DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE - About two dozen housing activists moved into the Paris Block luxury condos this afternoon - way ahead of schedule. The activists occupied the condo construction site for three hours to protest the steamroller gentrification of the Downtown Eastside and the lack of affordable housing.

The Paris Block Annex on East Hastings is less than a block away from the landmark Woodwards development - the site of a months-long occupation for social housing nine years ago.

The activists took over the site around 4:30 pm today. Dozens of Vancouver Police were on the scene, but their only attempt to enter the site was turned back by the crowd of supporters outside. A construction worker who left the site around 6:30 described the activists as "very nice" and added that he ``would be happy to be building social housing anywhere in the city.``

The activists left at about 7:30pm, saying the action marks the beginning of a new campaign in the Downtown Eastside. A newly-formed coalition - The Downtown Eastside Not For Developers Coalition - plans to  send a message to developers that if they try to build condos the community will fight them for social housing. The coalition also wants the city to place a moratorium on condo development in the neighbourhood until no one is forced to live on the streets, sleep in shelters or live in substandard SROs. 

The coalition says its next action will be a Thursday rally with Naomi klein and local speakers at 2pm in front of the Pantages Sequel 138 condo project on East Hastings beside the Carnegie Community Centre.

For more informnation visit:   http://dtesnotfordevelopers.wordpress.com