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PHOTOGRAPHY about Housingposted on April 7, 2011 by flux

A Lot of Empty Promises

by murray bush - flux photo

A roof over his head
Taking action against inaction
Tami Starlight of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhoud Council and Van.Act's Nathan Crompton
Cutting the ribbon
Former resident Hendrik Beune
Nothin' but rubble...
...and rebar
BBQ - photo by Tami

VANCOUVER - Social housing advocates cut the ribbon on another broken promise today - an unbuilt BC Housing project at a lot on Alexander street. The City-owned site was approved for 100 units of social housing five years ago.

The mock opening promised and delivered "a free BBQ & ribbon cutting at BC Housing's latest and greatest social housing project...the vacant lot at 590 Alexander St. This cutting edge housing development features all the necessities like:

Harsh Winds!
Jagged Concrete Slab...s!
Discarded Barrels!
Dangerously Exposed Rebar!

And cutting edge technological additions like:

Permanently-Retracted retractable roof!"

 Former housing on the site was so bad it had to be torn down. All that remains is a block of rubble and twisted steel.

The BC government and City agreed in 2007 to build up more than 1,200 new social housing units on 12 sites around the city, but only one - the PHS-managed Station Street - is up and running.

Housing activist Nathan Crompton pointed to the lack of action by the City and BC Housing at a time when BC Housing is announcing emergency shelter closures.

"It's ironic - we need those emergency shelters even more right now because that promised social housing hasn't been built," said Crompton. " You can't trade one for the other."

 

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Comments

Thu, 04/07/2011 - 23:09 — Tami Starlight

Close shelters and live in rubble......

Guess these misinformed and privileged politicians are ok with the state of affairs in the dowtown eastside? 

I personally feel our ridiculous new premier will be making things worse and VERY SOON.

Hard to believe in this beautiful land we could make things worse? Well it is and I don't believe for a second it is about to become better. Systems are well entrenched to ensure our province and country as a whole will be operating as "business as usual".

As I have stated before. We keep changing the pawns in this chess game (the so called leaders - political talking heads - Campbell/Clark/Mayors/premiers, etc) but it is "the people behind the curtain" that we need to be concerned about. This is also all about the system itself. It needs deep core change - all around.

Thanks for the photos and story Murray. Tis an honour to work with you at the VMC.

Tami Starlight - Downtown Eastside Neighborhood Council / VMC Editorial Collective & ass kicker.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 00:40 — flux

right back atcha

right back atcha

Sat, 04/09/2011 - 10:09 — SandraCuffe

Awesome pics!

Also, the title is definitely one of my all-time favourites on the Co-op network. woot!

Sat, 04/09/2011 - 23:42 — Jeremy (not verified)

"Permanently retracted

"Permanently retracted retractable roof!"

heheheh. Well played.

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