Streetohome.org

Saturday, February 28, 2009 2:49 PM
From:
"Audrey Jane Laferriere" View contact details
To:
"Hannah Lee" Streetohome Foundation

I was just advised that for 2007-2008 the City had 52,000 turnaways from shelters. We need shelters not an abundance of costly supportive housing.

You still did not answer my query as to whether or not Ken Dobell was able to persuade the federal government via an order in council to give a special income tax deduction to the rich if they donate money for supportive housing.

Post to Francis Bula's blog

I remember asking/begging the business associations especially the DTVBIA two years ago to support the initiative to Make Storyeum a Minimalist Shelter. None of them had any vision or compassion for the street homeless then. All of them ignored my pleas and now with these minimalist shelters street problems have dramatically decreased. I still go ballistic when I think about this simple solution to alleviate some of the incredible hardship that the street homeless face each day. The Strathcona BIA told me that street homelessness was not their problem: their mandate is the businesses in the area. Others non-profits and organizations in the DTES told me we have to wait for real housing. This is about as stupid as what the police are doing: ticketing the marginalized for bylaw infractions to decrease drug trafficking (Jim Chui) as the paperwork to write a drug offence is too onerous vs a simple ticket. Even now with the looming March 31st deadline approaching there is no talk from the churches or the non-profit in the DTES to demand that these minimalist shelters continue. On March 31st 2009 I estimate there will be 900 street homeless evicted from these shelters and from their sister shelters .

DERA meeting 23 February 2009

Please attend if you can a community meeting on Febuary 23 2009 at 1:00p.m. at Carnegie Centre (401 Main Street). The agenda covers:
1) Stop Gap Housing.
2) Closure of Shelter Beds on March 31st, 2009
3) DERA just won over $200,000 for tenants. Can DERA do the same for you.
4) The end of hotel tenants rights.
Attend so you are familiar with issues in the DTES.
Bring your questions.
778-329-1250
audreylaferriere@yahoo.ca

Tracey's memorial

I attended Tracey's memorial yesterday afternoon. The Westend Anglician Church had a full mass for her. Only twenty people attended. As far as I could tell no one was from her family. Gregor wasn't there; his wife wasn't there; neither did he send flowers. But then Gregor wasn't at Daryl's memorial service either.

Both Tracey and Gregor died in fires last year trying to keep warm as they were shelterless in the middle of winter and Gregor has used their deaths to support his politicial agenda. Gregor could of made sure that both of them were properly respected. Because there were no flowers to give Tracey the minister asked that each of us place a small a rock to substitute on the alter (a jewish tradition).