jamescapoeira's blog

October 31, 2006
By Seth Klein

Last week’s announcement by Premier Campbell that the government will increase the shelter allowance for people receiving welfare is welcome news. This long-overdue policy reversal shouldn’t wait until February’s Provincial Budget to be implemented. And overall rates must be increased (not just the shelter allowance). But at least the Premier has acknowledged that rates are too low.

The Premier’s promise also lays bare how arbitrary and deeply political the process of setting rates and eligibility rules has become. Rates have remained frozen for years, as inflation eats away at their real value. They are only now being increased because the rise in homelessness has become impossible to ignore, and the resulting political pressure is finally forcing our leaders to act.

http://apc.resist.ca/
URGENT – Women’s City Hall Housing Takeover needs your support!
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
5:00pm (earlier for those who are able)
Support Rally
2530 Cambie Street (near Cambie & Broadway)

2 activists arrested at new Vancouver squat.
Link to CBC story
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/11/01/bc-squat-arrests.html#skip300x250

http://apc.resist.ca/

The Anti-Poverty Committee and supporters took an empty city-owned building near City Hall and stated that it will be turned into women's emergency housing.

About 150 people gathered on the lawns of City Hall on Oct.31st, ready to occupy the city chambers and demand the city council buy a hotel and convert it to social housing, instead we took housing into our own hands and opened up a building set to be demolished by the city.

The police are treating the situation as an occupation and are not allowing anyone to enter the building. They are blocking the doors and currently, there are around twenty of our comrades inside. Some supplies have reached the squatters however, the police are not letting anyone or anything enter the building.

http://www.pivotlegal.org/Publications/reports.htm

Pivot recently published this report. It is very thorough and important! Give it a read.

Cracks in the Foundation:

Solving the Housing Crisis in Canada's Poorest Neighbourhood
Published September 2006. If no new low-cost housing is built and the current stock of low cost housing continues to close and deteriorate at its present rate, visitors to Vancouver in 2010 will see nearly three times as many homeless people living on the streets of Vancouver as they see today, according to findings in Pivot Legal Society’s housing report, Cracks in the Foundation...