72 per cent of Vancouver voters say mayor, council out of touch with needs

Three-quarters of Vancouver voters believe the mayor and city council have lost touch with what residents actually need, according to a new poll conducted for Rogers OMNI TV by Canada Pulse Insights.

Affordability and cost of living tops the list of concerns for 45 per cent of respondents, followed by housing affordability at 33 per cent. Crime and public safety ranks third at 29 per cent, with health care access and the opioid crisis rounding out the top five.

But the divide in perception depends sharply on which mayoral candidate voters support. Among Pete Fry backers, 81 per cent feel the mayor and council are out of touch—52 per cent strongly agree. Supporters of Kareen Allam and Colleen Hardwick show similar levels of disconnect, at 80 and 83 per cent respectively. Only 44 per cent of Ken Sim supporters agree the city leadership is out of touch.

Both Fry and Sim voters named affordability as their top concern, but they diverge on secondary issues. Fry supporters prioritize climate change, municipal accountability, and parks; Sim supporters worry more about crime, taxes, and traffic.

John Wright, CEO of Canada Pulse Insights, noted that while local politicians cannot solve the broader affordability crisis, they can take targeted action. "They can focus on affordable housing, they can focus on freezing taxes, they can make sure that whatever they're investing in is going to give a proper return to voters," Wright said. The poll did not disclose its sample size, margin of error, or exact dates.