With municipal elections behind them, newly elected mayors and councillors across B.C. are facing a clear message from residents: affordability needs to be a priority, according to a new poll of residents across three B.C. regions – Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan.

The Canada Pulse Insights survey, conducted exclusively for CityNews OMNI TV, finds the cost of living and housing affordability rank among the top three issues for 62 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents, 58 per cent on Vancouver Island, and 54 per cent in the Okanagan Valley.

The cost of living was the top concern in all three regions: 48 per cent in Metro Vancouver, 42 per cent on Vancouver Island, and 39 per cent in the Okanagan.

In Metro Vancouver, 32 per cent of respondents said housing affordability and home ownership ranked second on their list of concerns. This issue ranked third on Vancouver Island (30 per cent) and fourth in the Okanagan (27 per cent). 

These concerns were particularly pronounced among renters. In Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, 78 per cent of renters named at least one of the two issues, compared with 52 per cent and 48 per cent of homeowners, respectively. In the Okanagan, the figures were 65 per cent of renters and 47 per cent of homeowners.

Other priorities varied by region. On Vancouver Island, health care ranked second overall, cited by 34 per cent of respondents. In the Okanagan, homelessness and crime and public safety ranked second and third, at 39 and 29 per cent, respectively.

Within Metro Vancouver, crime and public safety was a concern for 32 per cent of Surrey residents and 29 per cent of City of Vancouver residents, compared with 15 per cent elsewhere in the region.

The online survey was conducted between Sept. 28 and Oct. 14, with 1,374 respondents in Metro Vancouver, 511 on Vancouver Island, and 498 in the Okanagan Valley.

The findings highlight the affordability pressures facing residents as newly elected municipal councils begin their terms.

Now that municipal elections are in the rearview mirror, British Columbians head back to the polls this coming Saturday, Oct. 24, for the provincial election.