Mark Your Calendars – Second Annual Poverty Olympics (Feb 8)

Download the poster here!
SUNDAY FEB. 8

12:30 Torch Parade

starts at VANDU  380 East Hastings

1pm Opening Ceremonies

at the Japanese Language School

487 Alexander Street

Family Friendly           Free Admission

Everyone Welcome!

This family-friendly event will include a Torch Parade (starts at 380 E. [...]

City Staff Take Action on Jay Rooms and Rooms Open Up

Good news about the Jay Rooms at Main and Cordova. The rooms above the old Vic’s Restaurant (soon to be another Waves Coffee Shop) are closed but about to open to women above the age of 45 who are having trouble living in the hotels.  CCAP is part of this good news story.  Read on [...]

Earle Crowe moves into Pennsylvania

“Welcome to our community.”  That’s how Earle Crowe began his talk to assorted politicians and community members at the opening of the Pennsylvania Hotel on Jan 7.
The newly renovated building, operated by the Portland Hotel Society, will provide 44 units of supportive housing at $375 a month rent.
Each unit has a bathroom and kitchenette.  It [...]

Shelters or Homes, Which Cost the Most?

It’s good that the city is opening up more shelters for homeless people.  No one should have to live on the street in winter or summer.
More should be opened up right now and governments should deal with some of the issues that make people not want to go to shelters:  the refusal to take pets, [...]

Bank pulls funding on luxury DTES condos

Yipee!  Yaletown is not moving east as quickly as we thought.
The infamous V6A condo project who’s giant hole graces Union Street between Main and Gore, has stalled thanks to the global market crash.
According to an article dated Sunday November 16, 2008 in the Province Newspaper, this condo project had its funding pulled by [...]

LILAHC to meet with DTES businesses and condo owners

You may remember we wrote about the Low-Income Land Use and Housing Coalition (LILAHC) back in August 08.  If not, here’s a little update on who they are and what they are up to.
LILAHC members live, volunteer and work in the DTES and have 100% allegiance to low-income people of the area.  The complete list [...]

New Council May Be Tougher on Enforcing Maintenance Standards

At one of its first meetings in December, the new Vancouver City Council passed a motion calling for a full report on all the orders issued under the Standards of Maintenance By-law in the Downtown Eastside in 2007 and 2008, describing the orders, the response to the orders by the owners of the affected buildings, [...]

CCAP Signs on to Poverty Reduction Campaign

You can get involved in campaign to reduce poverty too.
Would you like to be part of a big BC campaign to reduce poverty?  If so, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has an open letter calling for specific targets and timelines for reducing poverty in BC.
They are collecting names of groups that will endorse an [...]

BC has the worst poverty rate in Canada for 5th straight year

It’s too bad reports on how bad poverty is won’t end poverty.  If they would, 2 reports that came out last month  would help quite a bit.  As it is, if you need any word ammunition to fight against poverty, the latest 2008 Child Poverty Report Card and recommendations from the United Nations Committee on [...]