Vancouver

Housing Is A Right, Not A Commodity

Occupy Vancouver Housing Rally

12:00pm
Saturday November 12 2011

Housing Is A Right, Not A Commodity

Occupy Vancouver Housing Rally

Unceded Coast Salish Territory, November 10, 2011 – The official decision-making body of Occupy Vancouver, the General Assembly, has approved a march to focus public attention on the need for affordable housing in Vancouver, called "Housing is a Right, Not a Commodity."

The march is scheduled for noon Saturday November 12th at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and is to raise awareness around five housing objectives, including steps to achieve the following objectives:

Housing is a Right, Not a Commodity - Rally's "Housing Objectives":

5.   End Real Estate Speculation

      •  Tax on empty units and undeveloped lots

      •  Progressive tax on multiple properties

      •  Progressive property tax

      •  Progressive property transfer tax

      •  All new revenues into affordable housing fund

4.   End Corruption in civic politics

      •  Immediate and full disclosure of all developer & corporate contributions to all civic election campaigns

      •  Abolition of developer and corporate contributions to civic campaigns

      •  Genuine consultation with affected communities on all new developments & land use decisions

3.   Aboriginal Land, Aboriginal Justice

      •  Inclusion of First Nations in land-use decisions

      •  Funding for First Nations housing

2.   Stop Evictions and Gentrification

      •  The Right to Sleep – no forced removal of homeless persons from public land

      •  Moratorium on demolition of all affordable rental apartments

      •  Strict upkeep of affordable housing, no renovictions

      •  Freeze rents – Current allowable increase of 7% is far too high, above inflation. Any future increases tied to increases in welfare and minimum wage

      •  Moratorium on condo development in low-income neighbourhoods,
especially the Downtown Eastside

1.   Increase Supply of Truly Affordable Housing

      •  10,000 units of affordable resident-controlled public housing per year until the housing crisis is over

      •  In the meantime, year-round operation of all temporary and cold-weather shelters

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=210089659060376

Come join us. Everyone is welcome.

Occupy Vancouver, in solidarity with other city occupations, has come together to transform the unequal, unfair, and growing disparity in the distribution of power and wealth in our city and around the globe. We challenge corporate greed, corruption, and the collusion between corporate power and government, and oppose systemic inequality, militarization, environmental destruction, and the erosion of civil liberties and human rights. We seek economic security, genuine equality, and the protection of the environment for all.