|
VANCOUVER’S homelessness problem had a high media
profile last month.
Led by Streams of Justice, a Christian faith community,
activists occupied the city-owned vacant 900 block of Main Street for a
week, ending October 19.
According to Streams spokesperson Dave Diewert, who
also teaches at Regent College, the site is one of 12 the city owns and has
designated for low cost housing. “There was a ground breaking
ceremony in 2002 when the NDP were in provincial office,” he said.
“Then the Liberals came in, and it was cancelled.”
 | | Community activist Dave Diewert |
Although the squat was protesting the wider issue of
homelessness, the land the protesters occupied might reasonably have
provided up to 40 units of low cost housing, in Diewert’s estimate.
The building of such housing is a provincial
responsibility. Asked why the province has not moved on this, Diewert
responded: “There just isn’t the political will. The last
budget has $250 million designated for housing – but put it into a
trust fund, with only $10 million a year being used. There seems to be an
ideology in provincial government, that they should not provide
housing.”
The squat was coordinated to occur during Homelessness
Action Week. “We wanted to engage in action a bit more awakening to
people, so we were willing to engage in political action,” said
Diewert. “The City were caught off guard, that such an action should
be organized by middle class Christians. Over the week, hundreds of
visitors came from the faith community – and others, including the UN
special envoy for special housing.”
Continue article >>
|
 | | A portion of the 'tent city' which occupied a block of Vancouver's Main Street in October. Photos by Al McKay. |
The city wanted to shut down the action immediately,
and indeed the police did give the squatters 90 minutes to vacate the lot.
However, Streams had already launched a legal process – to seek an
injunction forbidding the city from evicting them. This tactic stayed the
hand of the police.
Although that injunction has been withdrawn, now that
the protest has ended, Diewert explained the more substantial legal
argument being pursued.
“The argument is that, if there is not accessible
housing or shelter available, then the state cannot criminalize people for
doing what they can’t help doing.”
The Streams of Justice website states: “Here we
stand, on land the Creator has given as a gift for us to share, on
historically unceded Coast Salish Territory, on City of Vancouver property,
in solidarity with those who have no home, who lack adequate income and
necessary support, who know only too well the reality of social exclusion.
“In light of the immense wealth and abundant
resources of our region, the ongoing reality of increasing homelessness and
poverty in our city is completely unacceptable.”
The site also quotes Isaiah 58:6–7:
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of
injustice . . . to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the
homeless poor into your house?”
– Peter Biggs
November 2007
|
