[van-discuss] RE: [news] Cancelled: Third Annual Affordable Housing Week, October 14-20

[Lani Russwurm]

It would be good to know if the Tenants Rights Action Coalition (TRAC) or any other community groups were planning anything for affordable housing week. Either way, some public event would be a good idea to help publicize the plight of the Woodwards squatters and the dismal shortage of affordable housing.
-lani.

"Friends of the Woodwards Squat" <violetta_sera at hotmail.com> wrote:

>The Third Annual Affordable Housing Week, scheduled for October 14-20, has 
>been quietly cancelled by BC Housing in order to avoid further embarassment 
>over government and police mishandling of the Woodward's Housing 
>Cooperative.
>
>The annual week was planned as a glitzy public-relations 
>'multi-partnernship' programme involving a variety of government agencies 
>and commercial enterprises. But it happened to coincide with the one-month 
>anniversary of the squat action by 200 homeless people residing on the 
>sidewalks encircling the old Woodward's building.
>
>October 14th will mark Day 31 of the Woodwards Squat.
>
>The squatters remain in a tent city despite ongoing police violence and 
>harassment from the City of Vancouver. They vow to stay until their six 
>demands are met.
>
>Renovations for the Woodward's Housing Cooperative were already well 
>underway when the Liberal Party came to power and cancelled the project. The 
>centre of the building has already been 'cored' in accordance with 
>architectural drawings discovered in the renovation office during the 
>occupation of 14-20 September.
>
>It is not yet known if the cancellation order was issued by Shayne Ramsay, 
>the CEO of BC Housing, or George Abbott, the Liberal Party minister in 
>charge. To find out please send them a query at <sramsay at bchousing.org> and 
><abbott at gov.bc.ca>. They have been rather unresponsive to date.
>
>For on-line daily updates from Friends of the Woodwards Squat visit:
>http://www.woodsquat.net
>
>...
>
>Demands of the Coalition of Woodwards Squatters and Supporters:
>
>1. Develop Woodwards as social housing immediately. (There must be an 
>allotment of housing in the building for aboriginal people equal to or 
>greater than the percentage of aboriginal people in the Downtown Eastside.)
>
>2. Reverse the cuts to social housing and all social services.
>
>3. Draft a civic anti-vacancy by-law to seize and convert empty, abandoned 
>buildings into social housing.
>
>4. Full disclosure of all information regarding the proposed sale and 
>development of the building.
>
>5. The Federal government must fund and support the development of 
>aboriginal business in the proposed commercial storefronts on the ground 
>floor of Woodwards. These storefronts must also include an urban native 
>self-governing office with drop-in / support services and culturally 
>sensitive native liason workers from the community.
>
>6. Decent and dignified immediate shelter for all homeless squatters forced 
>from Woodwards and asked to leave the sidewalk in front of the building.
>
>
>
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