[van-announce] Jan 20 Action: FIGHT THE DTES CONDO TOWERS PLAN

[Ivan D. Drury]

Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council
http://dnchome.wordpress.com
dtescouncil at gmail.com

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FIGHT THE HEIGHTS!
Join the action at City Hall to oppose the proposed DTES Condo Tower Plan (AKA 
"Historic Area Heights Review")
Thursday January 20th
2pm at City Hall until late
Or meet at Carnegie Centre at 1pm to go up to City Hall together

To speak at the council meeting:
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
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Background:

NO MARKET DEVELOPMENT IN THE DTES WITHOUT THE SECURITY OF THE LOW-INCOME 
COMMUNITY

“Historic Area Heights Review” and “View Corridors” coming under review on 
January 20th at City Hall are city planner buzz words for their Condo Tower Plan 
for the Downtown Eastside (DTES). 

We fear that the ripple effects of this plan will push out the low income 
community from the hotels that are the last stop before homelessnes. This is an 
irresponsible and reckless gift to millionaire developers by putting the more 
vulnerable people in the city at greater risk of homelessness. 


THE EFFET OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT IS GENTRIFICATION AND HOMELESSNESS

As the price of real estate has gone up the low-income community has lost 
affordable housing, shops, and other low-income friendly spaces. While 
gentrification changes our neighbourhood into an unfamiliar and hostile space 
for low-income people, police protect the condos and boutiques and City Hall 
eases regulations and provides incentives to developers to speed further market 
development.

In 2009, 29% of SROs rented at welfare / pension levels; the effect of market 
development at Woodward’s was that in 2010 only 12% of SROs rented at a price 
provided for by welfare. Although *visible* homelessness slightly went down due 
to the availability of shelters and more policing, actual homelessness went up 
by 12% in 2010. The city’s priority seems to have been to hide the homeless. We 
want them housed.

NO MARKET DEVELOPMENT IN THE DTES UNTIL NO BODY IS HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF 
HOMELESSNESS

Join us at city hall to fight the heights!


More information:

DNC Resolution against market development
http://dnchome.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/308/

Community resolution against the Historic Area Heights Review 
http://dnchome.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/314/

City Planning office Historic Area Heights Review Implementation Report (The 
report)
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110120/documents/penv4.pdf

Print and distribute the black and white poster and leaflet
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11175341/DNC/110120%20fight%20the%20height_grey.pdf
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11175341/DNC/110120%20fight%20the%20height%20leaflet_final.pdf