So, I want to be clear this is my list and not reflective of all CTEHV.
First of all I am voting for and asking you all to vote for Lisa Helps for Mayor. I believe Dean Fortin has done all he can do, we did get much needed temporary transitional housing, we now need permanent homes and buildings and we are going to need someone like Lisa who will work to bring interested party’s together, like she already has done for me, and together we can lobby feds and province as well as municipal to do what they ought to and are legally obligated to, build social housing now.
I would learn at this past weekends National Homelessness Convention in Vancouver that BC is definitely not getting its fair share for the task of permanent homes and neo cons and liberals have no intention on helping, they would rather your children be at risk on unsafe streets brought on by draconian drug laws they reinforce with brutal police force! We know we can do this in a safer healthier cost affective way and only you and I and folks with true vision will move forward.
here is an example from Waterloo Kitchener area: http://socialservices.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/communityProgramsSupports/resources/DOCS_ADMIN-1702613-v1-2014-2015_Affordable_and_Supportive_Housing.pdf#Affordable Housing Brochure
“Affordable Housing and Supportive Housing
programs create stability in people’s lives by
providing adequate affordable housing and/
or longer term support to maintain housing
stability. Without these programs, people
living with low-income would not be able to
afford adequate housing and people who
need longer term support would be at-risk of
housing loss.
One benefit of Affordable Housing and
Supportive Housing programs is that there is
generally no time limit for how long people
can access them. All programs are typically
covered under the Residential Tenancies
Act, 2006. People may choose to transition
from these programs according to their own
timelines, not those set by the program.
People may access some of these programs
with the intention that they will provide
transitional support, as their goal is to live
more independently at some point in the
future. Others may seek and/or require lifelong support.”
Here is what a Lived Experience person shared in an email just yesterday:
“…the Program is called, ‘Stephome’ Waterloo Region, all the info should be there. Big Hugs back at you, the view going home was breath taking ,flying over the Rockies,was amazing and miss ya too. I don’t think I would change anything as of yet but the program should be mandatory in all of Canada, you may call it “poverty pimping” or I forget what u say, but I am proof it works. lol”
Seems like it might be a healthy reclaimed poverty pimping venture. They do and can exist. Thanks buddy. Tag yourself if you want!
I dreamt that Dean Fortin gave all his votes to Lisa Helps in an emotional public plea to have unity with each other as forward moving people; Together they opened a Safe Consumption Site with community who were prepared, they helped us get beautifully designed healthy buildings for and with homeless involved mental health consumers, illicit drug using and radical drinking communities, buildings rented to: First Nations womenand their families of choice, single moms, a clean and sober non punitive housing model and all buildings had one wheel chair disability access and one clean air chemical free disability unit. Each building had peer honorarium volunteers who were available and worked alongside full and part time front line workers and they worked in teams. Boards filled with amasing community members supported these thriving community’s whereby folks began to be able to engage in healthy equitable co productive work within their community they co created.
It was a dream!
To get back to election real world time: Just a reminder, for now, we do not have to vote for the full 8 candidates!
**If you vote for anyone other than who you definitely want to elect, you are helping other candidates squeeze out your top picks**
I am voting for:
Lisa Helps for Mayor.
Marriane Alto, Ben Isitt, Jeremy Loveday, Eric Kaye, I also understand that Charlayne Thorton Joe and Pam Madoff support a safe consumptions site so, they are on this list for that reason.
I have quoates from each of the above in support of Safe Consumption Sites! Great work YES2SCS and community! I know you have many volunteers go out into community and I am hoping all of them will support this list! I know folks are allowing fear which makes them think they have to do this or that, well, strategic voting is not gonna happen between those running so, we got to do that. GET FOLKS OUT TO VOTE is critical.
I DO NOT AGREE with the sentiment “don’t vote, it never helps, it needs to crash completely this sytem so let it, lets jsut wait till revolutionary days, its all a lie…”
I NEVER SEE THESE FOLKS AT ANTI POVERTY! I see bourgeois priveleged or arrogant thinkers sitting on laurels they call radical anarchy and I call BS!
Their arguement against voting is “folks lower their expectations, go back to couch and want politicians to do work, its all a lie yada yada.” No kidding? So, lets get this straight, lets let the neo cons and neo liberals have a hay day till it gets real real bad then we do revolution, in the meantime educate about that.
HELLO! that has been happening since before I was born! We need to get off our ass NOW and be educative warrior revolutionaries, vote in the most progressive and then hit streets in protest to make happen what we want to have happen. I think its propaganda and a dumb ass lie to actually believe you cannot educate folks to do this? Patronizing arrogant bullshit is what it is. Sounds more colonial in its belief than anarchist, and please don’t quoate me books, tell me what you are doing! Anti oppression 101 for all!
Privilege has you sitting on your sweet butts with a lot of people who look like you around you.
If any of the above fits, wear it and change it if you need. Life goes on. I could be wrong and often am, its ok, I still move forward.
So, just have to be honest as heck, no time like the present.
Got to run and no time to edit so, are you out there folks? Are you engaged? You think I do this like a newspaper? Nope, I want your comments! It takes a village eh?
Respect and in solidarity.
I am currently working on a proposal for social housing in Victoria which is lead by us lived experience types and many housed are helping me including academics. I will update later.
THAW Victoria 