Save Low Income Housing Coalition News

February General Meeting

2007-01-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

The Save Low-Income Housing Coalition will be hosting a GENERAL MEETING ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH FROM 5-7PM AT 327 CARRALL STREET. We invite organizations interested in strengthening networks and alliances, around housing and homelessness, to stop by.

SLIHC members are engaged in a variety of strategies to address the expanding crisis of homelessness, a lack of affordable housing and poverty in the City of Vancouver. These include: community forums, workshops and outreach; legal action; direct action via protests, marches and building occupations; the provision of emergency services; lobbying; public education materials and media. There is a great deal more that can be done and better communication to be had.

It is evident that all three levels of government are bowing to the interests of business investment and despite a surplus of resources have disregarded the right to homes and the well-being of the most marginalized of our communities. In the Downtown Eastside and other areas the process of gentrification has greatly intensified in anticipation of the 2010 Olympics. This has meant increased displacement, policing and incarceration – as well as the loss of life due to opportunistic illnesses, exposure and neglect. This has disproportionately impacted those concentrated in poor areas: Aboriginal people, new immigrants, seniors, people with disabilities, drug users – and creates especially vulnerable conditions for women and single mothers.

We will continue to work against the imposition of these neoliberal policies and to address the lack of political will to improve the lives of people living in poverty. We welcome those interested in building compassionate communities to join in a more cohesive front demanding affordable housing and the elimination of homelessness.

This will be a facilitated meeting intended as a forum to share information and to network. Onsite childcare and food available.

For more information please contact slihc@shaw.ca

City Finance Director reneges on "Funding" Olympic Legacies

2007-01-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Councilors,

Budget legacy-fund website will not be clarified--
Out: Funding Olympic Preparations
In: Update on Olympic Preparations

Finance Director Estelle Lo has announced a change of mind about clarifying the City's 2007 budget website, City Choices. Last Friday, she said she would change the title of the website link titled "Update on Vancouver's 2010 Winter Games preparations" to "Funding Vancouver's 2010 Winter Games preparations."

Only the title would have changed. Replacing Update with Funding would make it clear that the link describes a spending proposal. The $20m "Olympic Legacy Reserve Fund" is an ongoing, four-year, $20 million funding allocation. It would commit city taxpayers to contributing $5 million to each of the annual city operating budgets in '07, '08, '09, and 2010.

It is a remarkably creative and undemocratic proposal, since the term of this Mayor and Council ends in '08. Insisting that the proposal on the website be described as merely an 'Update on preparations for 2010' is especially creative and dishonest. Director Lo cited as the reason for her change of heart, "inconsistency with other budget documents." She said the other documents are the printed version of City Choices, all copies of which disappeared two months ago. She didn't say why a difference in the one word was important. She agreed the change would have improved accuracy and clarity of the website, but said that changing even one word from what had already been distributed could not be done.

I believe exclusion of the word "Funding" from the link was decided by politicians, abetted by the city's General Manager of "Olympic Operations," Dave H. Rudberg. I believe it is intended to hide the $20 million Olympic funding proposal from all but the most attentive taxpayers. Responsibility for this deliberate deception lies with Mayor Sullivan and Councillor Ladner, who are in charge of the budget consultation process, including the City Choices website.

Action
If you agree, please send your thoughts to Sullivan and Ladner, to the appropriate media, and to clrcadman@vancouver.ca, clrchow@vancouver.ca, clrlouie@vancouver.ca, clrdeal@vancouver.ca, clrstevenson@vancouver.ca

Regards,
Rider Cooey

Reminder: City Hall meets to decide on a proposed moritorium on SRA conversions

2007-01-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

Vancouver City Council -- STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT
Thursday, January 25, 2007 – 9:30 a.m.

For information, or to register to speak, please call Denise Salmon, Meeting Coordinator at 604.873.7269, e-mail denise.salmon@vancouver.ca

1. a. Downtown Eastside Housing Plan – Report Back on SRO Stock
b. Single Room Accommodation (SRA) By-law Status Report

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING – immediately following

1. Moratorium on SRA Conversions

WHEREAS:

1. The number of homeless in Vancouver 's streets is steadily climbing.
2. Conversions of single room accommodation units is increasing despite the SRA bylaw.
3. These conversions within a few blocks of the Olympic village may constitute a violation of the City of Vancouver 's commitments to the IOC under the Inclusivity Intent Statement with our bid to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Winter Paralympic Games.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

1. THAT Council impose a moratorium on any conversions or demolitions of SRA accommodation with the exception of conversions or demolitions that result in the development of social housing, shelters or SRAs, pending a report from staff on the threat to this crucial housing.

2. THAT Council direct staff to recommend measures necessary to strengthen the SRA bylaw, including increasing the conversion fee.

3. THAT Council, through the Mayor, call on both senior levels of government to commit to restore funding for affordable housing to confront the crisis.

A Photo Essay: Vancouver's Downtown Eastside December 2006

2007-01-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

A Photo Essay: Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
December 2006
by Sawsan Kalache and Stefan Christoff.

* http://gallery.cmaq.net/downtowneast
* http://gallery.cmaq.net/downtownbw

The Downtown Eastside of Vancouver is the poorest postal code in Canada and its streets are a transitional home for thousands. As a district renowned for police violence, drug addition and sex work, the Downtown Eastside maintains the highest HIV infection rate in North America, affecting 30% of the local population, mainly women. The homeless population continues to grow, with an estimated 2000 homeless people, a population that has doubled since 2002.

A disproportionate segment of the Downtown Eastside is indigenous. According to the Pivot Legal Society, 30% of the residents are indigenous, 10 times higher than the national average. Indigenous women experience horrific violence in the district, according to CBC Vancouver more than 60 women have disappeared from the neighborhood in the past decade.

As Vancouver undergoes a major economic boom in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Downtown Eastside remains a consistent reminder of the social and human realities of urban poverty. Forces of gentrification in the quarter are in full affect. Recently multiple low-income hotels in the area, which effectively serve as low-income housing units, have been demolished for the development of high-scale development projects. The landmark Woodwards building located in the heart of the district was recently demolished for condo development, the former location of a political squat for the homeless in 2002.

A long standing tradition of social activism remains rooted in the Downtown Eastside, with numerous anti-poverty and housing-rights organizations including the Anti-Poverty Committee [APC] and the Downtown Eastside Residents Association [DERA], which maintain strong political campaigns in defense of the rights of the area's residents. In the past months multiple demonstrations against poverty, for low-income housing and a squat action have been organized in the district.

http://www.missingpeople.net
* CKUT Radio: Documentary. Vancouver's Downtown Eastside http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=9110

BC Housing releases $80,000 for emergency shelter for women

2006-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

thank you for the amazing rallying and support and for those who continue these struggles more broadly for all members of our community: this small and short term success would not have been possible without you. homes for all! in solidarity,
Cecily
----------------
PRESS RELEASE -- December 22, 2006
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Downtown Eastside Womens' Centre has received one time funding of $80,000 to operate an emergency shelter until March 31, 2007. This means that the most vulnerable in our society, homeless women and girls with a long history of trauma and violence in their lives will have a safe and caring place to stay every evening. This is not a long term solution but merely an interim response to a critical need. There is insufficient safe and affordable housing for women who are living with multiple challenges such as a history of violence and sexual abuse, exploitation, poverty, mental health and addictions. This government needs to reinvest the gains from our provincial and national economic growth back into supported social housing. Over the next 3 months the staff at the Downtown Eastside Womens' Centre will be working hard not only to provide basic services but to create opportunities for innovative housing and shelter strategies. We will work with our government and social service partners to:
" Find appropriate housing and shelter for homeless women and children;
" Develop new supported social housing for women and children;
" Create women-centered services to address mental health and addiction issues, and;
" Continue providing safe supportive space for women and children in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.
We would like to thank Michael Anhorn of BC Housing, Mary Clare Zack of Social Planning, City of Vancouver and especially to the women of the Downtown Eastside who acted on behalf of their friends and community members in need.

Contact: Cynthia Low, Administrative Coordinator administration@dewc.ca
604-681-8480 x 226 or 778-892-6675 www.dewc.ca

Update from DEWC

2006-12-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

Homeless women of the Downtown Eastside community have been sleeping at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC) since November 19, 2006 because of a lack of safe and appropriate shelter and housing for women in the community. Community members asked the DEWC to remain open past its regular business hours, because the DEWC is the ONLY community space for women and children that is open seven days a week, and does not have limitations on length of stay.

During this period, the Centre has added additional staff and received more than $10,000 in donations from the public. An average of fifty women are using the centre each night to sleep. The DEWC Board of Directors allocated extra operating money to the Centre to stay open as a show of its strong and continued support during this critical time.

We also want to assure you that we are working hard on a number of levels to ensure that more permanent 24-7 spaces are available for women living in the Downtown Eastside.

We would like to recognize and thank the hard work and commitment of the Elders Council, management and particularly to our staff and volunteers who have been incredibly dedicated during this challenging time. We would also like to congratulate everyone on a job well done, particularly in less than optimal circumstances and with limited financial means. We have worked as a team and your efforts matter in keeping the Centre open during this important time of need. Thank you also to the wide range of contributions that have come from our community of supporters.

We continue to seek out warm coats, shoes, socks, blankets, toiletries and non-perishable food items. For more information please contact Alice, centre coordinator, at 604-681-8480 x223.

City Hall Follow-up Report on Housing and Sullivan’s “Project Civil City”

2006-12-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Attend or sign up to speak to the city’s report on housing and follow-up to the proposed anti-conversion by-law this Thursday, December 14th, 2pm. The city meeting coordinator is Nicole Ludwig who can be reached at 604-871-6399 / nicole.ludwig@vancouver.ca. You can sign up to speak until tomorrow (Wednesday, December 13th). She says there will only be 5-10 minutes worth of items to go through before the council gets down to talking about the moratorium.

For more information visit:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20061214/pe20061214.htm

*NOTE* policy recommendations on "DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING"
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20061214/documents/pe2b.pdf

administrative report:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20061214/documents/pe2a.pdf

Sam Sullivan’s “Project Civil City” is also intended to go to council on December 14, 2006. If enough people ask to speak to it, the proposal should be sent to committee. Contact the city as soon as possible. If you are not familiar with the proposal, Sam is suggesting that $1million of Olympic Legacy money be spent on bylaw enforcement in the city, including on things like “aggressive panhandling”.

To view this proposal visit:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/councillors/mayor/announcements/2006/112706.htm

Blankets and Water

2006-11-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

hi folks -- a very quick update: the women's centre is continuing to remain open overnight. Last night there were over 50 women who slept here. Women have been amazing support for each other and in helping out in the drop-in. Unfortunately it doesn't look like we're going to be able to maintain this much longer as it is a massive drain on resources and staff's volunteer energy.

In the short term we are in need of blankets and water. Any donations of these will be greatly appreciated. We'll keep you posted of any updates. Thank you again for your support and concern.

in peace and solidarity,
Cecily

The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre is at 302 Columbia Street / Tel:(604)681-8480

Safe Space for Women -- Update on DEWC

2006-11-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

The Downtown Eastside Women's Centre Elders Council, the women at the Downtown Eastside Women's Cente, and supporters are currently maintaining the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre as a 24-hour space for women's housing. The women, predominantely indigenous women, are demanding that the city respond to the crisis in women's housing and provide housing for women immediately.

The city has a budget meeting tomorrow, November 20, and the women from the Centre, along with allies and supporters, will be marching to demand that the city take action to provide housing for women now! Please join the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre in their struggle for women's housing.

Monday November 20 at 5 pm
Gather at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
302 Columbia st- corner Cordova

For more info you can reach Bernie and the women at DEWC at 778-861-4979 or email at skundaal@yahoo.ca

BACKGROUND:

VANCOUVER—On Sunday November 19, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. dozens of concerned citizens refused to leave the Downtown Eastside Womens' Centre at 302 Columbia Street, demanding that it say open all evening.

The citizens occupying the Centre are women who use the drop in facility every day. They are demanding that the Centre remains open 24 hours a day to accommodate the increasing number of homeless women and women who are at risk of violence and exploitation in our city.

“Every night we have to turn out women into the streets where they may be hurt. These are women who need our attention; they have already been treated so poorly by our society. We cannot allow this to go on we must take care of each other especially as the weather is getting worse. A city as great as Vancouver should be able to do something.”
Reta Blind, Community Elder

Numerous research studies and reports from independent sources as well as different levels of government have indicated a need for a 24-hour community space as part of an early intervention strategy for the hundreds of homeless women and women with multiple barriers (substance use, addictions, mental health, physical disabilities, history of violence, etc.) in Vancouver. Despite the evidence, governments have been slow to respond to the safety and security of the most vulnerable in our city.

These women are the hidden homeless. Women do not even have the privilege to be on the streets. Homeless women who are on the streets are subjected to repeated abuse and injury. Often women are forced to accept unsafe conditions such as violence and exploitation just to have a place to sleep.

The Downtown Eastside Womens' Centre is a drop-in community space for women and children who live and work in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. The Centre is open 7 days a week including statutory holidays to provide food, clothing, showers, washrooms, telephone, internet and special programs to assist women to survive the indignity of poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence.

The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre is primarily funded by Vancouver Coastal Health through Addictions Services and Mental Health Services. Other funders include the BC Ministry of Community Services, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the City of Vancouver. More recently the BC Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance ceased funding to the Centre.

Urgent call to Support Women’s Housing

2006-11-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

DTES Women’s Centre - 302 Columbia St.
Starting Sunday Nov. 19th @ 5pm

This is an urgent call out for physical support! Please stand in solidarity with our sisters of the DTES Women’s Center who are taking direct action for more housing.

Dozens of concerned citizens are refusing to leave the Downtown Eastside Womens'Centre when it closes at 5pm today, demanding that it say open all night. This action has been organised by the women who use the centre every day. They are demanding that the centre remain open 24 hours a day to accommodate homeless women and women at risk of violence and exploitation. Despite recent efforts in support of new housing facilities, the impact on the ground has been minimal and the situation for women without housing remains a life-threatening crisis.

“Every night we have to turn out women into the streets where they may be hurt. These are women who need our attention; they have already been treated so poorly by our society. We cannot allow this to go on we must take care of each other especially as the weather is getting worse. A city as great as Vancouver should be able to do something.” ~ Reta Blind, Community Elder

You can participate in this action by dropping by the Centre at 302 Columbia Street. Please sign on to our letter of unity and thank you for forwarding our concerns.

WE ARE ALSO IN NEED OF: BED ROLLS, BLANKETS, FOOD, WATER AND CASH DONATIONS

44 units of social housing gets green light at city hall

2006-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 | 11:23 AM PT
CBC News

Vancouver city council has voted to give $1.2 million to a non-profit society to renovate an old hotel in the Downtown Eastside for housing for the homeless.

The renovation will provide 44 new single-occupancy rooms at the Pennsylvania Hotel at 412 Carrall Street, which will rent for $325 a month.

"Some of the troubled folk you see on the street will be able to get a place," said Mark Townsend of the Portland Hotel Community Services Society, which provides housing for people with substance-abuse problems.

"But, as I said, we're in a dark night for homelessness. It's a little bit, but we still haven't done it."

Townsend noted that each 250-square-foot unit will have its own bathroom and kitchen and the rent will be affordable for people receiving welfare.

The total cost is $11,433,385, with funding from the provincial and the federal governments, as well as the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

The project has been the subject of negotiations for the past five years, and now goes to the GVRD for final funding approval. If it clears that hurdle, the rooms will be ready for occupancy by 2007.

UBC Humanities 101 Forum "Implications of Gentrification on the Downtown Eastside"

2006-11-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

UBC Humanities 101 Undercurrents Forum Series
Monday, November 20th - 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Vancouver Public Library
Alma Van Dusen and Peter Kaye Room

With Special Guests:

Ken Lyotier, United We Can
David Eby, Pivot Legal Society
Jean Swanson, Carnegie Community Action Project
Linda Mix, Housing Advocate
Liz Evans, PHS Community Services Society

Information - Am Johal - 778-895-5640

Victoria's Ad Hoc Committee to End Homelessness Recommendations

2006-11-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ON HOUSING

From: Ad-Hoc Committee to End Homelessness
To: City of Victoria: Mayor, Councillors and Staff

1. Provide $190,000 Operating Funds to Open 50 Overnight Shelter Beds at Our Place, 713 Johnson St., for Winter 2006/2007 (until March 31/07)

2. Purchase/lease one of the following vacant buildings and convert to long-term affordable housing, with funds from the City of Victoria Affordable Housing Trust Fund and CRD Regional Housing Trust Fund:
* Janion Building, 1614 Store St. (owner: Clara Beatrice Kramer) - 24 units
* Caldwell Apartments, 2321 Cook St. (owner Robin Kimpton) - 14 units
* The Wing, 109 Wilson St (currently in receivership) - 48 units
* Crystal Garden/BC Experience Building, 713 Douglas St. (owner: Provincial Capital Commission) - approx 60 units
* Old CRD Building, 524 Yates St (owner: CRD) - approx 80 units
* Hudson's Bay Company building, 1701 Douglas St - approx 450 units

3. Draft and implement a Vacant & Derelict Buildings By-law, using City of Winnipeg By-law No. 35/2004 as a template, empowering the City to take title to buildings that have been vacant for 5 years, to be converted for affordable housing
4. Write to Community Services Minister Ida Chong requesting amendments to the Community Charter authorizing the abovementioned By-Law
5. Legalize Secondary Suites in all neighbourhoods in the City of Victoria, and review building permit and inspection fees/regulations that impede the expansion of this kind of affordable housing

Respectfully submitted by the Ad-Hoc Committee to End Homelessness
c/o victoria@communitysolidarity.org / 250-920-9091
HOUSING FOR ALL NOW!

Vision Vancouver Homelessness Proposal

2006-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

Vision Vancouver’s 5-point plan Homeless Plan:

1. Shelter Strategy
a) Cold/Wet weather beds to be open year-round as needed
b) All emergency shelters to open immediately with staff
c) Renovation of the Remand Centre for supportive living

2. SRO Action Plan
a) The opening and renovation of 400 empty SRO units for temporary use
i) Example: American Hotel, Marr Hotel, Pender Hotel
b) the fee for converting SROs will be raised from $5000 to $50,000/unit
c) the refusal of development permits to SRO owners who evict tenants and close their doors

3. The city to buy and renovate 2 SRO hotels immediately, financed through the PEF

4. Direct density bonusing for developers who build social housing

5. An all-stakeholders conference on homelessness, to include councillors, local developers, financial interests, and senior representatives of government.

Victoria launches homelessness strategy

2006-11-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last Updated: Friday, November 10, 2006 | 11:24 AM PT
CBC News

Victoria city council has invited anti-poverty activists to work on its new housing strategy committee, which will try to come up with solutions for the estimated 2,000 homeless in the capital.

The proposal was made at a public hearing Thursday night, after councillors prepared to hear from dozens of people who have been lobbying council for less talk and more action.

But after hearing from just one speaker, Coun. Sonya Chandler announced plans to create a housing strategy committee, and invited the ad hoc citizens group to join it.

"I think that there's some pretty immediate stuff that can happen, that can satisfy everybody," she told the crowd.

Ben Isitt, a spokesman for the citizens' group, welcomed the offer, but has doubts as to whether all members of city council are ready to take action.

"It remains to be seen whether a majority is prepared to purchase or lease a building, open it up, open secondary suites across the city, to really pressure the province and the feds to do something."

The group has asked the city to create 50 more emergency shelter beds and to seize abandoned buildings downtown and convert them into affordable housing units.

"People are cold and wet and they're going to die," said another member of the group, Irene Pollack, who is also worried that the city is going too slowly.

In Vancouver, meanwhile, city councillors are putting forward different proposals to deal with the city's homeless crisis.

The governing civic party, the Non-Partisan Association, has proposed the construction of dorm-style housing, with 100-square-foot rooms with shared facilities.

The opposition Vision Vancouver party has suggested that the old city jail be renovated to provide 200 beds for the homeless.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan recently released his housing strategy, a plan that relied heavily on additional money from the senior levels of government.

PIVOT Christmas Auction Fundraiser

2006-11-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

Please join Pivot in the celebration of our most exciting and successful year to date at the …

Pivot Foundation Christmas Auction
Thursday, November 9, 2006 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Law Courts Inn Restaurant
5th Floor, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver

We are pleased to announce the theme of the 2006 Pivot Foundation Annual Christmas Auction is the Busker’s Ball and will feature some of Vancouver’s best live street performers for your enjoyment. Performers will be “busking” with all proceeds to benefit Pivot.

Please join us for an evening of fascinating updates, terrific entertainment, exciting live and silent auctions, door prizes, refreshments and much, much more! Items include vacation getaways, body treatments, photography sessions, original artwork, fine dining, a mountain bike, family adventures, a Smart Car for a weekend and much more!

Proceeds from the Pivot Foundation’s fourth annual live Christmas auction will support Pivot’s projects on behalf of the residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Admission is by donation.

Please RSVP by October 30, 2006 to auction@pivotfoundation.org or call Lisa Werring at 604-255-9700.

Thank you for your continued support!

Pivot Foundation

Light hors d’oeurvres will be provided.
Cash bar

Fundraiser for APC's Housing Campaign

2006-11-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

Drawing Resistance: The Time Is Up

Fundraiser for APC's Housing Campaign

Saturday, November 4th @ 8pm
Rhizome Cafe, 317 E. Broadway
across from Kingsgate Mall, on Broadway and Kingsway

Come celebrate and support the ongoing housing offensive with a night of artistic resistance with...

Drawing Resistance, a slide show of political art from posters and quilts, to comics and graffiti...

Set to the music of Echolalia, a radical trio of young women on cello, violin, vocals, and guitar.

The night will end off with the rousing indigenous blues stylings of Haisla and Nasty, Brutish and Short.

Urgent -- Housing Takeover Needs Your Support!

2006-11-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Support Rally at 2530 Cambie Street (near Cambie & Broadway)
Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 5:00pm (earlier for those who are able)

This morning, Kim Kerr and Thomas Malenfant were arrested and charged with obstruction while attempting to get essential supplies inside the occupied building. Since the building was surrounded by police yesterday afternoon, they have not allowed anything or anyone to enter the building. This includes water, blankets and food. Police also spent the night harassing supporters who were staying outside the building.

The APC is demanding the immediate release of Kim and Thomas without any charges. Until this happens, we are not entering into any kind of negotiations with police about exiting the building.

Please come down and join supporters as soon as you can. We are especially asking that people come out for a support rally at 5pm this evening.

Two Activists Arrested at New Vancouver Squat

2006-11-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

News Report
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 | 1:05 PM PT CBC News

Two anti-poverty activists have been arrested by Vancouver police for taking blankets and water into a city-owned building being occupied by squatters, just down the street from city hall.

Kim Kerr of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association and a second person were arrested late Wednesday morning at the building at the corner of Cambie Street and West Broadway.

Kim Kerr, one of the leaders of the occupation, was one of two people arrested on Wednesday. Police said the pair could be charged with obstruction.

About 20 people took over the abandoned building on Tuesday, in an effort to draw attention to the city's homeless situation.

Kerr, one of the leaders of the latest squat, also helped organize the recent occupation of Gastown's North Star Hotel, which ended with arrests of six protesters.

Police had been posted at the new squat site to prevent any supplies from being taken into the protesters.

When asked about that strategy on Wednesday, Mayor Sam Sullivan said he will not tolerate the illegal occupation of someone else's property.

Alert: City Building Occupied by APC -- Call for Support

2006-10-31T20:25:00.000-08:00

Support APC's current action at 2530 Cambie Street at Broadway

Following a community rally at City Hall this afternoon, the Anti Poverty Committee has taken over a City-owned building and are calling on government to immediately open an emergency women's shelter.

Cuts to income assistance, legal aid, women's centres, attacks on women's advocacy and support services, the lack of childcare support, rising costs of living and housing and increasing precarity in labour, all have had devastating impacts on women, particularly single mothers, Aboriginal women, racialized new immigrants, seniors and/or women with disabilities. Many women are forced to endure dangerous, abusive and indignant conditions in order to maintain shelter for themselves and their family. Women living homeless or transitioning through shelters have significantly increased rates of assault, rape and life-threatening illnesses. In this city currently there is absolutely not enough shelter space for women in the short term and an overwhelming amount of barriers to accessing affordable housing in the long-term. Every night many women sleep on the streets of Vancouver. As the cold and wet weather sets in and The City is allowing hotels and SRAs to close, the number of women being displaced is increasing.

The City of Vancouver refuses to acknowledge this crisis. Mayor and NPA councilors continue to point fingers at senior levels of government and to ignore practical actions that it is empowered to make NOW.

APC reports: organizers had intended to squat the building to establish an emergency women's shelter. The police intervened immediately after protesters entered the premise, treating the situation as an occupation. They have blocked all access to the building and there are approximately twenty APC members and supporters inside. Some supplies have reached the squatters however, police are guarding against the entry of anything.

Support the squat:
Come by 2530 Cambie Street at Broadway and help keep a presence outside the building.

Press conference:
Wednesday, November 1st, 12PM at 2530 Cambie

Material supports are needed including: food, blankets and flashlights...

contact 604-728-9550 to speak with an organizer.

SLIHC at Housing Occupation

2006-10-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Report back from housing occupation

2006-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

The empty building formally known as the North Star Hotel is currently being occupied by a handful of people. A demonstration organised by the Anti-Poverty Committee marched to the building with 200-250 protesters. Occupiers inside hung banners out the top story windows as the march got out front the building.

Currently the APC is waiting for an official police order before moving people into the building. The police have stated that they will have a meeting with the city Monday morning and then make there position known. The police have stated to lawyers that they will not move on the building until after that meeting.

Over the evening shifts have been organised to support the occupation. In the morning a call-out has been made for supporters to attend a breakfast meeting at 8 am at the APC office to discus the on going situation.

For more information on how to get involved please contact the APC office at 604.682.3276 or come by the office at 327 Carrall St.

The Empress Hotel and the Gastown Hotel

2006-10-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

And to fill you in in case you don't listen to the news, the Gastown Hotel, which has 99 rooms of low cost housing, has just been sold to the same developer that bought the Pender Hotel - the Pender was closed this year and the developer plans to make condos. That means that just this past week 173 units have become threatened in the community. No matter what these owners are saying on the media or to the city, we are on to their game and will not let them sneak under the radar of the community and close these hotel.

We will be letting you know on some upcoming actions concerning these hotels and we will need you, you family and friends to take space with us and actively resist these pending closures.

See you on sunday (4pm, pigeon park (hastings and carrol) where we will finally be waving our new SLIHC banner loudly and proudly in solidarity with the APC action.
come say hello, pass on any ideas, thoughts or feedback. Join with us, we need your voices and your political, artistic, creative presence.

Thanks folks
SLIHC

Update on Moratorium and the APC squat

2006-10-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all you SLIHC supporters....according to COPE councillor David Cadman, there was a large e-mail response to the moratorium that was overwhelmingly in favour of the moratorium, thanks to all that took the time to write and/or spread the word.

Moratorium

First of all the day at city hall was completely inspiring and a true coming together of diverse voices in the community to speak out against this massive crisis that is occurring with hotel closures. Over 40 people were on the speakers list, with many first time speakers from the community, with 100% speaking in favour of the moratorium. Plus many more supporters that helped us pack council chambers to capacity. Our voices were strong, clear and passionate and resulted in there being no denial by anyone, including councillors, that there is a major disaster occurring in the DTES and much resistance and solidarity present in the city.

The meeting started at 2 pm but because of bureaucratic positioning (ie they had 5 other items to deal with at the meeting and we were last on the list), the moratorium item did not start until 4pm. Because of this delay in the start time some people had to leave and were unable to voice their strong support of the moratorium - the final decision came in at around 9:30 pm and I am happy to say that there was still many vocal people that were in a position to be able to stay when the decision came down.

Unfortunately the 6 NPA councillors voted to defer the moratorium until city staff finish reports they are doing regarding the hotel crisis, the 4 Vision councillors and the 1 COPE councillor voted in favour of the moratorium. From past experience,what that means is that it probably will never happen and deferring it was simply a tactic by the NPA to not appear ruthless in the public eye. What became very clear is that the NPA, in their own words, are concerned with the needs of the "business community" and have faith that private developers will take care of the crisis in the DTES - ha ha ha. Ignorance is certainly bliss.

What this means is that we all have a lot of work to do grassroots community level, growing the supporters of saving low income housing and figuring out how we all can come together, from our particular skills and talents, and work together to stop, to actively resist, this horrifying hotel closure/conversion process. Crisis builds movements and thank you for being part of this one because the gentrification process that is being pushed by the olympics affects all of us and to stand together and passionately defend our most vulnerable community members in the DTES is about protecting our community as a whole

ACTION: Please ask anyone you feel is interested if they want to become a slihc supporter and get them to e-mail slihc and we will add them to our daily growing list.

ACTION: Come support the APC 'Buy it or Guard it' SQUAT this sunday (the 22nd) 4 pm at pigeon park - bring banners, signs, musical instruments, puppets, bikes, anything that respresents your and your love of our community...it is going to be a remarkable community coming together and act of resistence to demand that the city follows through on their promised 1:1 replacement of lost housing stock.

Glossary:
1:1 replacement - This term refers directly to the city's promise to replace every hotel that is lost with low income housing (lose 1 replace it with 1). Not only has this promise been made in the most recent planning document
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/housing/pdf/dteshousingplan.pdf
It has been promised for years. Considering we have lost over 6 hotels in the last year and a half it is time for us to DEMAND that they follow through on their promises.
APC - Anti-Povery Committee "http://apc.resist.ca"

in solidarity
Tammie Tupechka (SLIHC)

Stop hotel demolitions, council told

2006-10-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Stop hotel demolitions, council told
Moratorium urged to stop Downtown Eastside evictions

Frances Bula, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, October 20, 2006

VANCOUVER - Dozens of people lined up Thursday to plead passionately for a city moratorium on the demolition of Downtown Eastside residential hotels, Vancouver's cheapest housing.

"It's clear that you need some kind of unambiguous message about these [hotels]," said David Eby of the Pivot Legal Society, who has been leading an energetic campaign to preserve housing in the neighbourhood.

The area is still home to about 5,000 units in the old hotels, mostly built before the First World War. Almost 200 units have been lost so far this year and tenants evicted, as owners close them down, tempted by rising real-estate prices and put off by city crackdowns on lax maintenance.

The public debate at Vancouver city council was sparked when Vision Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson introduced a motion this week to impose a temporary moratorium until the city develops a better plan to protect the housing.

Eby warned that the current Non-Partisan Association council has made the situation difficult by sending ambivalent signals to property owners about its willingness to take a hard line.

He noted the city has already lost 174 units this year and warned that it is about to lose more, with the sale of the Empress Hotel earlier this month to Hassan Ashori for $2.35 million.

"Despite what the owner is saying, would someone pay $2.35 million to rent it out to poor people for $350 a month?" asked Eby.

(Ashori's lawyer, Mindy Jong, denied Thursday that Ashori has any plans to evict anyone.)

NPA councillors asked staff during the meeting whether a moratorium is really needed, given that the current bylaw gives council the power to deny a demolition or conversion permit to owners of the units.

The city's housing-centre manager, Cameron Gray, said council could choose to send a stronger message to property owners, through either a moratorium or a stronger bylaw. Staff are looking at options for strengthening the bylaw, which was brought in by the previous Coalition of Progressive Electors council.

But speaker after speaker, some of them passionate and emotional, others more low-key, urged council to take a strong stand.

"For you lot to do nothing at all and turn your back on the whole question would be a great shame," said Martha Lewis, a poverty-law lawyer who works with the Tenants Rights Action Coalition.

The lengthy evening turned into a grim series of accounts of homelessness in the Downtown Eastside, with descriptions of First United Church turning into a camp and people fighting for space under awnings of buildings on Hastings Street.

It also became a debate over the NPA councillors' current proposals to consider allowing private developers and social-housing providers to build smaller units than the current 320-square-foot minimum.

No one claimed that the current private rooms are ideal housing.

Speakers emphasized these rooms keep people off the street and that the city should be doing everything it can to keep them open. Besides the moratorium, they urged the city to aggressively enforce its own standards-of-maintenance bylaw.

The speakers and the housing centre's Gray said the underlying economic problem is that welfare housing rates have been frozen at $325 a month since 1991, which doesn't give landlords enough to keep up properties.

fbula@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Another DTES SRO to Evict Residents

2006-10-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Empress Hotel’s new owner plans to shutter it

Employees of the Empress Hotel, a landmark low-income rental building in the DTES, are reporting that the new owner of the hotel has told them they are fired, and that he intends to evict all of the tenants within three months. The Empress Hotel has 74 rooms available to Vancouver’s poorest residents.

“He told me that my job was over, and that he was giving all of the tenants three-month eviction notices,” said Charles Humble, an employee and resident of the hotel.

The new owner has apparently applied for a business license to continue operating the hotel as a low-income rental building; however, the story being told to employees of the building is a different one.

“This is just like the American Hotel,” said David Eby, lawyer with Pivot Legal Society. “The owner says one thing to city hall, and a different thing to the rest of the world. The American is now closed because the City refused to look beneath the surface or act when everybody else was telling them that the building was going to close. The same thing must not happen with the Empress.”

This week is Homelessness Awareness Week, an ironic twist on the recent news coming out of the Empress Hotel. In addition, on Thursday a motion is coming before city council to ban the conversion of low-income housing in the DTES to other uses.

“When these 76 rooms close, which is clearly the owner’s intention, those people who live in the Empress and have lived there for years and years will be living on Vancouver’s streets,” says Kim Kerr of the Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association. “The residents of the DTES are tired of their housing being closed while council waits for funding that is never going to come. Council must act to protect this housing from conversion immediately.”

The 74 rooms in the hotel represent more than 1/3 of all of the 175 wet/cold weather shelter beds opening for this winter in Vancouver. Current vacancy rates for housing available to people on welfare is near 0, as reported in Pivot’s recent report on housing in the DTES “Cracks in the Foundation” which found only two rooms available in the entire city for people at the current welfare shelter rate.

For more information contact:

Kim Kerr – DERA – (604)785-0009
Charles Humble – Resident and employee of the Empress – Room 701
David Eby – Pivot Legal Society – (778)865-7997

Vancouver council defers vote on protecting Downtown Eastside rooming houses

2006-10-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2006 - 10:54 pm
By: Tamiko Nicholson

Vancouver (NEWS1130) -
Vancouver City Council has decided to delay its vote on banning SRO hotels from converting to condominiums on the Downtown Eastside. COPE Councillor Tim Stevenson put forward the moratorium proposal to keep rooming houses from kicking out tenants to rebuild or demolish the buildings. The American Hotel recently evicted tenants so it could build condos.

Stevenson says he is upset about the decision made by the majority of councillors. He says speakers -- many who live in these rooming houses -- voiced their fears about becoming homeless without this moratorium. He says the NPA councillors didn't want to vote for it for fear of upsetting the business community, but were afraid to vote against it because they would look bad.

Council listened to speakers all day and night on Thursday, and in the end they decided to have city staff finish a report on the issue and then revisit the topic before Christmas. Stevenson says they should have put in the moratorium in until the report came in, so that people on the Downtown Eastside could feel more secure about their housing as the winter approaches.

Another hotel to close it's doors

2006-10-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

Oct, 18 2006 - 11:40 PM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - First the American Hotel, now it looks like the Empress will also be closing its doors.

Staff at the Hotel, which is home to many low income residents, say they have been told by the new owners it is shutting down.

Councillor Tim Stevenson says the by-laws on the books right now are toothless when it comes to saving low income housing, "No, that's why we have been losing so many hotesl. I mean we do have a five thousand permit fee to convert to something else but that's like chump change over the cost of doing business to some of these developers.

Tenants say the owners claim to have applied for a new business license to keep the Empress running as low income housing but they say that's not the case.

Latest hotel evictions trigger call for moratorium

2006-10-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Latest hotel evictions trigger call for moratorium
Last Updated: Thursday, October 19, 2006 | 11:57 AM PT
CBC News

Vancouver city Coun. Tim Stevenson is calling for a moratorium on the conversion of single-room residential hotels, to stop the loss of low-income housing in the city's Downtown Eastside.

The move, which will be debated at city council on Thursday, comes after yet another group of hotel tenants has been told they're being evicted.

The low-rent Empress Hotel on East Hastings Street was recently sold to a new owner.

Charlie Humble, who lives in the hotel and works part time there as well, said the tenants got word of the evictions last week.

"He said we're giving everyone three months notice and then they have to go," he said.

Humble said he doesn't know where he and the other low-income tenants will go if they are evicted.
"They're upset, they're scared. A lot of these people don't know where they're going to live."

CBC News was unable to reach the owner or his lawyer for comment.

Stevenson says there has been a wave of hotel closures on the Downtown Eastside, including the American Hotel on Main Street earlier this month.

"We need to stop these evictions. There's absolutely no place for these people to go to. They'll end up out in the park, on the street."

Council will also hear a motion from Coun. Kim Capri, who is calling on staff to work with B.C. Housing to find an alternative to the hotels.

She calls the hotels only "marginally viable" — but still the most affordable housing in the city.

Last week, Capri had called for the development of dorm-style housing as an affordable alternative for the homeless in Vancouver. She said the 100-square-foot sleeping units could serve as transitional housing until better accommodations could be found.

Do We Need To Protect Low-Income Housing?

2006-10-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

COME TO City Hall!
Thursday, October 19, 2006 2pm

What Do You Think About Single Room OccupancyHotel Conversions to Condos? (e.g.,the American)
On October 19, city council will be deciding whether to put a BAN on converting SRA housing to market housing. This happened in LA & San Francisco.

If you or your organization would like to speak to council about this issue: Call Diane Clairmont at 604-871-6371 ASAP to get on the list.

download a leaflet in PDF-->

The NPA's plan for homelessness

2006-10-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

Dorm housing proposed for Vancouver's homeless
Last Updated: Monday, October 16, 2006 | 9:10 AM PT
CBC News

The City of Vancouver should consider building dormitory-style housing to help get people off the street, say the Non-Partisan Association's councillors.

The NPA, which controls city council, says the 100-square-foot units with shared amenities would cost about $50,000 each. Traditional social housing units ranging up to 400 square feet, with their own bathrooms and kitchens, cost about $200,000 each.

NPA Councillor Kim Capri said Monday the smaller units could serve as transitional homes until more spacious accommodation could be found.

"We're actually learning about different models that are saying people can actually live comfortably with smaller sizes, depending on how you build."

'Bad for people's health'

But Coun. Heather Deal of the opposition Vision Vancouver party says there's nowhere for people to be moved to from the dormitory units.

"We can't continue to build transitional housing unless we're building the housing that they can transition into," she said.

"And to put this sort of resources into keeping people in very small spaces with shared washrooms, that we know are bad for people's health, that we know are bad for women, I'm not sure that this is where our emphasis should be."

Deal said the city should be working more closely with the provincial government to develop 19 building lots available for low-income housing.

Capri said the NPA is working with the province on that, but the dorm solution would get people off the streets faster.

We need your help to save Low-Income Housing in Vancouver !

2006-10-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

What if you could help prevent more homelessness in Vancouver, just by sending an e-mail?
A critical vote at Vancouver City Hall is coming up on Thursday, October 19 at 2 a.m. on a motion to ban conversions of low-income rental housing (“SRO Buildings”) in the city into condominiums. The city already has restrictions like this in place preventing conversion of office buildings. While this motion may sound like the obvious response to the net loss of over 500 units for poor people in Vancouver since June 2005, a slim majority of city councillors are currently voting against it.
Send a message to the mayor and city council right now, telling them that you support the October 19th motion to ban conversions of low-income rental buildings to condominiums. Contact the mayor and council at: mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca.

We need your help to prevent homelessness. In 2005, Vancouver ’s street homeless population was estimated, on the low side, at just over 1,200. By 2010, this number could nearly triple if low-income housing in Vancouver continues to be converted to other uses. Please help us get the message out!

Thanks for your help.
David Eby
Pivot Legal Society
www.pivotlegal.org

THE HARPER WELCOMING COMMITTEE INVITES YOU TO DINNER WITH THE PRIME MINISTER!

2006-10-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

No Money for Militarization, Demanding Justice for the People!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2006 @ 5 pm
GATHER: NE CORNER OF COLOMBIA AND KEEFER
CHINATOWN MONUMENT FOR CHINESE RAILWAY WORKERS
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting Vancouver on Tuesday October 10 for a dinner organized by businessman Johnny Fong geared towards increasing trade, business, and investment with China. Although presented as a “direct dialogue with Vancouver’s Chinese Canadians”, a number of community-based Chinese-Canadian organizations and other grassroots groups have of course not been invited to this dinner. So we have decided to invite ourselves!

Over the past year, the Harper government has implemented cuts to women’s advocacy and equality rights work, has failed to implement a universal childcare program, has provided no funding to support the “health-care wait-time guarantee”, and has cut over $7 million in affordable housing funding across Canada. Meanwhile Harper is supporting the corporate agenda, including expansion of exploitative guest worker programs and increasing privatization and colonization of indigenous lands. An expanded $1.4 billion budget is going towards a larger police force and beefing
border security across Canada, with a total of $16-billion over two years towards National Defence. Harper has been building an aggressive and destructive military occupation of Afghanistan and the "War on Terror" is a clear pretext for increased Western economic and military domination in the Middle East.

Clearly, the policies of the Harper government aim to increase the economic gains of Canada's elite at the cost of increased impoverishment and repression of our marginalized communities, and the loss of lives and freedom of those abroad.

On October 10th, don't be silent, be in the street!!

Join us in sending a resounding no to Harper's war at home and abroad.
TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN! HOMES NOT BOMBS!

To endorse or for more information: 778-552-2099 or karmatropolis@yahoo.ca The Harper Welcoming Committee is an adhoc committee supporting justice, dignity, and self determination for our communities from Coast Salish Territories to Afghanistan.

New housing policy excludes recent arrivals, immigration advocate says

2006-10-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 | 10:44 AM PT
CBC News

An advocacy organization for immigrants and refugees says B.C.'s new housing policy doesn't go far enough to help people who have recently arrived in the province.

On Tuesday, the government announced its new housing strategy that includes rental subsidies for low-income families and the so-called working poor.

The government will provide $40 million in rental aid annually to working families with yearly incomes of less than $20,000.

Qualified families will receive direct cash payments to assist in paying rent. The subsidies are based on household size, income, rent and location.

But residents must have lived in B.C. for a full year to qualify for the program.

Sherman Chan, director of immigration settlement services for the non-profit MOSAIC society, said people new to Canada struggle financially and take low-paying jobs just to make ends meet.

"There will be lots of hardship for them if they are not able to find a decent job or if their foreign credentials aren't recognized," Chan said. He added that many new immigrants face long waiting lists for social housing and often end up living in sub-standard housing situations where they pay more than 30 per cent of their income as rent.

Chan said he hopes the province can come up with a solution that will also assist new immigrants.

Homes Not Games

2006-10-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Anti-Poverty Committee calls on all people who are sick and tired of standing by while our brothers and sisters are forced to sleep on the streets. These deplorable conditions are created by despicable people who we can no longer allow to hide!

This housing offensive has been organised across Canada with organisations including the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and Communitys In Solidarity Coalition- Victoria.

We will target all levels of our vile government and bring the war on the poor into their offices and meetings. The struggle for housing is fought tooth and nail. And we intend to win.

SQUAT! NPA Your Time Is Up!
Sunday Oct 22 @ 4pm
Meet and march from Pigeon Park (Carral & Hastings) and support a housing take over that demands the city purchase and covert the empty building into social housing. Dinner will follow at Oppenheimer Park.

Homes Not Games!
Wednesday Oct 25th @ 12-noon 999 Canada Place
Crash the meeting being held between the Board of Trade and the Vancouver Olympic Committee.

Halloween Bash at City Hall
Tuesday Oct. 31 @ 1:30pm Buses leave from Pigeon Park
‘Trick or treat, smell our feet; give the people a place to sleep. If you don’t we will fight; to sleep in peace is a right!’

Drawing Resistance: The Time Is Up
Saturday, November 4th @ 7:30
Rhizome Cafe, 317 E. Broadway
A night of artistic resistance with Drawing Resistance, a slide show of political art from posters and quilts, to comics and graffiti, set to the music of a radical trio of young women on cello, violin, vocals, and guitar. The night will end off with the rousing indigenous blues stylings of Haisla and her band, Nasty, Brutish and Short. A fundraiser for the Anti Poverty Committee's housing campaign.

Not Sheltered from the Storm!
Wednesday November 8th @ Main St. Sky Train Station
Demand BC Housing invest in social housing- not dirty mats in shitty shelters.

Community Meeting On Homelessness, Capitalism/Colonialism & Resistance Nov
11th @ 327 Carrall st @ 2pm
Strategize with the people fighting poverty from the front-lines.

WE ONLY GET WHAT WE ORGANISE TO TAKE!

Speaking Up! SRA Conversions on Thursday October 19

2006-10-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

The proposed ban on SRO conversions will be addressed at City Hall on Thursday, October 19th, 2pm.

To get on the speaker's list, call Diane Clairmont at 604-871-6371.

SLIHC Update - The American, Moratorium on SRA Conversion and Website

2006-10-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

First of all thank you all so much for coming out to support the Rally at the American hotel. The numbers are slowly growing and having you all there was very important to us at the coalition as well as the ways it shows people in the community there is wide support for this horrible housing crisis/hotel closure process we are all currently facing. The olympic wrecking ball continues to reek havoc. As we grow, our ability to affect change as a movement will continue to increase.

Second, regarding the American hotel, the arrogant landlord, despite having lost the arbitration on Friday that ruled the evictions were in fact illegal, still continued evicting everyone from the hotel on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. In fact, on Sunday night, he locked one of the residents out of the hotel, not even allowing her to retrieve her belongings, and this women was forced on to the street for the night. Although, DERA advocates helped her out on Monday to find shelter the way that she and other tenants were treated was an appalling and disgusting violation of tenan's rights and and human rights in general. The next steps being taken is that advocates from DERA and PIVOT are going to attempt to push the American to re-open based on the violations of the RTA arbitration and the lack of permits...we will keep you up updated.

To be clear, The City and the VPD took no action to intervene on behalf of the residents during these illegal evictions. There is in Anti-conversion Bylaw (see: "http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/housing/sra/index.htm"
for more details) that was disregarded throughout this entire process.

* "RTA" is the residential tenancy act

[2]
However, we have just been notified that our fight has not gone unnoticed by some city councilors:

Tomorrow morning (October 5th) council will be deciding what to do about a proposed moratorium on converting SRA housing to market housing. While the efficacy of this motion may be in question due to recent inaction by the city around the American Hotel, the awareness that this motion will raise and the importance of the issue is not in doubt. This motion is critically important to protect the remaining low-income housing stock in Vancouver until a program for building sufficient replacement social housing is in place. According to a couple of city councillors, after tomorrows meeting it is suspected that the SRA moratorium on conversions will be discussed in a council meeting on October 19th. If you or your organizations would like to speak in support of this motion please call the number below and the listed e-mail to put your name on the speakers list. Please consider speaking to this matter or calling city councillors on it. Council is just now figuring out whether there is enough interest to make opening this to the public for submissions is worthwhile. It could be heard as early as tomorrow afternoon, or as late as two weeks from now. If you want to speak, call Lori Isfeld at 604-871-6355 to tell her you're interested in speaking to the matter when it goes to council and e-mail
mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca with your name and contact information. In addition, go to Vancouver.ca and look up a couple of councillors and let them know you think this issue is critcially important.

* "SRA" stands for Single Room Accommodation, means the same thing as "SRO" or Singlge Room Occupancy

[3]

http://slihc.resist.ca/

- This is our SLIHC website address which we are in the process of building and growing. We would love your feedback on what kinds of information you feel you would like to see on the website.

Thank you so much to all the supporters
Save Low-Income Housing Coalition