The Non-Partisan Association’s mayoral nomination contest has a new contender.

George Steeves, former president of a Vancouver engineering company, announced Thursday (April 19) that he wants to represent the NPA in the fall civic election.

“In my career as an engineer, I've helped build both low-cost housing projects and some of our city's most recognizable landmarks,” Steeves said in a media release.

According to Steeves, he looks forward to “building bridges to solve the city's most pressing issues: housing affordability, and access to mental health and addictions support for the city's most vulnerable”.

“Vancouverites need hope right now,” Steeves also said. “Hope that they can continue to call this city home without working three jobs. I know from experience it's possible to keep rents manageable while providing comfortable profit margins for landlords.”

Steeves’ website states that his former company, Sterling Cooper NDY, designed over 40,000 units of rental, market housing, and social housing units in Vancouver.

The company was also involved in the development of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, Canada Place, ShangriLa Hotel, and the 400 West Georgia office building.

According to Steeves’ site, the city needs affordable housing, and this can be done by “streamlining the City's development processes and by changing zoning laws”.

“For example, one way that more housing can be achieved is by changing the City's laws to allow buildings without car parking,” the site explains. “From personal experience, George and his wife live in a rented two bedroom suite in Yaletown with a carpark that is never more than half full. The City needs to account for the large population who do not own cars in order to reduce the amount of wasted space and resources. This space could instead allow for the addition of mini-suites and more rental housing in general.”

Steeves and wife Deborah have three adult children.

The NPA’s nomination race includes city councillor Hector Bremner, park commissioner John Coupar, financial analyst Glen Chernen, and businessman Ken Sim.

Former Vancouver South Conservative MP Wai Young previously indicated interest in seeking the NPA’s mayoral nomination. A new group called Coalition Vancouver is supporting her plan to run for mayor.