Saturday, July 31, 2010
EOI to turn the DERAH buildings into supportive housing
Hopefully I can get my act together this weekend to critique further the EOI. It is absolutely necessary that the residents of the DTES know how the process works and voice their concerns. The residents of the DTES must have a say in what happens to the buildings. We want to know about condo development but neglect to stop the neighbourhood from getting more supportive housing. We need a variety of housing to normalize the area. Anything in the EOI which is suspect has to be looked at before a new operator is appointed.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Is the DTES becoming an insane asylum?
Cameron Gray, manager of housing for the City recently made a statement that with the number of supportive housing in the DTES that the City is making the DTES into an insane asylum.
The three buildings that DERA operated is in the process of getting new operators and from this instruction it says that BC Housing wants the buildings to convert from affordable housing to supportive housing.
In the BC Housing web page. The very first paragraph of the EOI states that ... these calls are intended for non-profit societies and/or private operators interested in partnering with BC Housing to provide housing with support services.
We do not need the 300 units of Solheim, Pendera and Tellier be made into more supportive housing. I attempted to go to the 1:30 site meeting on Tuesday at Tellier for those interested in seeing the properties to clarify this. When I arrived there no one knew of any meeting and the Tellier community room was empty.
I then went to DERAdvocay, next door, and was told that the meeting happened at 10:00a.m. that morning. Earlier I phoned Pat McSherry, a director and secretary of DERA, and told her that someone from DERA should attend this meeting and make sure that supportive housing does not happen to the former DERA buildings.
Pat McSherry told me at 1:45 p.m. that the meeting was held at 10:00 a.m. that morning. So has BC Housing already decided who the new operators will be.
Where are the housing advocates whose actions focus on wanting a National Housing Policy rather then devoting some of their resources to making sure the DTES has normalized housing.
Years ago the federal government downloaded social housing to the province (BC Housing's budget is $1billion yearly for 100,000 units) so why aren't the advocates and the NDP advocating for a provincial housing policy but then I am sure that none of them are aware of the $budget of BC Housing. They should be putting all their resources into making sure that the DTES has a diversity of housing in the DTES and not a predominance of supportive housing which housing is nothing more than a jail cell (complete with bars, locked doors, hired security, and expensive state-of-the- art securiy cameras see the LUX supportive housing run by Rain City (reception area)) for the mentally and drug addicted population of the City.
Also I am fed up with Sabrina, the E/D of DERA, saying that I was voted off the Board of Directors of DERA. DERA attempted to do so on February 12 2010 but the process was flawed (illegal). And until I get a letter from DERA's lawyer stating that the process was legal, I am still a director of DERA.
.
The three buildings that DERA operated is in the process of getting new operators and from this instruction it says that BC Housing wants the buildings to convert from affordable housing to supportive housing.
In the BC Housing web page. The very first paragraph of the EOI states that ... these calls are intended for non-profit societies and/or private operators interested in partnering with BC Housing to provide housing with support services.
We do not need the 300 units of Solheim, Pendera and Tellier be made into more supportive housing. I attempted to go to the 1:30 site meeting on Tuesday at Tellier for those interested in seeing the properties to clarify this. When I arrived there no one knew of any meeting and the Tellier community room was empty.
I then went to DERAdvocay, next door, and was told that the meeting happened at 10:00a.m. that morning. Earlier I phoned Pat McSherry, a director and secretary of DERA, and told her that someone from DERA should attend this meeting and make sure that supportive housing does not happen to the former DERA buildings.
Pat McSherry told me at 1:45 p.m. that the meeting was held at 10:00 a.m. that morning. So has BC Housing already decided who the new operators will be.
Where are the housing advocates whose actions focus on wanting a National Housing Policy rather then devoting some of their resources to making sure the DTES has normalized housing.
Years ago the federal government downloaded social housing to the province (BC Housing's budget is $1billion yearly for 100,000 units) so why aren't the advocates and the NDP advocating for a provincial housing policy but then I am sure that none of them are aware of the $budget of BC Housing. They should be putting all their resources into making sure that the DTES has a diversity of housing in the DTES and not a predominance of supportive housing which housing is nothing more than a jail cell (complete with bars, locked doors, hired security, and expensive state-of-the- art securiy cameras see the LUX supportive housing run by Rain City (reception area)) for the mentally and drug addicted population of the City.
Also I am fed up with Sabrina, the E/D of DERA, saying that I was voted off the Board of Directors of DERA. DERA attempted to do so on February 12 2010 but the process was flawed (illegal). And until I get a letter from DERA's lawyer stating that the process was legal, I am still a director of DERA.
.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
the new Oppenheimer Park
I went to the opening of the "new" Openheimer Park at 11:00 am today. I am not happy with the new design. It looks like it was designed deliberately to erase 1/3 of the green space. It took 120 years to create a heritage park and only $2.5 million and two years construction to destroy it. More on this later ...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
blogettes
Each day I have at least one-half dozen blogettes in my mind but I do not have the time to write about each one. There are other things in life like going to the food banks, attending VGH daily for six hours, taking my lovely devil doggies out for their peepees and poopoos, doing five weeks of laundry, looking for a new place to live, talking to my intelligent fuckup friends who agree they are fuckups but they are honest about it not like the fuckups being the directors of DERA who are so fucked up they do no know they are fucked up, and gathering beverage containers for their refund value.
Right now I am awaiting a reply from an email to DERA hopefully to clarify items from the financial statements which should have been delivered to the members within three months of the end of the fiscal period being September 30 2009 not in mid July 2010. I have another clarification I need which is from whom did the donations come from which were mentioned in the F/S for 2008 and 2009. Kim Kerr told me and told the court that he had taken the profits of his company that did work for DERA/DERAH and donated them to DERA/DERAH but I have seen no proof of it. Very legal of him. The law says if Kim returns any profit he made from his company, then there is no conflict, so he did not do anything fraudulent in that area providing that he actually did donate the profit back to DERA/DERAH. I will be sending an email to the new Executive Director Sabrina and the accountant, Ruth Hoffman, CGA, asking for this information.
Since I am a member of DERA and also a director of DERA when this information was said to have been relevant I am entitled to this information. But then maybe not as I am was told by the Treasurer, his name escapes me, that he can't give me any information because he is under a gag order from BC Housing. I didn't even ask him for any information but he announced itto me on the street. He also told me to google his name as he owns newspapers and radio stations and he could destroy me with words. What BC Housing has to do with DERA is beyond me. DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing are suppose to be separate legal entities so I was told by the lawyers for BC Housing during the court hearing to foreclosure upon DERAH. The point is DERA survives on grants and donations which are tax deductible so each of us are intimately involved with DERA through our pocketbooks. To operate DERA the funds come from you and me. Apply whatever I am saying to other non profits and societies generally. There are big problems outthere and DERA is but a bit player and their behavior is typical.
Right now I am awaiting a reply from an email to DERA hopefully to clarify items from the financial statements which should have been delivered to the members within three months of the end of the fiscal period being September 30 2009 not in mid July 2010. I have another clarification I need which is from whom did the donations come from which were mentioned in the F/S for 2008 and 2009. Kim Kerr told me and told the court that he had taken the profits of his company that did work for DERA/DERAH and donated them to DERA/DERAH but I have seen no proof of it. Very legal of him. The law says if Kim returns any profit he made from his company, then there is no conflict, so he did not do anything fraudulent in that area providing that he actually did donate the profit back to DERA/DERAH. I will be sending an email to the new Executive Director Sabrina and the accountant, Ruth Hoffman, CGA, asking for this information.
Since I am a member of DERA and also a director of DERA when this information was said to have been relevant I am entitled to this information. But then maybe not as I am was told by the Treasurer, his name escapes me, that he can't give me any information because he is under a gag order from BC Housing. I didn't even ask him for any information but he announced itto me on the street. He also told me to google his name as he owns newspapers and radio stations and he could destroy me with words. What BC Housing has to do with DERA is beyond me. DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing are suppose to be separate legal entities so I was told by the lawyers for BC Housing during the court hearing to foreclosure upon DERAH. The point is DERA survives on grants and donations which are tax deductible so each of us are intimately involved with DERA through our pocketbooks. To operate DERA the funds come from you and me. Apply whatever I am saying to other non profits and societies generally. There are big problems outthere and DERA is but a bit player and their behavior is typical.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The new DERA (ADDED TO July 18/19 2010)
I attended the DERA AGM yesterday. Not much happened except the Board has been overtaken by the Christians: the Christian group on Jackson Street across from Oppenhemier Park: the co-op of old houses. Just what the DTES needs another secretive religious cult. And more bizarre every single dysfunction director was reelected.
More about the meeting when I have time... I still can't believe in the middle of this controversy the federal government gave DERA $215,000 per year (until 2012) to administer a childcare program. DERA has broken every single rule of governance and the federal government and the community thinks that it is okay. What I mean by community is Brit Community Centre and the Strathcona Community Centre.
I briefly read the financial statements that were presented to the AGM last Thursday this morning being July 19th 2010. The financial statements were up to September 30 2009. The two DERA creative bookkeepers are now in big trouble; hopefully, the two of them will be thrown out of the certified general accountants association. It states on page 11 that the Board of Directors agreed to have the Society pay $6,000 in legal fees incurred by the Executive Director for a lawsuit with a former city councillor, Peter Ladner. This law suit did not involve DERA; only its executive-director, Kim Kerr. I was at the December 2009 meeting when this "account" was discussed. No invoice was produced; no one knew what the fees were for (Sister Elizabeth said they were court costs: that is different than legal fees)and the final decision was not to have been made until the invoice was produced. It was never produced. Peter Ladner told me that Kim had paid $5,000 for costs to the City prior to September 30 2009, so what was this $6,000 for? This discussion was December 2009 at a DERA board meeting. Not prior to September 30 2009 therefore the financial statements are trash (fraudulent). Those responsible for the financial statements are Linda Segneuret, CGA, DERA's auditor, and Ruth Hoffman, CGA, DERA's accountant. And the new proposed Society Act 2012 wants us to trust professionals more. Forget it. Blind trust of professionals begets legal corruption.
More about the meeting when I have time... I still can't believe in the middle of this controversy the federal government gave DERA $215,000 per year (until 2012) to administer a childcare program. DERA has broken every single rule of governance and the federal government and the community thinks that it is okay. What I mean by community is Brit Community Centre and the Strathcona Community Centre.
I briefly read the financial statements that were presented to the AGM last Thursday this morning being July 19th 2010. The financial statements were up to September 30 2009. The two DERA creative bookkeepers are now in big trouble; hopefully, the two of them will be thrown out of the certified general accountants association. It states on page 11 that the Board of Directors agreed to have the Society pay $6,000 in legal fees incurred by the Executive Director for a lawsuit with a former city councillor, Peter Ladner. This law suit did not involve DERA; only its executive-director, Kim Kerr. I was at the December 2009 meeting when this "account" was discussed. No invoice was produced; no one knew what the fees were for (Sister Elizabeth said they were court costs: that is different than legal fees)and the final decision was not to have been made until the invoice was produced. It was never produced. Peter Ladner told me that Kim had paid $5,000 for costs to the City prior to September 30 2009, so what was this $6,000 for? This discussion was December 2009 at a DERA board meeting. Not prior to September 30 2009 therefore the financial statements are trash (fraudulent). Those responsible for the financial statements are Linda Segneuret, CGA, DERA's auditor, and Ruth Hoffman, CGA, DERA's accountant. And the new proposed Society Act 2012 wants us to trust professionals more. Forget it. Blind trust of professionals begets legal corruption.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Why
Tuesday, July 15, 2010
DERA Annual general Meeting
The DTES Residents Assocations is having its Annual general Meeting July 15, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. St. James Church, Parish Hall, 230 Gore Avenue (one block north of Hastings Street in the same block as the United Church on Hastings). It is an illegal meeting as it is nine months late and it wasn't advertised according to the bylaws but then why should DERA follow any rules. For any of you who do attend make sure you get a copy of the financial statements which were due last fall also demand a financial statement as of the end of June 2010. Besides Kim being involved with two private companies which profit was alledgedly used to support DERAdvocacy ask for proof of invoices. Anyone can type in a $160,000 expediture. Also you can ask the directors what happened to the monies that BC Housing paid to DERA for leasing payment and taxes. Where did this $400,000 go. Also what about the $1.2 million in reserves -- the money that was suppose to be used to keep the buildings upgraded like with new appliances and washing washings and washing windows. This did not happen. The $1.2 million was there in 2004 but no more. I was told by Kim and it was confirmed by BC Housing by its neglect by not answering my emails that no one is allowed to have access to the financial statements because they are only for the eyes of Kim Kerr and BC Housing which is a lie. As for the current directors none of them should show their faces to the community and each of them should be evicted from the social housing they received by virtue of them being a director. I wish I could pay $300 a month rent for a $1,000 market rate apartment and still have $700 a month for disposal income. All the directors failed to do what they were elected to do. The poor stealing from the poor is nauseating to say the least. I have come to the conclusion that democracy does not work in the DTES. The marginalized should have a constitution that can't be changed on a whim. A consititution of marginalized rights. Sister Elizabeth will say at the AGM that DERA is for advocacy not Housing. Do not let her get away with it. DERAdvoacy and DERAHousing has been one of the same for the last twenty years and now conveniently it is not part of DERA. If you look at the Writ to foreclosure on the three rental buildings it also includes DERAdvoacy so therefore they are one of the same. And then there is a secret agreement signed by Kim Kerr, DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing saying that no one is going to be criminally charges for whatever these idiots did. The saga of DERA will not end soon. Get involved and don't let it.
Under DERAdvocacy the Federal government hasn't cut its funding for its daycare project which I do not understand why it even has it as because in the constitution of DERAdvoacy it is not authorized to do babysitting. There is $200,000 funding so where is this money going to. DERAdvocacy should be sending this money back to the federal government as they should not have got it in the first place. If the consensus will be to keep this money then every invoice should be viewed by anyone who wants to see them. Financial statements are useless without the paperwork. Auditors cannot be trusted. The auditor told BC Housing that although she knew $400,000 came to DERAH she did not know where it went. Neither did Kim or Sister Elizabeth know where the money disappeared to. So what is the point of an auditor. And she has been arround forever. Auditors only look at non-profits that are funded by the government as cash cows. There is nothing confidential in financial statements and all accounts should be provided to anyone who wants to see them.
Who can go to these meeting according to the Constitutions anyone in the DTES who is resident here from Clarke to Broadway to Granville to the waterfront. There is nothing in the bylaws that says a resident has to be a registered member. Like one of the five origiinal founders of DERA told me the other day; it is not the DERA Members Association it is the DERA Residents Association. I would like to see someone make a motion that says to belong to DERAdvocacy those that have lived in the DTES are still members of DERA. Good people move away from the DTES and then their expertise is lost. No matter what Kim and everyone has told me that anyone can attend AGMs.
I won't be going to the meeting unless I have a bodyguard. The purpose of the bodyguard is to keep me controlled from me verablly going on and on. So if anyone wants to volunteer to assist me please do.
And above all if the acting executive director SABRINA is not available to return an email or talk to a resident of the DTES then a motion has to be made to fire her. We do not need a secret organization where those that need help can't get information.
.
Posted by Audrey Jane Laferriere at 10:06 AM
I read the Request for Expressions of Interest found on the BC Housing website. I could not believe it. Did not BC Housing learn anything from DERAHousing. It sets no boundaries on how to prevent white collar crime by a non-profit housing society or how to safeguard vulnerable tenants from capricious behavior of their overlords. Whoever is in charge should be looking for a new job. More about this document later.
I apologize to you all for not keeping up on my blog. The issues out there are overwhelming. Sine June 7th 2010 I have been involved with a medical situation in which I have had to devote my limited energies to.
DERA Annual general Meeting
The DTES Residents Assocations is having its Annual general Meeting July 15, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. St. James Church, Parish Hall, 230 Gore Avenue (one block north of Hastings Street in the same block as the United Church on Hastings). It is an illegal meeting as it is nine months late and it wasn't advertised according to the bylaws but then why should DERA follow any rules. For any of you who do attend make sure you get a copy of the financial statements which were due last fall also demand a financial statement as of the end of June 2010. Besides Kim being involved with two private companies which profit was alledgedly used to support DERAdvocacy ask for proof of invoices. Anyone can type in a $160,000 expediture. Also you can ask the directors what happened to the monies that BC Housing paid to DERA for leasing payment and taxes. Where did this $400,000 go. Also what about the $1.2 million in reserves -- the money that was suppose to be used to keep the buildings upgraded like with new appliances and washing washings and washing windows. This did not happen. The $1.2 million was there in 2004 but no more. I was told by Kim and it was confirmed by BC Housing by its neglect by not answering my emails that no one is allowed to have access to the financial statements because they are only for the eyes of Kim Kerr and BC Housing which is a lie. As for the current directors none of them should show their faces to the community and each of them should be evicted from the social housing they received by virtue of them being a director. I wish I could pay $300 a month rent for a $1,000 market rate apartment and still have $700 a month for disposal income. All the directors failed to do what they were elected to do. The poor stealing from the poor is nauseating to say the least. I have come to the conclusion that democracy does not work in the DTES. The marginalized should have a constitution that can't be changed on a whim. A consititution of marginalized rights. Sister Elizabeth will say at the AGM that DERA is for advocacy not Housing. Do not let her get away with it. DERAdvoacy and DERAHousing has been one of the same for the last twenty years and now conveniently it is not part of DERA. If you look at the Writ to foreclosure on the three rental buildings it also includes DERAdvoacy so therefore they are one of the same. And then there is a secret agreement signed by Kim Kerr, DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing saying that no one is going to be criminally charges for whatever these idiots did. The saga of DERA will not end soon. Get involved and don't let it.
Under DERAdvocacy the Federal government hasn't cut its funding for its daycare project which I do not understand why it even has it as because in the constitution of DERAdvoacy it is not authorized to do babysitting. There is $200,000 funding so where is this money going to. DERAdvocacy should be sending this money back to the federal government as they should not have got it in the first place. If the consensus will be to keep this money then every invoice should be viewed by anyone who wants to see them. Financial statements are useless without the paperwork. Auditors cannot be trusted. The auditor told BC Housing that although she knew $400,000 came to DERAH she did not know where it went. Neither did Kim or Sister Elizabeth know where the money disappeared to. So what is the point of an auditor. And she has been arround forever. Auditors only look at non-profits that are funded by the government as cash cows. There is nothing confidential in financial statements and all accounts should be provided to anyone who wants to see them.
Who can go to these meeting according to the Constitutions anyone in the DTES who is resident here from Clarke to Broadway to Granville to the waterfront. There is nothing in the bylaws that says a resident has to be a registered member. Like one of the five origiinal founders of DERA told me the other day; it is not the DERA Members Association it is the DERA Residents Association. I would like to see someone make a motion that says to belong to DERAdvocacy those that have lived in the DTES are still members of DERA. Good people move away from the DTES and then their expertise is lost. No matter what Kim and everyone has told me that anyone can attend AGMs.
I won't be going to the meeting unless I have a bodyguard. The purpose of the bodyguard is to keep me controlled from me verablly going on and on. So if anyone wants to volunteer to assist me please do.
And above all if the acting executive director SABRINA is not available to return an email or talk to a resident of the DTES then a motion has to be made to fire her. We do not need a secret organization where those that need help can't get information.
.
Posted by Audrey Jane Laferriere at 10:06 AM
I read the Request for Expressions of Interest found on the BC Housing website. I could not believe it. Did not BC Housing learn anything from DERAHousing. It sets no boundaries on how to prevent white collar crime by a non-profit housing society or how to safeguard vulnerable tenants from capricious behavior of their overlords. Whoever is in charge should be looking for a new job. More about this document later.
I apologize to you all for not keeping up on my blog. The issues out there are overwhelming. Sine June 7th 2010 I have been involved with a medical situation in which I have had to devote my limited energies to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)