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Mayoral candidate vows to spend 1 year homeless in B.C. city if elected

Joshua Hoggan says he will live in transient housing for a year if elected Oct. 20
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Kelowna mayoral candidate Joshua Hoggan. —Image: Facebook

Kelowna mayoral candidate Josh Hoggan is making a novel pledge should he be elected in October’s civic election.

To highlight homelessness in the city, which Hoggan describes as being at an “epidemic” level, he is vowing to be homeless for an entire year of the four-year term if elected Oct. 20.

“I am vouching to be homeless myself for a year or until we come up with a better—faster—solution if elected as your mayor,” said the rookie political candidate Thursday in a Facebook post.

The city has approved a multi-million strategy to deal with homelessness over the next five years called Journey Home. A city appointed task force is currently working on implementing recommendations in the strategy.

Hoggan said he has already committed to donating his mayoral salary if elected—set to rise to $106,000 for the incoming mayor—to causes outlined in his platform, and said he has already accepted an offer to sell his home.

Related: More people eyeing a run for Kelowna council

In the Facebook post, Hoggan said he is currently making preparations to put the contents of his home into storage and will live in temporary transient accommodation.

Hoggan is currently seeking a lawyer to write up and notarize a document outlining his plan.

He says he would be happy to sign it and asks if other Kelowna residents would be willing to do the same.

“Would you stand up for what is right or give away some of your luxuries instead of pushing critically important issues like this aside?” he writes.

He urges readers to share the post story if they believe in “taking a stand.”

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