Olympic Tent Village: Rally for Homeless

VANCOUVER POET LAUREATE JOINS OLYMPIC TENT VILLAGE

RALLY FOR HOUSING AND OLYMPIC TENT VILLAGE BRINGS ATTENTION TO DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE HOMELESSNESS AND EMPTY HOUSING PROMISES

Monday Feb 15th at Noon at Pigeon Park (Carrall and Hastings)

Monday Feb 15th - The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics has escalated the homelessness crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and the Greater Vancouver area. Since the Olympic bid, homelessness has nearly tripled in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, while real estate and condominium development in the Downtown Eastside is outpacing social housing by a rate of 3:1. Meanwhile, a heightened police presence has further criminalized those living in extreme material poverty in the poorest postal code in Canada.

With the eyes of the world on Vancouver, residents of the Downtown Eastside Women Centre Power of Women Group and supporters are organizing a rally for housing on Monday Feb 15 at noon at Pigeon Park (Carrall and Hastings). An Olympic Tent Village will also be going up to affirm the call for justice and dignity.

Instead of empty lots and empty promises, the Rally for Housing and the Olympic Tent Village calls for:
1. Real action to end homelessness now
2. End condo development and displacement in the Downtown Eastside
3. End discriminatory ticketing, police harassment, and all forms of criminalization of poverty.

On the inaugural evening of the Olympic Tent Village, Vancouver's 2009-2011 Poet Laureate Brad Cran, who has previously declined participation in the Cultural Olympiad, will be reading poetry as part of "Reading Resistance". He will be joined by poets from the Downtown Eastside and across Vancouver, including Mercedes Eng, Cynthia Oka, and Dorothy Trujillo Lusk.

The Rally for Homes has been endorsed by: Endorsed by: Carnegie Community Action Project, DTES Elders Council, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Impact on Communities Coalition, Streams of Justice, Vancouver Action, Walk 4 Justice, Community Advocates for Little Mountain, Anti Poverty Committee, DTES Community Arts Network, Indigenous Action Movement, Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, Solidarity Notes Labour Choir, No One Is Illegal – Vancouver, Food Not Bombs, Vancouver Status of Women, Downtown Eastside Residents Association, Indigenous Environmental Network, Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice, Bus Riders Union, Alliance for People’s Health, Women Elders in Action, Canadian Union of Postal Workers – National Representative, UBC Students for a Democratic Society, East Van Abolitionists, http://www.facebook.com/l/a7e64;Gatewaysucks.org, Justice for Girls, W2 Community Media Arts Society, Submedia, Vancouver Catholic Worker, Pivot Legal Society, UBC Centre for Race, Autobiography, Gender, Siraat Collective, The Rational Coop-Radio, Bulland Awaaz- Coop-Radio, Pink Resistance, CIPO –Vancouver (Popular Council of Indigenous Nations of Oaxaca in Vancouver), Rhizome Cafe, Native Youth Movement, Network of Sri Lankan Law Students, Oxfam Canada, Whistler Watch, http://www.facebook.com/l/a7e64;no2010.com, Warrior Publications, Workless Party, Teaching Support Staff Union, 2010 Welcoming Committee, Latin America Connexions Collective, Servants Vancouver, Building Bridges Human Rights-Vancouver, Check Your Head, SFU Interfaith Institute for Justice, Peace and Social Movements, http://www.facebook.com/l/a7e64;Stopwar.ca, Headlines Theatre, Student Christian Movement-UBC, Community Olympics Watch, Rain Zine, Industrial Workers of the World, The Press Release Collective, Simon Fraser University Public Interest Research Group, 2010 Homelessness Hunger Strike Relay, Friends of Women in the Middle East Society, Iran Solidarity-Vancouver, Federation of Iranian Refugees, Wake Up With Co-Op! at CFRO, UBC Colour Connected Against Racism, BC Persons with AIDS Society, Progressive Forum of Nepalis in America, Grassroots Women, Grandview Woodland Food Connection, Ethical Environmental Consulting, Purple Thistle, Bridgeview Community Action Group, Ahavat Olam Synagogue, The Under One Umbrella Society, Bridgeview Community Action Group, Neworld Theatre, St. James’ Social Justice Group, West End Residents Association, Fraser Valley Peace Council, Homes not Highways, Jacob’s Well, Faithful Public Witness Committee of Van-Burrard Presbytery of the United Church, Longhouse Council of Native Ministry.