A veteran anti-poverty activist has entered what is expected to be a hotly contested municipal by-election in Vancouver, arguing the city has become one of the most unequal in Canada and pledging to fight to end that reality.

Jean Swanson, a renowned Downtown Eastside activist, is the second person to officially announce her candidacy for the October by-election. She joins another advocate, Judy Graves, as the campaign seems increasingly likely to focus on inequality and the region's housing crisis – a theme that could loom large over next year's general election.

"It's obscene that some people live in $75-million homes while others live on the street," Ms. Swanson said.

Story continues below advertisement

The Oct. 14 by-election will fill the seat vacated last month when long-time Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs resigned to become chief of staff to new NDP Premier John Horgan.

Ms. Swanson, who has won the Order of Canada for her community work, promised to fight for a four-year rent freeze for all residential tenants, free transit and an end to homelessness by taxing the rich if she is elected to council this fall. She also said she would push the city to put $160-million into modular housing for the homeless.

Ms. Swanson is running as an independent, though members of the left-wing Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) are pitching their party to endorse her.

"We'd love to have her run as a COPE candidate," said Meena Wong, who was COPE's candidate for mayor in 2014. She said both she and Lisa Barrett, who ran with COPE in the 2014 election, have been approached to put their names forward but they are "convincing the other COPE members why they should support Jean."

The three parties currently on council – Mayor Gregor Robertson's Vision Vancouver party, the Non-Partisan Association (NPA) and the Greens – have yet to announce their candidates.

Ms. Graves, a former city employee who worked on housing solutions until her retirement four years ago, announced two weeks ago that she will run for the seat with OneCity.

The party was created in 2014 by left-wing voters who didn't feel comfortable with either COPE or Vision.

Story continues below advertisement

Ms. Swanson said that Ms. Graves is a "nice person" but she argued the OneCity party doesn't have very clear policies on how to tackle the city's big problems.

Others in COPE have said that OneCity is too aligned with Vision Vancouver to be an effective opposition, having co-operated with Vision to split a slate last time with no overlaps.

The Green Party, which currently has one representative on council, Adriane Carr, is planning to hold a nomination meeting Aug. 16. So far, the only declared candidate is Pete Fry, who ran with the Greens for city council in the last election and got 45,000 votes.

The NPA, the centre-right party that dominated Vancouver council for many of the years from its birth in 1937 until Mr. Robertson was elected in 2008, is holding a nomination meeting in early September.

Rob McDowell, a health-services mediator and former campaign manager for NPA Councillor George Affleck, has said he is considering a run for the nomination.

COPE has set a nomination meeting for Aug. 29.

Story continues below advertisement

Paul Nixey of Vision Vancouver said the party will announce its nomination process in the coming weeks. Former school-board chair Patti Bacchus had expressed interest in running for the party.

A recent poll by Justason Market Intelligence, which surveyed about 400 people online, found that 30 per cent were inclined to vote for the Green Party, 27 per cent for the NPA, 18 per cent for OneCity and 17 per cent for Vision. All other choices made up the remaining 8 per cent.

However, by-elections typically draw very few voters, making it hard to predict which party might win, since results often depend on which party does the best job of motivating its supporters to turn out.