Demolition process begins at Little Mountain
Join us in protest on Saturday July 4, 2009
On June 1st BC Housing announced that it was
seeking a demolition permit. On June 18 the northern 20% of the complex was
fenced off. The area includes the Outdoor Gallery for Affordable Housing, over
100 paintings.
On June 24th a contractor ripped out appliances, sinks, and toilets from suites
next door to tenants who currently live at Little Mountain Housing.
We have sent the attached
letter to the neighbours of Little Mountain. Read the Letter ...
CALM says: NO
SALE NO
PLAN NO DEMOLITION NO OLYMPIC PARKING
LOT
Please join us on Saturday July 4th, 1 - 2 pm at 33rd and Ontario in Vancouver,
for a massive demonstration of support for keeping public lands in public hands
in order to alleviate the BC crisis in affordable housing. As plans develop, we
will keep you informed.
The provincial government has persistently
maintained that selling Little Mountain to a developer will bring in a windfall
of cash to be spent on affordable housing. If there is actually still a deal
with a developer, watch for that windfall to go up in smoke when the
government hands down a "hard
times budget" this
fall.
We are selling the Premier’s house. Yes, you heard that right.
How to get in on the most amazing real estate event in BC history See Details...
Saturday April 4, 2009 Marches and rallies by 108 organizations in 17 BC communities
See list...
Vancouver Art-Ins Colorful, eloquent pleas for Housing as a Human Right Read more...
News media flock to Little Mountain Art-In and its controversial aftermath
On December 7thfifty artists, residents and former residents
painted pictures in support of CALM’s call to reopen and re-tenant the 200 vacant homes at the Little Mountain Housing complex to help ease Vancouver’s housing emergency.
CALM proposes that the homes be occupied until construction is ready to start. Without that agreement, it could take 3 – 10 years before the site provides new housing. The artists created a wide variety of pieces—children’s and child-like art,
realistic family portraits, political cartoons and slogans, and surrealistic depictions of homelessness, poverty and eviction. Five Vancouver newspapers covered the event. On December 11tha work crew posted the art from the
Art-In. On December 12thBC Housing sent the company Goodbye
Graffiti to paint out art that it deemed offensive.
Top 12 Most Objectionable Statements about Affordable Housing According to BC Housing
12. “Don’t destroy our house” 11. "Poor people need homes too" 10. "Embrace community diversity. Against marginalization" 9. "Shame on our city. Developers cause homelessness" 8. "Would you want to be kicked out of your HOME?" 7. "Society will change the day our politicians are homeless" 6. "House our brothers and sisters" 5. "Put people first, people before profit" 4. "Affordable housing now!" 3. "Can i have my home back now?" 2. "Home is where the heart is, don't break my heart" And the number one most objectionable statement about affordable housing, according to BC
Housing: 1. "Love still lives here"
(Actually, BC Housing was least fond of a piece that used the imagery of the children’s
game “Hangman” and the slogan “The Death of Social Housing.” Indeed, the death of social housing is highly objectionable.) On December 15th
CALM held an outdoor gallery opening of “500 metres of Art for Affordable Housing.” Seven media outlets, including radio, television and the press covered the opening and the BC Housing’s obliterations.
On January 11th 30 artists participated in the 2nd Edition
of the Art-In. On Ontario Street there is now an entire building of Tiko Kerr's
energetic family silhouettes and an expressive three-panel sequence recalling a
family who lived in that suite on Ontario near 37th. Facing 33rd are an
intricate political cartoon by John Gemino, much creative art combined with
slogans, and the Fong's family portrait. It's significant that quite a number of
families that used to live at Little Mountain felt strongly enough about CALM's
cause and the tenants' plight to contribute to the gallery.
On either side of a grassy area mid-block on 33rd are two
buildings that face each other. East-facing are “Family made of chains,”
“Turning the lights back on in Little Mountain” and other scenes of domestic
harmony and distress. On the west face are child-like and child-centred pieces
including the excellent “Girl Belittled by the Vancouver Skyline” and some
delightful naif art.
Help Bring Back a Federal Social Housing Program
Canada is the only major country in the world without
a national housing strategy, spending even less than half what the US spends on
housing programs per capita.
What We Want From Our Federal Government
An end to homelessness and affordable housing crises.
A permanent national housing program that annually uses 1% of the federal
budget to build new social housing and would create 2000 units of new housing
in BC affordable to people on low and modest incomes.
Restoration of the national co-op housing programs of the 1970s and
1980s.
Employment insurance benefits, and senior and disability pensions rates
that allow people to live safely and with dignity.
What Municipalities Must Do About Affordable Housing
While the major responsibility for housing rests with the provincial and federal
governments, city councils control land use policies that can impact the stock
of rental housing and dampen speculation that inflates housing prices.
City governments can:
Require affordable housing units in new developments as a condition of
re-zoning
Protect the housing of people living in trailer
parks
Prevent rental conversions to condos
Keep public land public
Call on senior governments to invest in and build affordable
housing
