX:WFC) declined as Vancouver real estate and hotel sentiment softened. Examining provincial conditions for Business in Vancouver, Bryan Yu reported that the B.C. labour market is softening as a housing recovery slips to 2027.

These municipal and market developments come amid wider provincial and national housing debates. The Ubyssey reported on the future of housing policies in B.C., while an opinion piece in Daily Hive stated that B.C.'s housing crisis will be amplified by the homes we do not build today. Nationally, Canadian Mortgage Trends reported that Carney's housing agency vows to build as home prices plunge, while new research from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and reporting by CTV News examine why Canadian house prices stand apart from the world and are outpacing other nations.