---
title: "Rebecca Bligh says homelessness rose 12 per cent under Sim, pledges to reverse housing freeze"
description: "In a profile published by The Ubyssey, the Vote Vancouver candidate outlines what she would do on supportive housing and small business if elected mayor on October 17."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/bligh-vote-vancouver-mayoral-bid-october-14"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T19:03:21.355Z"
---

[Rebecca Bligh](/candidates/rebecca-bligh) told The Ubyssey that homelessness in Metro Vancouver has grown by 12 per cent since 2023, citing the Metro Vancouver Homeless Count, and she said what has been happening under Mayor Ken Sim is not working. Bligh is running for mayor of Vancouver with Vote Vancouver, the party she founded in September 2025, ahead of the October 17 election.

The Ubyssey published the profile on October 13, 2026, as part of its coverage of the Vancouver mayoral race.

Bligh served as a city councillor for eight years. She was elected in 2018 with the Non-Partisan Association and re-elected in 2022 with Sim's ABC party. In February 2025, ABC expelled her from its caucus. ABC President Stephen Molnar wrote at the time that Bligh "was not aligned with the shared priorities and team-oriented approach that defines ABC Vancouver." Among the disagreements was her public opposition to the supportive housing freeze Sim's council passed that same month.

The freeze blocked all new proposals for low-barrier housing with round-the-clock support services. It remains in place. If elected, Bligh says she would reverse it. Vote Vancouver's platform also calls for replacing existing facilities with "dignified, self-contained, purpose-built housing options," according to the party's own published platform.

On small business, Bligh proposes creating a small business concierge at city hall: one contact point for entrepreneurs to navigate permits and rules across city departments. "What I've heard at city hall is how hard it is for a small business to navigate the different departments," she told The Ubyssey. "That's city hall not working to promote and support small business."

The UBC SkyTrain extension is also in Vote Vancouver's platform. Bligh told The Ubyssey that the Broadway subway line is expected to reach Arbutus within two years and called that milestone the right time to push for funding to extend it to UBC.

Vote Vancouver describes itself as "proudly centrist and pragmatic." Bligh's running mates are fielding candidates for city council and park board.

Voters can review the candidates running for all four races and find their voting place through the [where to vote page](/where-to-vote) at voche.me. Election day is October 17.

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