Jordan Quitzau
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Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
Independent
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
Yes, I have lived in Victoria for 8 years.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
Digital marketing, 2 years
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
I was elected as the University of Victoria Students’ Society’s (UVSS) Director of Events (2016/2017). During my term, I learned to be an effective member at the council table, foster relationships with community stakeholders, and improve the student life experience. My notable achievements range from organizing a fun farmers’ market to a pressing fentanyl awareness seminar. In addition, I have also volunteered for every election since 2015. I am a firm believer in civic duty and democratic participation. I always aim to encourage as many people to vote as possible and not take our democratic systems for granted.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I am a young man, 28, and would like to raise a family here one day.
However, with the current housing crisis, rising costs, and safety concerns, this dream is becoming unrealistic. I am running because I want to ensure that young folks who want to start a family in Victoria can do so. If elected, I will work towards the creation of more purpose-built family-oriented rental developments (3 and 4-bedroom units), safer parks suitable for children, and a vibrant environment for small businesses to thrive in and offer good jobs.
What are your top three issues?
The less than 1% rental vacancy. The quickest solution is to incentivize more folks to become landlords by removing red tape to fast-track more secondary and garden suits and reduce landlords’ property taxes in proportion to keeping rent affordable.
Public safety. Theft is on the rise in Burnside-Gorge, Stadacona Park is unsafe, and folks are deterred from visiting downtown impacting businesses. Residents deserve a safer city. Let’s fund the police.
Infrastructure. We need to fill the potholes and sidewalk cracks, optimize our traffic lights for a smoother flow of traffic, and make our intersections safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
If we are bold and take action now then Victoria will be thriving in 25 years. We will have ended the overdose crisis as well as established a regional, long-term mental health and addictions facility. More recreation centers and daycare facilities will have been built. There will be a commuter rail that reduces the number of cars on the road as well as increases our day-to-day tourist numbers. More practical, sustainable infrastructure, such as rain gardens and vertical forests, installed to combat climate change. Our zero-waste targets were reached, better recycling and waste disposal options were implemented, and the same trees are still here. Lastly, we amalgamated with surrounding municipalities and created a regional police force for a safer, more prosperous community for all.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
A renoviction support program needs to be implemented. Due to the less than 1% rental vacancy rate, folks who are renovicted have a difficult time finding a new home within the city. I don’t want to see people who love living in Victoria be forced to leave because they cannot find a new rental unit to call home. A renoviction support program would help by putting renovicted folks on a priority list where they receive the first offer when a rental unit becomes available. Since a rental may not be available right away, I recommend we also convert empty office buildings and city bought hotels into temporary, transition housing for folks between rentals. This program is about keeping Victoria residents housed in the city.
