STREET-CORNER "STANDS" FOR HOUSING
Immediate Release 6 March 2008 Vancouver, BC CANADA
Continue this Saturday and nextNeighbourhood housing activists will again stand on Vancouver street corners, Saturday March 8 for one hour, 1-2pm, with banners and wearing vivid blue scarves. They'll be calling attention to federal and provincial failures to build permanent social housing, and the City of Vancouver's proposed abandonment of deals with Concord Pacific for affordable housing in downtown condo towers.
STANDers will also be paying respects to the hundreds of dead and dying homeless men, women, and children- victims of legislated poverty and government neglect in BC and Canada. In Vancouver they populate our streets and lanes, huddle in parks and encampments, burn to death in doorways, are crushed in back alley garbage bins.
Ten "STAND for Housing-Homes for All!" sites have been confirmed for this, the third of four weekly Stands:
- Main St. & 33rd Avenue (Kia Salomons and Community Advocates for Little Mtn)
- Main St & King Edward (Ned Jacobs, Mary Ann Code, and CALM)
- Arbutus & King Edward (Homeless Nation and Random Acts Of Kindness -RAOK)
- Broadway & McDonald (Candace Simmonds and Kitsilano CHC)
- Heather & 6th Ave (Rider Cooey and False Creek neighbours)
- Commercial & 1st Avenue (Anna Truong, Dave Diewert & Streams of Justice)
- Cordova & Gore (Anne Kennedy and St James Social Gospel Coordinating Group)
- Oak & W 49th Ave (Leslie Kemp and Unitarian Church Social Justice Cttee)
- Commercial & Broadway (Lauren Gill, Homeless Nation and RAOK)
- Burrard & Nelson (Bobbie Phillips and the St Andrew's-Wesley Homelessness & Mental Health Action Group)
- [Christ Church Cathedral, Georgia & Burrard, will resume next week.]Some STANDs for Housing will pause over the Easter Break, Friday to Monday March 21-24, then continue, calling for substantial funding to be dedicated by federal, provincial, and municipal politicians to building new, permanent, low- and welfare-rate housing. Using the surplus billions in the prosperous economies of Canada and BC to build the full spectrum of housing for all citizens is the primary mechanism by which homelessness must be defeated.
The public and media are invited to join us at any of the above locations. The idea of the STAND is based on the moving example of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, whose children were "disappeared" by the military, 1976 to 1983. They stood every week in a city square wearing white scarves until the generals capitulated. The scarves became an international "brand" for protests against unjust and inhumane governments.
Contact: Rider Cooey 604.872-1382
False Creek Organizer
Citywide Housing Coalition
Hello new and old allies of the Citywide Housing Coalition and Carnegie Action Project:
Summer is over and we are ready to get going on some fall projects to help end homelessness in our city.
These projects are the result of the ideas and planning by 20 low income Downtown Eastside residents who are homeless, live in hotels and in social housing and 20 neighbourhood organizers of the Citywide Housing Coalition. We want to reach out and see if you can join with us in the next month and half to help make a big push for the Olympic Housing Recommendations. You could help out by making and putting up posters, donating bottles of water and sandwiches, reaching out to groups you are involved in to participate, designing props, performing, travelling with us to Victoria and more. Please be in touch and we can all work together as a team to accomplish our goals.
Here is what we're planning:
1) On Sunday September 16 at 3:00-3:10 pm we're going to the Olympic clock at the Vancouver Art gallery to be part of a group photo organized by Streams of Justice. Come along with a blanket or sleeping bag and plan to lie down. These photos will be used on postcards, websites etc and will
make a powerful visual statement about the need to implement the Olympic Housing Promises and what supporters are prepared to do to make it happen!2) On Tuesday September 18 at 12 noon on Robson near the Art Gallery, we will have creative action near the Art Gallery called: Free the Fish, Homes for People. The federal and provincial governments are spending $90 mil to expand the Aquarium for fish homes - but no homes for people. We want to draw the public's attention to spending priorities: STOP and REFOCUS! We need government money for homes. Some pretty fabulous decorated fish have been made and a big shark....
3) Sept 24-28, 07
Every year, politicians from across the Province meet at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre for the Union of BC Municipalities Convention. The theme this year is the environment and its happening Sept 24-28. We're not convinced they did anything about their theme last year which was housing. The Province has a $4.1 billion dollar surplus this year and goes into session in October. Now is the time for annoucements. To this end, we want to have a BIG rally outside this convention to end homelessness. We can deliver the 1000+ endorsing letters we collected over the summer for the Olympic Housing Promises. For this we need many organizers and participants. We are considering the idea of having 32 children hold placards that they have made about social housing. These children would symbolize the 3200 homes we need now. Know any kids who would get involved? Please contact us about helping to organize this or attend.4) In early October, We're going on a treasure hunt to Victoria to look for the Province's missing $250 million housing endowment fund, that's in a bank there collecting interest instead of being the downpayment on the $640 mil worth of social housing construction we need now. Imagine pirates
defending the treasure, the people coming to liberate it....some fun with a serious edge....this event will likely be timed with the day that the 1000+ endorsements for the Olympic promises is discussed in the Legislature early October. We need thirty $50 sponsorships to pay for transp and food for low
income people to come. So far we have 5 sponsorships. And you could come with us too!5) October 2007.
We are collecting materials for 2 resident driven groups that are organizing tent squats this fall. We need tents, tarps, rope, camping stuff, signs, literature and may be able to direct you to participate in this as well.6) Mid October 2007.
The United Nations Rapporteur on Adequate Housing is coming to Vancouver mid October and we're starting to prepare for his 2 day visit.To volunteer time or resources for any of the events (actions) listed above please connect with us via the contact information below. The generosity of what each individual can give is greatly appreciated.
Looking forward to seeing you in the fall and to continuing our work together to make a better world for everyone.
Wendy Pedersen
604-839-0379 info@citywidehousingcoalition.ca