A new candidate for Victoria City Council is billing herself as the only council candidate under 35 with young children and someone who will be the voice for families.
Grace Lore has a Ph.D. in Political Science, and describes herself as a mother of 2, self-employed, a sought-after political commentator, researcher, advocate and volunteer, who also teaches at UVic.
Lore has a vision for a more family friendly city, especially when it comes to more and better housing options. She is advocating for more townhouses, housing co-ops, suitable laneway homes, and garden suites.
Lore also thinks the city needs to collaborate with community organizations to create multi-use, intergenerational, and inter-cultural spaces, along with walkable neighbourhoods, and urban villages, with squares, parks, and markets.
Lore notes less than 1% of the rental stock is suitable for families with two or more children, and young people and families are feeling pushed out.
She points to numbers showing the capital city has only about half as many children under 14 as comparable Canadian cities (17% vs 9%), even though we have roughly the same number of 25-40 year-olds.