I have focused my Astoria City Council campaign on creating housing, because too often I have seen born and raised Astorians, and people who have lived here for many years, leave our community because they can’t afford to stay. My campaign is for Astorians, to make it possible for them to remain Astorians.

If we create more housing, then the cost will come down, that is how supply and demand works. I am not advocating building for the sake of building. I want Astoria to remain a vibrant city full of working people of all income levels, how Astoria has historically been for well over 100 years.

The young Astorians of today don’t have much chance of affording to stay in their hometown by the time they are adults. This will be a detriment to our community. If we do not create more housing, Astoria will become a high-income retirement community, a path we are already on, but one that can be changed.

My career is historic preservation, I am intimately familiar with the history of this city. I do not intend to make radical change in Astoria. The reality is our city has already significantly changed due to not having enough homes available. We must decide the kind of community we want to be, and make sure Astorians have the opportunities that they need.

That is why I’m running for the Ward 4 seat on the Astoria City Council, and I ask for your vote in the upcoming election.

VANCE LUMP

Astoria