PRESS RELEASES

November 20, 2001

North Bay Network for Social Action For Immediate Release November 20, 2001 From Vancouver to St. John's: Second Annual National Housing Day of Action demands fully-funded National Housing Program Thousands of low-income tenants, homeless people, housing advocates and municipalities from Vancouver to St. John's are joining together for the second annual National Housing Strategy Day of Action on Thursday, November 22, 2001. The nation-wide event is sponsored by the National Housing and Homelessness Network (NHHN) and is being organized by the network's partners in about 20 cities. It marks the second anniversary of the decision of the Big City Mayor's Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to declare homelessness a national disaster. The FCM is calling for a fully-funded national housing program. The mayors of Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, North Bay, Parry Sound, Toronto and Halifax will officially proclaim November 22nd National Housing Day of Action. Highlights of activities in some of the communities: Vancouver: Life-size puppets, music and speakers will be featured at the Woodwards' site in the downtown eastside, site of a proposed housing co-op. Edmonton: An outdoor vigil at a parking lot will highlight the conditions facing the estimated 1,200 homeless people on that city's streets. North Bay: A noon hour vigil outside Federal Liberal MP Bob Wood's office, "Come and Stand Up for the Victims of the Housing Crisis" Parry Sound: A community walk, followed by a community meal. Toronto: A homeless memorial, community meal and community rally at Nathan Phillips Square with music and speakers. Kingston: A cardboard "housing" complex opposite city hall. Ottawa: A community forum with local and national politicians, along with a photo exhibit on homelessness. "Hundreds of thousands of women, men and children have experienced homelessness this year," says Michael Shapcott, co-chair of the National Housing and Homelessness Network. "Millions of people living in low-income households are suffering through a nation-wide housing crisis. Yet the federal government stopped funding new affordable housing in 1993." "More than one year ago, the federal Liberals promised to spend $170 million a year over four years on a new national housing program," says Lucie Poirier of FRAPRU, a Quebec housing group. "Federal, provincial and territorial housing ministers are holding a special meeting in Quebec City on November 29 and 30. It's time for the federal government to stop promising and start funding new housing." The NHHN is calling for $2 billion annually in new federal spending on social housing. On November 13, the federal finance department announced that the national surplus for September was $2.5 billion, with a cumulative budgetary surplus of $13.6 billion for the year-to-date. "When Paul Martin was in Opposition he said that the federal government had abandoned its responsibilities with regards to housing. Now he is in a position to correct that and yet he sits on his hands while the suffering grows worse every day," said Rev. Terry O'Connor, Chair of the North Bay Network for Social Action. For more information, Michael Shapcott, (cell) - 416-605-8316 North Bay - Terry O'Connor, 705-472-8877

 

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