FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Thursday, May 7, 2026
Brenda Locke Quietly Axed 262 New Homes In November As Surrey Families Pay The Price
SURREY, BC — Mike Starchuk called Mayor Brenda Locke out for the loss of the Semiahmoo Town Centre housing project and 262 much needed homes, including 202 non-market rental units.
“This was an entirely foreseeable, preventable failure — of leadership and communication — that left South Surrey with fewer homes, more visible homelessness, and less trust in City Hall,” said Starchuk. “It should have been approved. Instead, Surrey is left out in the cold on housing.”
On November 17, 2025, City of Surrey planning staff recommended approval of the Semiahmoo Town Centre development, which would have delivered 202 non-market rental homes, 40 supportive housing units, and 20 complex-care units alongside on-site mental health, primary care, employment training, and peer supports. Staff concluded the project demonstrated ‘sound planning principles’ and aligned with the Surrey Affordable Housing Strategy.
The same staff report explicitly stated the project was not a safe injection site and was not a substance-use treatment centre. The project was housing, with wrap-around supports including access to shopping and public transit for residents who would otherwise be sheltering outdoors.
On November 17, 2025, Council sent the project back to staff. The Mayor told residents at council, “We hear you, we share your concerns about this particular project and how it has been configured.” The misinformation that the project was a drug-use site went unchallenged from the chair, as if on purpose. The project never returned.
On February 19, 2026, BC Housing’s Director of Regional Development for the Lower Mainland, Naomi Brunemeyer, wrote to the Mayor and Council confirming that — given fiscal constraints and the City’s failure to advance the file — the Semiahmoo Town Centre project and the Grosvenor supportive housing project would no longer proceed.
On May 6, 2026, the Mayor told the Cloverdale Reporter: “What is going on? We had all of ours cancelled … Deferred is aka for [sic] cancelled, I think.”
The Mayor knows what is going on. She killed it.
“On November 17 the Mayor had every fact she needed. The planning report was on the table, in plain language, and it answered every concern raised by the community,” said Mike Starchuk, Imagine Surrey 2026 mayoral candidate. “It said clearly: this is not a safe injection site. It is housing with well-aligned supports. Instead of leading the room with that information, the Mayor told residents she shared their concerns and let the project die. Six months later, she stood in front of a microphone and asked, ‘What is going on?’ Mayor Locke: you are what is going on. South Surrey lost 262 homes because you wouldn’t tell residents the truth, and you didn’t defend the Surrey Affordable Housing Strategy.”
What South Surrey lost when the Mayor lost the room:
● 262 homes — including 202 non-market rental units that would have housed working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and people on the brink.
● 60 units of supportive and complex care housing — with each one taking a vulnerable resident off the street and into 24/7 wrap-around care.
● Provincial capital and trust — BC Housing was ready to build. Surrey already owns the land. How can we partner with other levels of government when this is the relationship and mis-intended result?
Imagine Surrey will not lead by following the loudest voice in the room. A Mike Starchuk council will speak plainly to residents about what supportive housing actually is, and is not, defend evidence-based planning against misinformation, treat BC Housing as the partner Surrey needs, and move the next Semiahmoo-style project to approval.
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About Imagine Surrey
Imagine Surrey is a civic party of experienced frontline workers, community advocates and professionals running a full slate in the October 17, 2026 Surrey municipal election. Led by Mike Starchuk, Imagine Surrey is committed to Safe Streets, Fast Commutes, Smart Investments, Lower Costs, and Strong Services. Change that works for you.
Council candidates: Yousef Aldabainah, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Narima Dela Cruz, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Dr. Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.
Media Contact
Scott Williams
Imagine Surrey & Mike for Mayor Campaign
604-356-7606
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