Vancouver, BC -- The Howe St. shelter (1442 Howe Street) was set to be closed down by the City and Province today at 11am, kicking people onto the street with nowhere else to go or, worse, to bug-infested SROs. In response, at 10:45am this morning, shelter residents have joined with supporters to squat the shelter and are not leaving until funding is made available to keep the shelter open or until safe and appropriate housing is made available.
"This where we live, and we don't want to be put into the worst housing in Canada, where we'll be pushed onto the streets anyway. Real housing not East Hastings housing," said one shelter resident. "Yes, we need real housing, not a bug infested nightmare," says another.
Howe St. shelter is one of 5 shelters that the City and Province are trying to shut down this week for no good reason, even as appropriate housing has not yet been brought on-line to accommodate residents. Funding for the New Fountain shelter in the DTES was extended for only two months, but, inexplicably, not at all for the other four shelters.
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