HOUSING AGAIN • Bulletin
Number 81 • May 1,
2005
The Housing Again Bulletin, sponsored by Raising the Roof
as a partner
in Housing Again.
A monthly electronic bulletin highlighting what people are doing to
put
housing back on the public agenda in Ontario, across Canada and
around the
world.
Our web sites are:
Housing Again
http://www.housingagain.web.net
Shared Learnings on
Homelessness
http://www.sharedlearnings.org
/
http://www.liaison-itinerance.org
Raising the Roof
http://www.raisingtheroof.org
If you have any tips for the
Bulletin please e-mail:
annemariea@nrupublishing.com
or
haille6@rogers.com
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In this Issue:
Community Profile: Out on
the edge in Winnipeg
Feature: Homeless advocate
for change
News Briefs: New
housing announcements; Raising the Roof national awareness campaign; Housing
Connections has moved
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Community
Spotlight:
On the edge in Winnipeg
A vacant heritage building in downtown Winnipeg is being converted into a
unique residential and commercial centre containing eight affordable housing
units for low-to-moderate income people, as well as studio art space.
The project, known as “The Edge-Artist Village,” is being made
possible, in part, with the help of $360,000 in government funding. But, the
project is really coming together out of sheer community determination to find
innovative solutions to urban poverty.
“Our multi-cultural village will be on the leading edge of
creative solutions to the issue of urban poverty, and the financial
contributions are an important first steps, said Richard Walls, President of The
Edge-Artists Village. “The Edge will bring together the mainstream arts
community and the emerging aboriginal arts and cultural community. Through the
cultural cluster, the project will build upon the economic engine of cultural
tourism and serve as a catalyst to help redevelop this long neglected strip of
Main Street.”
Walls is an interior designer involved with heritage
re-development in Winnipeg. He is a long-time advocate for affordable housing
and is known for coming up with innovative ways to solve urban poverty. This
project is one of four urban renewal projects in the area that Walls is
developing to create an “arts-friendly environment that focuses on providing
affordable housing and employment opportunities.”
Total renovation costs for The Edge-Artist Village are
estimated at $816,800. Funding includes $280,000 through the Canada-Manitoba
Affordable Housing Initiative New Rental Supply Program, and $80,000 from the
City of Winnipeg’s Centre Venture. The Edge-Artist Village is providing
additional funding of $116,800, with the balance coming from mortgage
financing.
The project involves the rehabilitation of a vacant
two-storey heritage building on Main Street between the Disraeli Freeway and
Logan Avenue into a combined residential and commercial arts centre. The main
floor will serve as a mixed-use art gallery, studio and workshop, and classroom.
Space will be available for rent to the local art community.
The second floor will feature eight, one-bedroom affordable
rental units (three loft units and five single-storey units) for low-to-moderate
income singles and couples working in the downtown area. The building will blend
heritage architectural and artistic features.
Renovations are expected to be complete by this summer.
For more information: Richard Walls at 204-942-2129.
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Feature:
Homeless advocate for change
Across Canada, there are many groups of current and former
homeless people advocating for affordable housing and liveable incomes. They
push buttons, push issues, and push us to pay attention when all we want to do
is look away.
Downtown Eastside
Residents' Association (DERA) is a community-directed, charitable society
formed in 1973 by residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. http://www.dera.bc.ca/overview/overview.htm
Located in one of the “poorest urban neighbourhood” in the country, DERA has
fought to focus the attention of government, industry and the public on the key
components of poverty and homelessness. Members work hard for decent, secure,
affordable housing, jobs, livable incomes, community and recreational
facilities, park space, safer streets, and community-based neighbourhood
planning.
DERA was formed as a reaction against the general attitude of
indifference and neglect to the area, then known as “Skid Road,” which was a
powerful and destructive characterization that promoted a feeling of
hopelessness. By renaming their community, “The Downtown Eastside,” DERA gave it
a new identity.
According to
Kim Kerr, DERA’s Executive Director, their
political style has been confrontational, which leaves many people
uncomfortable, but the strategy has been very effective at getting attention. If
nothing else, it has also empowered residents to take control over their own
lives by fighting for their rights.
“We need to get more political and not be afraid to use our voices,” said
Kerr. “We need to get back to the days of radical community action. We need to
revolt or nothing is going to change. People will continue to die on the streets
unless we are prepared to speak up and tell the truth.”
Kerr acknowledges that not everyone, least of all funders, agrees with their
approach and they have lost funding as a result. But, regardless of the price,
he says, every demonstration, every occupation, every arrest, was worth it.
History has proven that change comes one radical step at a time. There are
other groups like DERA across the country.
SHORT is an organization of and for people who live in homeless
shelters in Ottawa. Since its founding in 2003, SHORT has provided mutual
support and encouragement in dealing with the issues of homelessness, addiction,
mental illness and the “desperate grinding poverty that still exists in the
richest province of one of the richest countries in the world.”
The group will be presenting at the Canadian Conference on
Homelessness in May in Toronto. “Until SHORT, there was no-one to turn to if
there was a problem with shelter staff, or even to make sure the various
agencies lived up to their legal obligations. Prisoners have better defined
rights than someone living in a shelter! SHORT wants to change that.”
(an excerpt from Short’s article on “Shelter Traps.”) http://wwwgeocities.com/shortottawa/sheltertrap.html
Street-involved
youth in Toronto are speaking out through a new play. Mixed Company
Theatre, in association with Evangel Hall, is presenting the
Cobblestone Theatre Troupe, 2005 to present the play Voices. It was
scripted by Chalmers award-winning playwright Rex Deverell. For further
information contact: Suzanna Cermak at 416-504-3563 x229 email: suzanna.cermak@evangelhall.ca
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NEWS
BRIEFS:
Recent housing
announcements
On April 29, the Ontario government signed a long-awaited
affordable housing agreement, which promises to commit $602 million over the
next four years. Federal Housing Minister Joe Fontana told Housing
Again that all the details of the framework have yet to be worked out.
“Together with the recent agreement signed in Manitoba and
next week’s agreement in New Brunswick,” Fontana said, “this country is truly
back in the housing business.”
Although delighted with the news, both Michael
Shapcott and Cathy Crowe from the Toronto Disaster Relief
Committee said “that until the details are fleshed out it’s too soon to
tell” how the announcements will impact housing wait lists.
On April 24, NDP leader Jack Layton got a signed
agreement from Prime Minister Paul Martin that allocates $1.6 billion in
new money over the next two years for affordable housing. Fontana confirmed for
Housing Again that the new cash is “unconditional” and does not require
matching provincial funds. But the deal cannot be fulfilled until the federal
budget passes.
Earlier in the month, the federal government also announced
that an agreement would be signed with the Co-operative Housing Federation of
Canada, which allows the national federation to complete research and
development activities for the start-up of a Co-operative Housing Programs
Administration Agency. The new agency will assume control over the portfolio
management services for federally administered co-operative housing by early
2006.
In addition, the subsidy formula for co-ops, which currently
results in unintended losses of assistance for low-income households when co-ops
renew their mortgages, will be fixed.
In addition, CMHC
has now waived its mortgage insurance premiums for rental projects geared to
affordable housing.
For more information: www.pir.gov.on.ca www.cmhc.ca www.ndp.ca
Hidden
Homeless Campaign
Raising the Roof, Canada’s national charity dedicated
to preventing and reducing homelessness, believes that everyone needs a place to
call home. Most often, because we don’t see them on the street, they’re out of
sight and out of mind. In response, Raising the Roof has a national marketing
campaign underway. http://www.hiddenhomeless.ca/
The “Hidden Homeless” campaign was created pro bono by
Grey Worldwide, an international advertising agency, and supported by
Direct Energy and ecentricarts, a Web site development company.
Media time was donated for the television ads by Global Television,
CBC, and other major networks. Flare, Time, and Toronto Life, as well as a variety of
French-language magazines, donated space for the print ads.
“Homeless people may not be who you think they are,” said
Raising the Roof Executive Director Jennifer Parnell. “When people learn
more about the real face of homelessness a light goes on that leads to a sincere
desire to get involved.”
New address for Housing Connections
Housing Connections in Toronto has moved. Due to the
move, the office was closed from April 15 until April 29 when the new
self-service Resource Centre at 176 Elm Street, west of University Ave was
opened. Please visit www.housingconnections.ca for
details.
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