Kareem Allam cites congestion, population loss and housing delays in Vancouver Sun interview
The Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate gave his first major interview of the campaign to the Vancouver Sun's Conversations That Matter series on September 25, citing city data on traffic, population and building timelines.
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Kareem Allam, the Vancouver Liberals' candidate for mayor, gave a video interview to the Vancouver Sun on September 25 in which he cited traffic, population and housing permit data to frame his campaign priorities. The interview was published as part of the Conversations That Matter series, hosted by broadcaster Stuart McNish in partnership with Simon Fraser University's Centre for Dialogue.
The Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate told McNish that Vancouver ranks ninth in North America on the Economist Intelligence Unit's global livability index. He said the city's population has shrunk by more than 8,000 people, which he attributed to reduced immigration and residents leaving for other places. Allam also cited the TomTom Traffic index, which he said ranks Vancouver as the most congested city in Canada and fourth most congested in North America.
Housing permits and city costs
On housing, Allam told the Vancouver Sun that building a highrise in Vancouver takes about eight years from start to finish, a timeline he described as a problem for the city's ability to add housing supply. "Eight years is about how long it takes to build a highrise in the city of Vancouver," he said in the interview.
He also said the City of Vancouver has an internal inflation rate that he put at between 8.5 and 11 per cent a year, and referred to what he called 5,100 additional exempt staff positions at city hall whose roles he said were unclear to him. "The City of Vancouver currently has an internal inflation rate that ranges between 8½ and 11 per cent a year," Allam said. These are his own statements and figures; the Vancouver Sun published them as interview responses, not as independently audited city data.
Young people and jobs
Allam framed several of his points around the city losing younger residents. "Vancouver, amongst North American cities, is now one of the oldest cities on the continent," he told McNish. "Young people are leaving the city because we're not creating the jobs." He said the solution requires the city to focus on economic activity alongside housing affordability.
Allam described his approach as wanting Vancouver to take what he called "big swings" again on major city-building decisions. The Vancouver Sun's Conversations That Matter series plans to publish interviews with other top mayoral candidates in the coming weeks.
The municipal election is on October 17, 2026. Find voting locations and registration information at /where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
What did Kareem Allam say in his Vancouver Sun interview on September 25?
Allam, the Vancouver Liberals' candidate for mayor, spoke to Stuart McNish of the Conversations That Matter series. He discussed what he called an eight-year timeline to obtain permits and build a highrise in Vancouver, an internal city inflation rate he put at between 8.5 and 11 per cent a year, and population figures showing the city has lost residents. The full interview is published on the Vancouver Sun website.
What livability ranking did Allam cite for Vancouver?
In the interview, Allam cited the Economist Intelligence Unit global livability index and said Vancouver ranks ninth in North America. The Economist Intelligence Unit publishes this index annually, rating cities on stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure. Allam used the ranking as context for his campaign focus on keeping residents in the city.
What did Allam say about Vancouver's population?
Allam said in the Vancouver Sun interview that Vancouver's population shrank by more than 8,000 people, attributing this to reduced immigration and residents leaving the city. He framed this as a reason to focus on jobs and affordability. These figures were presented as his own statements in the interview; the underlying data source was not named in what was published.
What did Allam say about traffic in Vancouver?
Allam cited the TomTom Traffic index and said Vancouver is the most congested city in Canada and the fourth most congested in North America. He said this in the context of arguing the city needs different approaches to transportation and infrastructure. TomTom publishes its traffic data annually based on GPS data from drivers.
What did Allam say about how long it takes to build housing in Vancouver?
Allam told the Vancouver Sun that it takes about eight years to build a highrise in Vancouver, from planning through permits to construction. He presented this timeline as a problem for the city's housing supply. He did not name the source for this figure in the interview excerpts that were published.
What is Kareem Allam's party and which office is he seeking?
Kareem Allam is running for Mayor of Vancouver under the Vancouver Liberals party. He is one of several candidates seeking to become mayor in the October 17, 2026 election. You can read more about his candidacy at voche.me's page for him at /candidates/kareem-allam.
What is the Conversations That Matter series?
Conversations That Matter is a video interview series hosted by Stuart McNish. It operates as a partnership between Oh Boy Productions and the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, and publishes through the Vancouver Sun. The series is interviewing the top mayoral candidates in the 2026 Vancouver election over several weeks.
When is the Vancouver municipal election?
The Vancouver municipal election is on October 17, 2026. Voters will choose a mayor, city councillors, park board commissioners and school board trustees. You can find voting locations, advance voting dates and registration information at voche.me's where-to-vote page at /where-to-vote.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Vancouver Sun: Kareem Allam interview (video)vancouversun.com
- Vancouver Sun: Conversations That Matter series introductionvancouversun.com
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