[Viva] Fwd: FW: Wednesday shelter closure update

[Denise Becker]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ross Harvey <rossh at positivelivingbc.org>
Date: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Subject: FW: Wednesday shelter closure update
To: Positive Living BC Community Representation and Engagement <
CREgroup at positivelivingbc.org>, Positive Living BC Board of Directors <
board at positivelivingbc.org>


FYI

Ross Harvey
Executive Director
Positive Living BC
1107 Seymour Street, 2nd Floor
Vancouver, BC   V6B 5S8
t. 604.893.2252
f. 604.893.2251
c.604.788.9111
1.800.994.2437
www.positivelivingbc.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Carnegie Action [mailto:carnegie.action at shawlink.ca]
Sent: April-27-11 11:38 PM
To: 'Carnegie Action'
Subject: Wednesday shelter closure update

Hello CCAP list!

The Cardero shelter site would have been difficult to hold onto for a few
reasons so we've decided to put our energies into Howe shelter on Thursday
and Fraser shelter on Friday.  Even though we did not set up at Cardero,
your support for tents, supplies, food and donations are still needed.
Thanks so much to everyone who has offered support so far.

Cardero Shelter

Around 20 supporters staked out the inside and outside of this shelter
today.  BC Housing reps were there in force and nearly all the remaining 15
shelter residents accepted some kind of offer:  bus tickets home, rooms in
various hotels; the potentially "outspoken" residents got promised new
social housing units once they open.  Because of the gap between the shelter
closure and these new units plus the chaos of this disruption in resident's
lives, it is possible these folks will not find their way to their new units
and end up back on the streets.  Sigh.  Homeless Dave, Don, Harold, Fraser,
Gail and others said afterwards that they were certain that residents would
have got less if we had not threatened, with our constant presence, to
occupy the shelter.  But overall, it was a horrible and traumatic
experience.  Raincity staff, clearly tortured, are doing the best they can
in a really bad situation.  Residents, with their extremely desperate health
conditions, were backed into a corner and forced to bargain under EXTREMELY
stressful circumstances.  An already fragile trust and sense of security was
deeply shaken today.  It was hard to watch it happen and not be able do
anything more to help.

Howe Shelter --

Media conference and rally at 10 a.m. in front of Howe, please come!  It
would be great to have a dozen or so people at this site again for the whole
day if possible.

Fraser Shelter --

Definitely, if you are saving your energy, this is the day to come out.
Call Wendy 604-839-0379 or Ivan 604-781-7346 for more details.  Fraser
Stuart, formerly a resident of the Central shelter that CCAP helped to save
last year from closing, said numerous times today:  we have to take our
campaign to Christy's doorstep.  The more people that get involved, the
better able we'll be able to pull off some great stunts that could tip the
scales and help us keep at least one of these shelters open.

These shelters are special.

These shelters are very different from typical shelters.  They attract a
really hard to house crowd.  The best part is residents can come and go
without losing their space and set up a little home.  They can sleep for
days if they need to which is sooo important for people who have mental
health conditions.  Like outdoor squat sites, people build community, there
are many eyes watching out so people feel safe.  People use the word
"family" a lot.

This what I saw in these Raincity shelters:  bookshelves, houseplants, lazy
boy chairs next to beds, pets, men and women cuddled on mats together,
natural light, people watching their own TV's, washers, dryers, showers,
nice thick mattresses, harm reduction supplies, makeshift partitions around
beds, poetry on walls, kitchen tables, camaraderie, lots of goofing around,
anti oppression agreements posted on walls, supporting each other, sharing
and a pretty unique atmosphere that is accepting of everyone no matter what
state you are in.  The things that happen at these shelters are surely
challenging but that is nothing compared to the chaos and violence of living
on the street.

Quotes from my notebook today:

"If these shelters were re-funded today, they would be filled up to maximum
tonight."  Two Raincity managers.

"Last year I lived in this shelter and when they closed it.  They sent me to
the Murray (hotel at Hornby & Helmken).  I was barely there a month with the
landlord told me "we don't want your kind here" and he stopped accepting my
rent cheques....I ended up on street again, got into trouble and then ended
up in jail.  I plead guilty because I had no place to live.  I could have
got off one of my charges with a lawyer but I was just too upset about
losing all my stuff and being outside.  I can't go through this again."
Cardero resident who was sent to another hotel on Granville today.

"A week and a 1/2 ago, they offered me a roach infested hotel at Jackson &
Hastings. Then at Powell.  I made a decision to get out of hood and get
healthier.  Why would I take a step back?"  Cardero resident

"I can't go to Catholic charities [shelter].  They kick you out first thing
in the morning."  Cardero resident

Night,
Wendy
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