Kareem Allam’s Vancouver mayoral profile: service staffing, housing and safety promises, recent statements, public events, reporting and nomination papers.
A researched record of Kareem Allam’s campaign commitments, statements, debate appearances, news reports and public events in the 2026 mayoral race. He has not held elected office, so no Council votes apply.
The score counts how complete and checkable the published plan on this issue is. Whether the plan would work is a separate question, left to the reader. Measured October 3, 2026. The same seven points apply to every candidate for this office.
Housing supply and rental rules7/10
2/2
A position in the candidate’s own words
“We must replace Vancouver’s separate building by-law with the BC Building Code, which is used by all the other municipalities across the province.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on housing: 1 commitment, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Council sets zoning, approves rezonings and development permits, and makes rental and tenant-protection bylaws under the Vancouver Charter. The province sets rent increase limits and tenancy law.
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on homelessness and drugs: 2 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Council funds shelter sites, street cleaning and city outreach, and decides where supportive housing is approved. Health services, treatment beds and drug policy are provincial and federal.
“We will deliver on the report in full: every position, every recommendation, backed by multi-year funding because a fire service can’t be built on one budget at a time.”
“The Vancouver Liberals will also create a Firefighter Safety and Deployment Board that will publicly report on firefighter staffing, coverage, and crew training with the objective of improving firefighter safety.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on public safety: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Council approves the police budget. The Vancouver Police Board, not Council, directs the police department. Fire and rescue services report to the city.
“Within the first year of a Vancouver Liberal Government, we're going to get rid of every single parking meter in front of beaches and community centres throughout the entire city”
“Within the first year of a Vancouver Liberal Government, we're going to get rid of every single parking meter in front of beaches and community centres throughout the entire city”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on transport: 1 commitment, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The city owns and designs its streets, bike lanes, sidewalks and parking rules. Buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus are run by TransLink, a regional body the city does not control.
“Mayoral Candidate Kareem Allam and the Vancouver Liberals are committed to hiring 400 unionized CUPE workers to improve the services people in Vancouver rely on every day.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on taxes and budget: 2 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Council sets the property tax rate each year, approves the operating budget, and approves the multi-year capital plan that pays for buildings and infrastructure.
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on climate: 1 commitment, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. Vancouver has its own building bylaw under the Vancouver Charter, so Council can set energy and emissions rules for new buildings that other BC cities cannot.
“We will establish an Artist Land Reserve in four locations across the city, which would provide resources like studios and cut property taxes in half.”
“We will establish an Artist Land Reserve in four locations across the city, which would provide resources like studios and cut property taxes in half.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
Vancouver Liberals’s platform on culture: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The city licenses venues and events, sets noise and business rules, and funds cultural grants and spaces. Liquor licensing is shared with the province.
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
What this office controls. The city creates child care spaces through zoning, city-owned buildings and development contributions. Licensing, subsidies and operating funding are provincial.
“The Vancouver Liberals will establish an Industrial Land Reserve, keeping jobs in the city and surrounding them with affordable housing so that people can build their careers and keep their families in our city.”
“The Vancouver Liberals will establish an Industrial Land Reserve, keeping jobs in the city and surrounding them with affordable housing so that people can build their careers and keep their families in our city.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
What this office controls. Council issues business licences, sets licence and permit fees, zones commercial and industrial land and approves business improvement areas under the Vancouver Charter. Employment law, sales taxes and income taxes are provincial and federal.
“If elected, the Vancouver Liberals will create a Citizens’ Assembly to recommend how a ward system could work in Vancouver, with the final proposal put to voters in a referendum during the 2030 municipal election.”
“If elected, the Vancouver Liberals will create a Citizens’ Assembly to recommend how a ward system could work in Vancouver, with the final proposal put to voters in a referendum during the 2030 municipal election.”
The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
What this office controls. Council, the Park Board and the Board of Education each set their own meeting rules, committees, public consultation and reporting. The Vancouver Charter and the School Act create the three bodies and set their powers, and only the Province can change those acts.
On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.
01 / Introduction
About Kareem Allam
Kareem Allam is the Vancouver Liberals’ mayoral candidate, number 56 on the official ballot. He managed ABC Vancouver’s 2022 campaign and served as Ken Sim’s first chief of staff. He founded the Vancouver Liberals on July 3, 2025, and leads the party.
He was born in Vancouver in 1979 to parents who had immigrated from Cairo. His family moved between Canada and Egypt during his early years before settling in Richmond. He studied history at Simon Fraser University. In a July 2026 interview he described his father as a former Egyptian army general and his grandfather as a Sudanese activist.
He has worked on political campaigns since 2000, when he helped Canadian Alliance candidate Joe Peschisolido win a Richmond seat. He later worked for Alliance leader Stockwell Day, on Dianne Watts’s 2005 Surrey mayoral campaign, and as deputy campaign manager for Kevin Falcon’s 2011 BC Liberal leadership bid. Outside politics he has worked for Terasen Gas, now FortisBC, the Vancouver Board of Trade and Fraser Health, and he co-founded the consulting firm Fairview Strategy, according to a 2023 BCBusiness profile.
After ABC’s 2022 win he became the mayor’s chief of staff in November 2022 and left in February 2023, after three months. Neither he nor the mayor’s office gave a reason at the time. Mayor Sim later sued him and others for defamation; that case is recorded in the accountability section below.
He said in June 2025 that he was considering a mayoral run and launched the Vancouver Liberals the following month. He told Vancity Lookout in July 2026 that he decided to run himself after failing to find another candidate to support.
On October 1 his party published a 148-point platform with an opening letter he signed. In the final weeks he spoke at the UBC housing debate on September 8, the Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly on September 23 and the Board of Trade forum on October 2, and his party campaigned for a No vote on the plebiscite question about involuntary-care beds at the old St. Paul’s Hospital. UBC Sauder’s debate page describes him as a partner at Richardson Strategy Group, the firm the provincial lobbyists registry also lists for him.
Archive photo / 2025
Kareem Allam photographed above a marina, with forested slopes behind him.
Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.
79 commitments shown · Checked Oct 3
2026 · HousingCampaign pledge
Replace the city building by-law with the provincial code
Would end Vancouver’s own building by-law and apply the B.C. Building Code, starting on the first day in office.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The September 23 release, an opinion piece Allam signed in Sitka Media, and two interviews state this pledge. CityHallWatch reports that in May 2026 Council approved a motion by Mayor Sim on aligning with the provincial building code. voche.me has not opened that Council record. No staff report or provincial approval is established.
What still needs checking
Watch for a council motion, a staff report on the by-law change, and any statement from the Province on the change.
Would carry out every recommendation of the independent Darkhorse Emergency report on firefighter support, backed by multi-year funding, and create a Firefighter Safety and Deployment Board that reports publicly on staffing, coverage and training.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Published campaign proposal; implementation has not been established.
What still needs checking
Which positions, stations and training budgets are included?
Merge the 12 housing approval departments into one
Would merge the 12 City departments that approve new housing into one department, and start that work on the first day in office.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Allam states the number 12 and the day-one start in the Tyee interview, and the September 23 release states the merger. The 12 is the campaign’s own count, and voche.me has not compared it with the City’s organization chart. No cost, staffing effect or end date is given.
What still needs checking
Which 12 departments would merge, and when the single department would be running.
Would place housing approvals under one accountable executive responsible for the full timeline from application to permit, with published deadlines and monthly reports.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in an opinion piece Allam signed in Sitka Media on August 17, 2026. The piece gives no number of days for the deadlines, and no cost or start date.
What still needs checking
The deadline for each type of application, and who the executive would be.
Would create a housing delivery office that brings the necessary City departments together early on affordable housing projects that need City, provincial and federal approvals or money.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the same opinion piece. The piece gives no staffing, cost, number of homes or start date.
What still needs checking
What the office would cost, how many staff it would have, and when it would open.
Would run a review of City bylaws to find conflicts between new and old bylaws.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the Tyee interview of May 22, 2026, where Allam says the bylaws add complexity and the need for many consultants. No list of bylaws, cost or date is given. The October 1 platform says the review of every construction bylaw and policy would happen in the first year.
What still needs checking
Which bylaws would be reviewed first, and by when.
Would bring back the City’s renters’ office, in answer to a reporter’s question.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
In the Tyee interview the reporter said Allam has criticized the removal of the renters’ office and asked whether he would bring it back. He answered with the words in the quote. The plan page lists the closing of the renters’ office among the things it blames on Ken Sim and ABC Vancouver. No cost, staffing or date is given.
What still needs checking
When the office would reopen and what it would cost.
Would cancel the planned second City Hall office building and spend the money on services such as pools and parks.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page states the $800 million figure for the project and gives no date. CityHallWatch, republishing an analysis by the Fairview/South Granville Action Committee, says that cancelling a project may not free the same amount of money because of financing terms and contracts. voche.me has not checked the City’s project documents.
What still needs checking
How much of the $800 million could be reused, and when the decision would go to Council.
$1.35 billion for Park Board buildings and land, 2031 to 2034
Would provide $1.35 billion for the Park Board’s 2031-2034 capital plan, its multi-year spending plan for parks, community centres, pools and other buildings and land.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The September 24 release splits the money into $300M for parks and open spaces, $50M for biodiversity restoration and $1B for public assets, and says Ken Sim’s ABC government approved $739M for the 2027-2030 plan in July. The total differs between sources: the Tyee interview of May 22 says $1.4 billion and, later in the same interview, $1.43 billion. The release names no source of the money. The plan page says the money from the cancelled Second City Hall would go to services such as pools and parks.
What still needs checking
Which figure applies, and how the City would pay for it.
Restore Park Board funding to 9% of the City budget
Would restore Park Board funding from 7.9% to 9% of the City budget in four years, and set up a Joint Budget Advisory Committee of Park Board commissioners, City councillors and finance staff.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The Parks and Recreation plan PDF states the percentages and the four years. The September 24 release quotes Allam on the committee and links the PDF as the full plan. The PDF names no candidate. voche.me has not checked the 7.9% against the City budget.
What still needs checking
The yearly dollar amount this share would add to the Park Board budget.
Would ban foreign travel for councillors and City staff.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page states the ban and names trips to the Junos and $13 million of World Cup tickets as examples of spending. It gives no savings figure or start date.
What still needs checking
What the ban would save each year, and when it would start.
Would apply a tax to luxury yachts over 40 feet and use the money for property tax cuts for family doctors, walk-in clinics, food banks and the creative sector.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page states the tax and where the money would go. It gives no tax rate, expected income or date. voche.me has not checked what legal power the City would use to set this tax.
What still needs checking
The tax rate, the expected income and the legal power the City would use.
Auditor General investigation of the Art Gallery project
Calls for an independent Auditor General investigation of the Art Gallery project and its spending.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page calls for the investigation and gives cost figures for the project. Those figures are the campaign’s own claims, and voche.me has not checked them. No date is given.
What still needs checking
Whether Council can direct this investigation, and when it would be requested.
Would end the flat $10 fee for non-personal Freedom of Information requests, which are requests to see City records, and cut all other request costs in half.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The July 28 release states this and says Council approved the $10 fee on December 9, 2025. It gives no estimate of the fee income the City would lose, and no start date.
What still needs checking
The fee income the City would lose, and when the cut would start.
Would hold regular joint council meetings with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and regular meetings between the mayor and the nations’ leaders.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Allam gave this answer to CBC News, published on September 18, 2026. It gives no number of meetings a year and no start date.
What still needs checking
How many meetings a year, and when the first would be held.
Would raise Vancouver Police Department funding so that more officers can join the RCMP’s Federal Serious Organized Crime unit, increase cooperation with border services agents, and ask for more Canadian Coast Guard capacity, all aimed at senior organized crime figures.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The September 17 release and Daily Hive report this. No dollar amount, number of officers or date is given.
What still needs checking
How much more police funding, how many officers, and by when.
Would have the City declare intimate partner violence a public health and public safety crisis, back a survivor-led action plan, and work with the Vancouver Police Board on a strategic plan for its response.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the September 16 release, on the plan page and in a policy PDF. The release also names five policy actions from Battered Women’s Support Services, which voche.me has not opened. No cost or date is given.
What still needs checking
When the declaration would go to Council, and what the action plan would cost.
Calls for a Chinatown-specific community safety strategy made with residents, businesses, community organizations and frontline workers, with public reporting on results.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The August 19 release states this after new Vancouver Police Department figures on commercial break-ins in Chinatown. It gives no cost, number or date.
What still needs checking
Who would lead the strategy, and when it would be published.
Would enforce existing bylaws consistently across the city, coordinate outreach teams with shelter and treatment space so that people are moved into care, and negotiate with the Province for the beds Vancouver needs.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The August 13 release states this while rejecting ABC Vancouver’s proposed plebiscite (a public vote on a question), and the Vancouver Sun reported his response to that proposal. It gives no number of beds, cost or date.
What still needs checking
How many shelter and treatment spaces are needed, and who would pay.
Wants a long-term methamphetamine strategy for Vancouver and B.C. that focuses on safety, treatment and recovery.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated on the plan page and in the Tyee interview, where Allam says he would do what Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew did. The October 1 platform adds that the City strategy would be written in the first year, with published targets. It names no cost.
What still needs checking
Which City actions the strategy would include, and by when.
Says Vancouver needs a new accord among all levels of government on drugs and mental health, and that it probably needs six pillars instead of four.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the Vancouver Sun interview, on a Yahoo News Canada page dated September 25, 2026. Other levels of government would need to agree, and Allam names no date or cost.
What still needs checking
Which six pillars the accord would have, and when talks would start.
Remove parking meters at beaches and community centres
Would remove every parking meter in front of beaches and community centres within the first year in office.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page and VoteMate state the pledge. It gives no figure for the meter income the City would lose. The October 2 parking release and the October 1 platform repeat the pledge.
What still needs checking
The yearly meter income the City would lose, and how it would be covered.
Cut property taxes 50% for businesses during SkyTrain construction
Would cut property taxes by 50% for local businesses affected by SkyTrain construction, for the length of the construction, and add incentives for commercial landlords to lower rent for affected tenants.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page states the 50% cut. It gives no cost, list of stations or start date, and does not say how the City would cover the lost tax.
What still needs checking
Which businesses would qualify, and what the cut would cost.
Would keep AI data centres off Vancouver land needed for housing, while supporting Canadian AI data centres elsewhere.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated to The Tyee, published on August 11, 2026, and on the plan page. The statements name no bylaw or zoning change. At a September town hall reported by The Tyee, Allam said his party wants data centres built farther north in B.C.
Restore urban Indigenous relations staff at City Hall
Would restore urban Indigenous relations functions and the diversity, equity and inclusion department at City Hall, and add a full-time Indigenous relations director in the mayor’s office.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Allam gave this list to CBC News, published on September 18, 2026, in answer to a question about urban Indigenous people. It gives no cost or date.
What still needs checking
What the restored staff would cost, and when they would be hired.
Would open more recycling depots across the city, starting where they are needed most.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The plan page states this and says Vancouver recycles 51% of its beverage containers. That figure is the campaign’s own claim. Waste and recycling sits outside the scored issues, so this entry earns no point.
Would send five requests to every provincial party leader and track their answers: SkyTrain to UBC, bringing UBC and the University Endowment Lands into Vancouver, removing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, funding for the services housing growth needs, and provincial support for the building code change.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The September 23 release states the five requests. Most of them ask the Province to act, so the entry earns no scored point.
What still needs checking
Which provincial parties answer, and what each one commits to.
Oppose the 100-bed involuntary-care facility at old St. Paul’s
Opposes the plebiscite proposal to ask the Province for more than 100 involuntary-care beds at the old St. Paul’s Hospital and asks voters to vote No. Says he supports involuntary care where the Mental Health Act allows it, and wants a new agreement with the Province and Ottawa on treatment, recovery and housing.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
The September 28 release, Daily Hive and Global News report this. Allam told Daily Hive he knew of no suitable site in Vancouver for a facility of that size. No other site, cost or date is given.
What still needs checking
Where he would place secure care beds, and what the City would ask the Province for.
Signed accountability agreements for new supportive housing
Would require every new supportive housing site or shelter to sign an agreement naming the operator, staffing levels and service standards that the City can enforce.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform. It gives no date and no cost.
What still needs checking
Which City approval the agreement would be tied to.
At least 8 km of protected bike routes in year one
Says the party would build at least 8 km of protected all-ages cycling routes in the first year and hundreds of kilometres over the term. The platform also proposes adding over 400 km to the all-ages network by adding basic protection to painted lanes.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in his answers to HUB Cycling’s survey and in the October 1 platform. No cost or list of streets is given.
Supports HUB Cycling’s ask for 30 km/h local streets, and says the party would build traffic calming quickly with low-cost materials, starting in underserved neighbourhoods and at the most dangerous intersections.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in his HUB Cycling answers. No number of streets, cost or date is given.
Full-time bus lane on Hastings from Boundary to downtown
Would work with TransLink on a full-time bus lane on Hastings Street from Boundary Road to downtown, with traffic lights that give buses priority. At the Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly he also agreed to pilot a traffic pattern on Hastings in the Downtown Eastside that limits through traffic.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform and reported by Church for Vancouver. No cost or date is given.
What still needs checking
When the lane would be built, and what it would cost.
Would fund a Youth Climate Corps that pays young people a living wage to plant and care for trees, starting in neighbourhoods with the least tree cover. He also agreed to this at the Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform and reported by Church for Vancouver. The platform gives no number of trees or jobs, cost or date.
What still needs checking
How many young people and trees, at what cost, and from which budget.
Would set public targets for greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, matched to provincial and federal targets, report each year, and keep the City’s zero-carbon building standards and the Climate Emergency Action Plan.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform. No target number or date is given.
Before- and after-school care at every school that can host it
Says the party would open before- and after-school care at every Vancouver school site that can host it, and asks the next provincial government to fund child care on school grounds.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform and release. School sites belong to the School Board and child care capital comes from the Province, so the mayor cannot do this alone.
What still needs checking
Which schools first, and what the City would contribute.
Homes on faith, co-op and non-profit land without rezoning
Would let churches, co-ops and non-profits build homes rented below market rates on their own land without a rezoning. He also agreed to this at the Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform and reported by Church for Vancouver. No number of homes or date is given.
What still needs checking
Which zoning change, and when Council would vote on it.
Would extend every co-op and non-profit lease on City land at once, with automatic renewals, back repairs with City financing and open more City land for co-op homes and homes rented below market rates.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform. No cost for the repair financing or number of new homes is given.
Would bring back the Vancouver Economic Commission with a service that guides businesses through permits, and one door for all permit requests, with a goal of cutting permit times to three months.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform and reported by CTV News and The Ubyssey from two debates. No cost or date is given.
Would keep the City, Park Board and Library as certified living wage employers and require every City contractor, including janitorial, security and food services, to pay a living wage.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform. No cost to the City is given.
Would adopt a rule that makes new buildings next to music venues pay for their own soundproofing, cut permit steps for venues, and extend late-night support to Commercial Drive, Main Street and West 4th.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the October 1 platform. No date is given.
Ask the Province to join the University Endowment Lands to Vancouver
On his first day in office he would send the Province a proposal to join the University Endowment Lands to Vancouver, so residents there could vote for mayor and council.
Evidence & next checks
Evidence reviewed
Stated in the September 28 release and the October 1 platform. Only the Province can make this change.
Selected past work and proposed programs. A proposal is not an operating City program; delivery needs funding, authority and approval.
Campaign proposal
Proposed single permitting department
The party would merge the 12 departments that review housing, commercial and industrial projects into one department.
Scope, limits and sources
The reviewed announcement does not say what the merger would cost, how long it would take, or which staff positions would change. Council has not voted on it.
Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.
Statement
Answers to HUB Cycling’s election survey
Allam answered yes to all three of HUB Cycling’s asks: 30 km/h local streets with traffic calming, safety work in underserved neighbourhoods first, and closing gaps in the protected cycling network. He wrote that the party would build at least 8 km of protected all-ages routes in year one. The answers carry no date, so this date is the day voche.me read them.
Allam said parking fees at beaches and community centres would end within the first year, that the two-hour limits on paid parking would be reviewed, and that free 15-minute parking could be added in busy shopping areas.
CTV News reports that Allam spoke about young people leaving the city, replacing the City’s building by-law with the provincial code, moving project approvals into one department, bringing back the Vancouver Economic Commission and acting against money laundering, illegal currency exchanges and Bitcoin ATMs. He said he would measure his term by whether the city’s average age goes down.
The party published its full platform, A Serious Plan to Build a Thriving City, with an opening letter signed by Allam. The release quotes him saying the 148 commitments are ones people can hold the party to, and names five areas where the party wants the next provincial government to act.
Statement for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
A party release quotes Allam on his work with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and lists the party’s Indigenous commitments, including an Indigenous Relations Director in the mayor’s office and restoring the City’s equity office.
A party release quotes Allam saying the UBC SkyTrain line has been his top transport priority since the start of the campaign, and that on his first day in office he wants to send the Province a proposal to join the University Endowment Lands to Vancouver.
Allam said he opposes the plebiscite proposal for more than 100 involuntary-care beds at the old St. Paul’s Hospital and urged a No vote on both plebiscite questions. He said he supports involuntary care where B.C.’s Mental Health Act allows it, but objects to the downtown site. Asked by Daily Hive where such a facility could go, he said he knew of no suitable site in Vancouver. He proposed a new agreement among the City, the Province and Ottawa instead.
The Tyee reports that Allam was on the panel at a Sunday town hall held before its September 25 report. Asked about AI data centres, he said Canada needs them for national security, and said his party wants them built farther north in B.C. instead of in the city. Part of the audience booed.
Allam told The Tyee he has received hateful comments online during the campaign, including racist slurs, and that several Vancouver Liberals candidates have been harassed online. He said this kind of abuse discourages people from running.
Allam said the city should drop its own building by-law, use the provincial building code instead, and put the 12 departments that review housing projects into one department. He said the current process adds years to each project.
With a provincial vote called for one week after the city vote, Allam named five things he wants provincial parties to commit to: SkyTrain to UBC, bringing UBC and the University Endowment Lands into Vancouver, removing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, paying for the services that new housing needs, and the building code change above.
Church for Vancouver reports that Allam was one of four mayoral candidates at the assembly and that all four agreed to the five things the Alliance asked for: a meeting with its leaders within 30 days of taking office, lobbying Ottawa for $2 billion for 4,000 low-income homes, housing on faith land, a Hastings Street traffic pilot and a Youth Climate Corps. On the traffic pilot he answered “enthusiastically yes.”
Allam told CBC News that people in Vancouver feel they are paying more and getting less, and pointed to shorter library and community centre hours and more pressure on parks as the city adds people. CBC says he is running on public services and on closer work with senior governments.
The Ubyssey reports that Allam took part with Bligh, Fry and Hardwick. He said he would end the City’s pause on new supportive housing, said density can be added while keeping tree canopy, and said he would accept buildings with floor area above 1.25 times their lot size near transit, and smaller ones farther away. He repeated that SkyTrain to UBC is his first priority, said letting developers build more in return for public benefits could help pay for it, and supported an artist land reserve and protection of industrial land. UBC Sauder posted a 95-minute recording, which voche.me has not watched.
Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.
Civil lawsuit
Sim’s defamation claim and Allam’s response
Sim sued Allam and another defendant over statements about an alleged impaired-driving incident. Reporting says an OPCC investigation found no objective evidence of the described police interaction.
Candidate or party response
Allam denies defamation. His response says he discussed an unverified rumour for advice, had no direct knowledge and did not intend public republication.
Verified status and limits
These are reported pleadings, not a judgment. This review did not establish a later court disposition; the underlying allegation is not presented as fact.
A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.
Reporting
CTV News
Board of Trade forum report
Kraig Krause summarizes each of the five candidates at the October 2 forum, including Allam’s housing approvals, economic commission and money laundering proposals.
Kenneth Chan reports the campaign launch, quotes Allam, and also reports support for the plebiscite proposal from the Downtown business association, the BC Schizophrenia Society and a clinical psychologist.
Kenneth Chan reports Allam’s Vancouver Economic Agenda: SkyTrain to UBC, bringing UBC and the University Endowment Lands into Vancouver, removing the viaducts and the building code change.
Sources checked October 3, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.
Campaign spending returns are filed after the election and were not available. Endorsements published by the campaign have not been listed. No court decision in the defamation case Mayor Sim filed in 2025 was found in the sources voche.me read on October 3. UBC Sauder posted a recording of the September 8 debate that voche.me has not watched, so his answers there are recorded only as The Ubyssey reported them. No report showing whether he took part in the October 1 Last Candidate Standing forum was found. 730 CKNW says it will air mayoral debates from October 5 to 9 without naming a Vancouver date or candidates. No complete daily campaign itinerary has been verified. Additional photographs need usable source files and reuse rights.
Documents / Research status
Finances, endorsements and voting record
Campaign spending returns, donors, endorsements and a complete vote-by-vote record have not yet been verified for this profile. These gaps do not mean that no records exist. A nominator is not automatically an endorser.
This page was prepared by Voche.me from public sources. The candidate has not approved its contents or supplied answers to the questions below. Candidate submissions will be labelled separately from independent reporting.
Official documents / Nomination
Nomination papers
The nomination papers are the form Kareem Allam filed with the City to get on the ballot. The City publishes them for public inspection.
Section 45 (8) of the Vancouver Charter allows the information in nomination papers to be used only for the purposes of the Charter and of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. voche.me links to the City’s copy and does not copy the nominators, the financial agent or any other detail from it. Read section 45.
03 / Background
Experience & community
2022 campaign
ABC campaign manager
Managed the election campaign before joining the mayor’s office.
The provincial lobbyists registry lists him as a consultant lobbyist at Richardson Strategy Group Inc. for Cape Group Management Ltd, a construction and real estate company. The registration is inactive, with activity ended October 31, 2025, and no monthly lobbying reports were filed in the 12 months shown.
Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.
Which specific savings would fund the 400 additional service positions?
No response has been submitted.
What standards would change under alignment with provincial building rules?
No response has been submitted.
Will you publish a dated campaign calendar and all event confirmations?
No response has been submitted.
What is the current procedural status of the defamation case?
No response has been submitted.
Which housing and transport commitments already have partner funding agreements?
No response has been submitted.
Have your own question?
Ask Kareem Allam directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.
05 / About this page
Questions about this page
Facts voche.me can state about Kareem Allam's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Kareem Allam?
No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Kareem Allam's own campaign.
What is Kareem Allam's ballot number for the 2026 Vancouver election?
Kareem Allam is number 56 on the City of Vancouver's official 2026 ballot for Mayor.
What party did Kareem Allam run with?
Kareem Allam ran for Mayor with Vancouver Liberals.
Does Kareem Allam currently hold public office?
Yes. Kareem Allam currently serves as Political strategist and former mayoral chief of staff.
How many sources does this Kareem Allam profile cite?
This profile lists 1 sourced reference, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Has Kareem Allam filed nomination papers for the 2026 election?
Yes. The Nomination papers section below links to the City’s copy of the papers Kareem Allam filed. voche.me does not copy names or other details from them, because section 45 (8) of the Vancouver Charter limits how that information may be used.
Why do some questions on Kareem Allam's page show no answer?
The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Kareem Allam in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When was the election Kareem Allam ran in?
The 2026 Vancouver municipal election, including the Mayor race, was decided on October 17, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions
Space for campaign updates
Names from the nomination papers removed
This page listed the nominators, the financial agent and the signing details read from the nomination papers filed with the City. Section 45 (8) of the Vancouver Charter allows information in those papers to be used only for the purposes of the Charter and of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, so voche.me no longer copies anything from them. The page links to the City’s copy instead.
voche.me read the 148-point platform published on October 1, five party releases from September 28 to October 2, his answers to HUB Cycling’s election survey and new reporting by CTV News, CBC News, Global News, Daily Hive, The Tyee, The Ubyssey and Church for Vancouver. 22 commitments were added and 16 existing ones gained sources. Two past events left the calendar: the September 23 Metro Vancouver Alliance assembly is now a statement entry, because Church for Vancouver reported that he took part, and the October 1 Last Candidate Standing forum was removed, because his attendance was never confirmed and no report from after it was found. The October 5 Mayoral Mixer, where the organizer lists him, and the October 13 food town hall were added. The research gaps note was corrected: he has held no Council seat, so no Council votes apply, and the nomination names were read in full on September 22. The introduction no longer gives counts that had gone out of date. A provincial lobbyists registry entry was added to his experience.
Corrections from the September 25 review of commitments
The firefighter entry now names the Firefighter Safety and Deployment Board as the release does, where the earlier text said public safety and deployment board. The housing entry that combined the building by-law and the merger of approval departments is now two entries. The supportive housing entry now says Allam calls the current rule a ban, and the artists’ entry now describes an Artist Land Reserve in four locations, as the plan states it. Every commitment is now tagged to an issue and to whose words it carries.
Housing approvals plan and five requests to the Province
Allam announced a plan to replace Vancouver’s building by-law with the provincial building code and to merge 12 project-review departments into one. In a second release the same day he named five things he wants provincial parties to commit to, including SkyTrain to UBC and removing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts. Both are campaign statements. No council or provincial decision has been made on either.
