housing
By samanthaorwell on June 14, 2008 - 11:01am
READ FULL WITH LINKS:
http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/06/discrimination-in-hous...
Many people don't realize that a lot of people are homeless because of discriminatory housing policies. When finding my own place to live I faced discrimination. In some buildings a young student can be seen as bad because we "party all the time" and are irresponsible. In some houses they WANT a young student so they can mesh with the other roomates in the house.
But being a student really is the least of a persons problems because it is a short moment of one's life. So imagine NOT being able to secure housing because you were an immigrant, you didnt' speak English, you were black, gay, in a wheelchair, or lord knows.. not as good lookin as the other people wanting the place.
That is discrimination, my friend and it is illegal. Landlords or housing providors are not allowed to discriminate on any of those basis even though you feel they would be a better tenant/roomate due to some preferences. It is a difficult debate because we have been brainwashed to believe in PRIVATE PROPERTY and that our property is ours to deny other people entrance.
By samanthaorwell on June 4, 2008 - 11:58am
Full post with links here:
http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/06/housing-unaffordabilit...
Care of Michael Shapcott- A housing activist located in Toronto:
A staggering one-in-four Canadian households are in the housing affordability danger zone – paying 30% or more of their income on housing. Even more troubling, the poorest Canadian households – renters – face the worst affordability problems.
New data released today by Statistics Canada confirms that the cost of housing – rental and ownership – has been rising faster than the rate of inflation, and has been rising faster than household incomes. Full report HERE.
That translates into a nation-wide affordable housing crisis for renters and owners, which the StatsCan numbers confirm has grown worse in the five years leading up to the 2006 Census. Behind the figures is the terrible reality that millions of Canadians don’t have enough money to pay their rent, or mortgage payments, and also cover other necessities such as growing energy costs, medicine, food, transportation, clothing and other basics.
Renters feel sharpest pain
By samanthaorwell on April 29, 2008 - 8:06pm
READ FULL HERE: http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/04/collaboration-for-chan...
Remember Project Civil City- the best homeless hating document created? It's been a long time since it has poked it's ugly little head out. Sam Sullivan is bringing it back. with a vengeance. and if you ask me, it's just to take your eye off of the failure that is EcoDensity (*ahem* Brent Toderian saying that a completely new draft is needed and ALL the actions require change).
By samanthaorwell on April 10, 2008 - 1:48pm
READ FULL POST: http://thevancouvermanifesto.blogspot.com/2008/04/living-first-with-furn...
Vancouver has transformed itself dramatically ever since the 1991 Central Area Plan that aimed at revitalizing Vancouver’s downtown core. During the unexpected 80s recession, Vancouver planners decided that it was going to be people that reinvigorated Vancouver streets to revive business. In 2008 it is obvious the “Living First” strategy has worked. Starting with Concord Pacific development, luxury condominiums now spread like wildfire along Vancouver’s downtown streets. The sounds of construction are unavoidable as you walk down newly landscaped streets that are waiting for the designer billboards into reality.
But just because you build it does it mean they will come? In short, yes. Vancouver is too spectacularly beautiful to not have people vying for her land. The single most obvious indicator that these luxurious shells of condomoniums are also luxurious on the inside is the sudden proliferation of furniture stores like Yaletown Sofa. I’ve been seeing these types of stores spring up everywhere downtown. Half a dozen of these luxury furnishing stores sit in or surround the downtown.
