MEDIA ADVISORY
ATTN ALL NEWS EDITORS
Friday April 29, 2011, 6:30PM
After a week of unnecessary shelter closures, the City and Province attempted to close the last of five shelters at Broadway and Fraser, today at 1pm. Residents and supporters have declared that they are keeping it open. “If the city has the authority to shut it down, then they have the authority to keep it open” said Stella August of the DTES Power of Women Group. Residents and supporters continue to occupy the shelter and the Vancouver Police Department are currently on site threatening to evict those inside as they did yesterday at the Howe street shelter.
“RainCity has been running these shelters for a few years, and the moment we open them they are full at capacity within 48 hours, and they are full to capacity until the moment they close,” said Sean Spear, Associate Director of RainCity Housing. “If the shelters were to stay open, they will fill up to capacity again.”
Because of the pressure today, BC Housing was forced to give several shelter residents alternative housing. But much of that housing won’t be available for several weeks. When residents proposed that they be allowed to stay at Fraser and Broadway until the alternate housing is available, City of Vancouver Deputy General Manager Brenda Prosken refused the request precisely because the shelter spaces are in such high demand. “No,” she said, “because if we keep this shelter open, people will start coming back to it.”
MEDIA CONTACTS:
HARSHA WALIA – 778.886.0040
NATHAN CROMPTON – 604.700.2309
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