Here is my recent correspondence with elected government officials. I at least now am aware, after talking on the phone with Spencer's hired lackey that the situation with BC Housing, which is our main low income housing provider in this province isn't going to be quite as drastic as I feared. They are not going to phase out those who already have apartments in their buildings to market interests. My sorry ass is going to be covered. I have nothing to worry about. HALLELUJAH!
However, those who come after us? They are going to be shit out of luck. I had a conversation on the phone yesterday with Spencer's assistant and he couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea that it might not be satisfactory to me that I will be okay for housing until I'm ready to push up daisies while others might well end up on the street for their own poor luck in timing. I could not believe how cynical he sounded and feel personally insulted that he would assume that I am so selfish and lacking for a conscience that I would not care about others. But that is basically what he said. I'm going to be okay so why should it matter to me about others?
I just find it really discouraging that we have people with that kind of attitude working in public service. I really hope that Spencer reviews his performance and that he is very strict about it. In the meantime, as I tried to explain to him, twelve years ago the homelessness population skyrocketed by almost fourfold because of the cruel, inhuman and punitive policies against welfare recipients imposed by the BC Liberal Party after they were elected into power (we, unfortunately, are still stuck with them. Many people of voting age in BC, I'm afraid, have an incurable hate-on for the poor).
If measures are not taken to guarantee the protection of the many low income seniors who will soon be flooding the system we are going to have many more homeless and unsafely housed persons in our communities, but this time a particularly vulnerable population. This is a disgrace. We have to fight for something better. We all have a part to play to make sure that housing is not denied to those who need it. If this does not come then we will be faced with a new dark age for senior citizens in this province and in this country and as well as disgracing all of us this is likely to make our country an international pariah.
Hello Sam:
I am one of your constituents. I live at 1267 Granville St. I have been reluctant to contact you up to this point because I did not vote for you or your party and to me the BC Liberal Party is criminally responsible for our homelessness crisis. That said, on Spencer Chandra-Herbert's advice, I am forwarding to you my email to him and I do hope you read this with due diligence.
thank you
sincerely
Hello Spencer:
I'm not sure if you remember me. We have talked and exchanged emails on occasion about various matters of public interest and I would like to speak with you here about yet another such matter, being BC Housing's plans of selling and phasing out altogether its public buildings for low income seniors and others on low incomes. I live in one of their buildings which is managed by More Than A Roof Housing Society. The name of my building is Candela Place. Having read in the Georgia Straight some disturbing articles of what is beginning to happen in Nicholas Tower I am of course feeling a bit vulnerable. The provincial government, to date, has already demonstrated that they have absolutely no conscience about what happens to the poor who live in BC, especially with the overwhelming homelessness that occurred as a result of their claw backs on welfare and other social programs, not to mention housing.
I am not yet a senior myself. I am fifty-eight years old and gainfully employed but my wage is low, not far above the provincial minimum and I expect to remain working for some years following age sixty-five, not simply for the income but to also feel useful, busy and productive (I work in mental health for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority). However, I am never going to afford market housing in Vancouver. If I have to leave Vancouver for lack of housing options it may be next to impossible for me to find employment in a new community because of my age. Besides this, Vancouver is my home. My community is here and at my age I don't want to move.
What can I do? What can others in my kind of situation do? I do not want to take this lying down. I want to fight for my rights, for our rights to decent affordable housing without being displaced (I believe there is a section in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights about this) against my will by a government too corrupt and morally bankrupt to fulfill its most basic ethical obligations.
Any advice you could offer me I would be most grateful for.
thank you
best
Aaron
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