Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke slammed BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and the provincial government Monday for putting the city on a “naughty” housing list.
“I think the Province needs to get its information right before it publishes such absolute nonsense,” she said. “Surrey has been a leader on housing development in B.C. going on for several decades now.”
She said Surrey has more than 34,00o housing units approved but not yet built. “So it’s clear that the City of Surrey is absolutely not standing in the way of housing developments. Rather than spending its time monitoring targets that Surrey is far exceeding and creating naughty lists, the Province should focus on building much-needed hospital, school and transportation infrastructure in the City of Surrey.”
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Locke said she was “thrilled” to announce Surrey reached a milestone related to planning and development here, with 4,200 housing unit applications processed so far this year valued at nearly $2 billion, “which is typical of an entire year.”
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our city staff,” she said. “Their efforts have not only accelerated the process but also ensured high standards of safety and design.”
But, she added, this “incredible achievement was somewhat overshadowed last week when minister Ravi Kahlon felt it necessary to place the City of Surrey on a so-called naughty list alongside a number of other B.C. municipalities for not processing enough housing units.
“I’m glad to get that off my chest now, and I’m sure many of us share that, the offensive comments by minister Kahlon.”
In reply, Kahlon said Tuesday said there a lot of unhoused people in Surrey.
“If the mayor of Surrey thinks that she’s done enough on housing, she should talk to people in her community,” Kahlon said. “There are 14 to 16 people living in two-bedroom suites in her community. So this is about ensuring there’s housing available for people that are already in the community.
Meantime, Kahlon added, “We’re doing our part” by expanding Surrey Memorial Hospital, building a hospital in Cloverdale, expanding SkyTrain, and expanding schools over 12,000 seats.
“So we’re going to continue to do our part, but the city needs to do more and it’s important for all of us to work together,” he told reporters in Victoria. “I certainly hope the mayor understands that housing is one of the biggest issues in her community.”