[van-announce] Endorse the Community Resolution Against the DTES Condo Towers Plan

[Ivan D. Drury]

On Thursday January 13th the DTES Neighbourhood Council called together an 
ad-hoc meeting of allies to discuss and draft a broad community resolution 
against the city's DTES condo tower plan; which the city calls the "Historic 
Area Heights Review," (HAHR). The motivation for the meeting came from the pages 
of the HAHR report itself, where the city planners claim the only organization 
in the DTES that opposes the findings and directives of the HAHR is the Carnegie 
Community Action Project (CCAP). We met together and discussed how to show that 
not only is CCAP not alone in their opposition to the city's condo tower plan, 
the great majority of DTES residents do not want any more market condo tower 
projects in the DTES.

The meeting drew together 24 DTES residents, activists, and allies representing 
ten different organizations; collectively representing the interests and views 
of thousands of DTES residents. Many more organizations sent their regrets and 
their intention to support and participate in the broad DTES community fight 
back against the condo towers plan.

These allies made three decisions together: To sign on to a community resolution 
opposing the city's HAHR report; To mobilize our members as a delegation to city 
hall on January 20th to speak against the HAHR; And to organize a press 
conference this Monday January 17th to speak out against the HAHR.

See the Community Resolution against the HAHR below; to add your group's name to 
the list of endorsers send an email to dtescouncil at gmail.com

To sign up to speak at the HAHR presentation on January 20th, call the City 
Clerk at 604 873 7268 at any time; you can leave a message with the following 
info:
1) Your full name (spell your last name)
2) That you want to register to speak about the "Historic Area Heights Review" 
report on January 20th
3) Your address, phone number, email so they can confirm with you.

--- --- --- --- 
COMMUNITY RESOLUTION AGAINST THE HISTORIC AREA HEIGHTS REVIEW

January 13, 2011

Dear Mayor and Council members,

As individuals, resident groups and agencies concerned about:
-     Hotel room rent increases (only 12% of privately owned rooms now rent for 
the welfare shelter allowance or less) not tracked by the city and rent 
increases for businesses serving low income residents;
-     Hotel closures and “renovictions;”
-     The displacement of low-income residents from the Downtown Eastside, 
contrary to city policy;
-     Increased homelessness measured in the last city survey;
-     More harassment of low-income residents by security guards and police;
-     The erosion of unique and authentic community assets such as a strong 
sense of community, feeling accepted and at home, empathy with people who have 
health and addiction issues, connection to our cultural heritage, a strong 
commitment to volunteering, cheap or free necessities that are close by, needed 
health and social services,

We call on City Council to
-     Buy 10 sites for low income resident-controlled social housing within the 
Downtown Eastside before the next municipal election; and
-     Vote against adding any new density for condos within the Downtown 
Eastside until the assets and tenure of low-income residents are secured and 
until the Social Impact Study and DTES Strategy are complete.

We also call on city staff and Council to recognize that many groups and 
individuals in the DTES community, not just the Carnegie Community Action 
Project, oppose the recommendations of the Historic Area Height Review report.

*Sincerely,

Access Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society
Carnegie Community Action Project
Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre Power of Women
REED (Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity)
Streams of Justice
Urban Subjects
Vancouver Action
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society
W2

*This represents a working list; to add your group's name to the list write to 
dtescouncil at gmail.com