[van-announce] Housing Action Committee Demonstration Tomorrow

[resist at resist.ca]

For Immediate Release
March 03, 2003

DEMONSTRATION TO OPPOSE THE OLYMPICS AND DEMAND THE RESTORATION OF 
FUNDING TO SOCIAL HOUSING PLANNED FOR MARCH 4TH

The Housing Action Committee (HAC), supported by the Anti-Poverty 
Committee and Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, is calling on people 
to demonstrate at the Regent Hotel this Tuesday, March 4 as part of a 
campaign to protest substandard living conditions in Downtown Eastside 
hotels and the potential negative impacts a successful Olympic bid would 
have on affordable housing stock in Vancouver.

A picket line comprised of residents, homeless persons, squatters and 
anti-poverty activists will go up at the Regent Hotel (in the 100 block 
of East Hastings Street) at 2:15 on Tuesday. Other actions addressing 
these issues are also planned to take place as part of the 
demonstration.  

The Regent Hotel is being targeted for protest because of its use of  
"guest fees" which means tenants have to pay the hotel a fee to have 
guests visit them, this is common at Single Room Occupancy Hotels in the 
Eastside.

One of the main messages the HAC intends to get across with this protest 
is that bringing the Olympics to Vancouver could have dire consequences 
for Vancouver's poor, many of whom are living in overpriced and 
substandard housing, in Downtown Eastside hotels, or on the streets. HAC 
is aware of how the poor were cleaned out of the Eastside hotels during 
EXPO 86. It is likely the same thing will happen for the 2010 Games to 
make room for the athletes and visitors. 

"If the city and province can not provide proper care and services for 
the people  how can they be justified in spending millions for the 
profit of a few?" asks HAC member Jill Anderson.

The action is being timed to take place on the same day Prime Minister 
Jean Chretien is expected to be in the DTES to promise a token sum of 
money for homeless shelters. 

"We, the people who make up their statistics on homelessness, see this 
as a symbolic gesture to the IOC and not a sincere step towards 
alleviating our suffering as those struggling to survive day to day on 
the street." says HAC organiser Doug Brown.

The Housing Action Committee demands an immediate restoration of funding 
to social housing now and opposes any move to host the Olympics on 
stolen native land.

HAC will continue with disruptive actions in order to force the 
government to come up with equitable solutions to dealing with poverty 
in Vancouver and the rest of the province. 

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Contact the Housing Action Committee:
David - 604-780-5117
Jill -  604-726-5789

Anti-Poverty Committee:
604-682-2726 
fax: 604-687-4347