City Hall protest against DTES condos: 'Rich get rich, the poor get pushed around'

By David P. Ball; April 23, 2012 - rabble.ca
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/david-p-ball/2012/04/city-ha...

For many residents of the block around 100 Hastings Street – the heart of Canada's poorest off-reserve postal code – a condominium development proposed for the Downtown Eastside (DTES) poses a threat. But a few say any change is needed for the area – but the need is affordable rental units, not condos.

Last week, community members took over City Council chambers to oppose the project. Downtown Eastside community members will protest at Vancouver City Hall again today at 2:30 p.m. (They will be meeting and traveling together at 1:30 p.m. from the Carnegie Centre at Hastings and Main Street -- in anticipation of a City Hall debate on the project at 3 p.m.).

The Left Coast Post spent yesterday afternoon around Main and Hastings asking peoples' opinions. We even ran into a film crew from controversial Sequel 138 developer -- which insists its project offers 'affordable, entry-level housing for artists & entry-level housing for workers in non-profits helping the people of the Downtown Eastside.' They explained that they were documenting support for their project among elderly residents who couldn't make today's City Hall debate on the project.

Here's a small sampling of the people I met.

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