- please spread the word -

SAM SULLIVAN: NOT INVITED, NOT WELCOME IN THE DTES!

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Wednesday January 23rd

Rally at Columbia and Cordova at 1 pm

Sullivan is expected to proceed from there on a 'walking tour' of the DTES

and Chinatown, including a photo opportunity at the Dr. Sun-Yat-Sen

Gardens.

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Sam Sullivan is coming to the Downtown Eastside on Wednesday, January 23rd,

accompanying the Governor General on a 'tour' as part of a government led

housing conference. He has insisted he come to the Downtown Eastide Womens

Center even though he was uninvited and not welcome!

Come down and let Sam Sullivan know what you think of him: the mayor who

has publically refused to deal with the DTES Women Centre Power of Women

Group's Housing Swap Challenge; has spearheaded the Civil City initiative

which will criminalize homeless and poor people; has refused to institute

a moratorium on residential hotel and lodging house conversions; has

refused to maintain minimum living standards in low-income rental

buildings; and continues to unabashedly push the Olympics agenda despite

the undeniable devastation it is causing.

Loosely organized by an ad hoc group of Downtown Eastide residents and

advocates; Indigenous free School, Coast Salish Indigenous Action

Movement, and others supporters.

* this is not a picket against the DEWC- which is one of the only safe

spaces and resources for women in the DTES- it is against Sam Sullivan.

"When the world arrives in Vancouver in 2010, what kind of city will they

find?" asked Mayor Sam Sullivan in his inaugural address.

They will find a city in which there are more homeless shuffling in the

shadow of BC Place than Olympic athletes parading inside the Vancouver

stadium. Sam has overseen the number of homeless people increase

dramatically.

* On any given day, there are approximately 40 families with children

that are homeless.

* 30% of those who are homeless in Vancouver are indigenous people.

* Recent immigrants and refugees have been termed the "hidden

homeless", disproportionately living in crowded, sub-standard conditions.

Given their uncertain legal status and lack of familiarity with Canada,

they are the most likely to "fall between the cracks" of welfare and

housing

provisions.

* Women are also amongst the "invisible homeless", over-represented in

shelters and transitional housing.

* Extremely poor health conditions such as addictions, mental health,

HIV, Hepatitis C, and motor disabilities are common amongst approximately

80% of homeless people.

The city will earn $64.5 million from development of the Olympic Village,

which is now under construction at Southeast False Creek while as many as

300,000 Canadians are already homeless, at a cost to taxpayers of between

$4.5 and $6 billion every year.