DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network Ontario

Support the PCAP Squat
 

 

Update dated July 4, 2003

Squat Evicted in Peterborough, Squatters move to City Hall

As of Friday, July 4th, the squatters of 1130 Water Street will be residing on the lawn in front of city hall. The decision to move to City Hall was made after the squatters were forcibly removed from their home at 6:30 am on Thursday July 3, 2003. Half an hour after a city official and police officer notified the squatters that they were trespassing and advised the squatters to leave, nine police officers in full riot gear and gas masks descended upon the building while a dozen other police officers surrounded the building. The squatters were later released in a public park without charge.

For many squatters/PCAP members the news of the eviction is a betrayal. In good faith, PCAP/squatters had entered into negotiations with the city, the Peterborough Community Housing Corpopration and the Peterborough District Labour Council and it appeared that all were close to reaching a deal. Despite this spirit of cooperation, the decision to evict was made by City Council following a closed-meeting discussion on Monday night.

After news of the council's decision to evict, an emergency meeting was called between the squatters, city officials and coucillors on the evening of Wednesday July 3rd. Although a number of councillors promised to attend this meeting, not one showed up. PCAP/squatters attempted to dissuad the city solicitor of the eviction, but the Mayor advised that the council vote to evict was not reverseable.

The Peterborborough Coalition Against Poverty (PCAP) and the squatters are determined to continue the fight for 1130 Water Street.

PCAP/Squatters are giving the city one week to address the following demands. Should these demands these demands not be met by Monday, July 14, 2003, PCAP/squatters will take swift, decisive public action.

We demand that the City of Peterborough:

1. Provide adequate shelter for the individuals who, following the directive of City Council, were evicted from 1130 Water Street and were therefore made homeless.

Since the decision to evict the squatters was the choice of City Council, the Council must take responsibility for the fact that they have directly made more people homeless in this city. The onus now lies on City Council to immediately create and implement a solution that is agreeable to the individuals who have been turned out onto the street.

2. Resume negotiations with PCAP/squatters regarding the future use of 1130 Water Street as affordable housing.

PCAP and the squatters entered into negotiations with the City in good faith. Although the closed-meeting discussion and subsequent decision to evict the squatters has severely undermined the working relationship that PCAP/squatters established with the City, we are offering the City a further opening for negotiations. Given the overwhelming public support for the squat, we urge the city to seize this opportunity to take concrete action to convert 1130 Water Street into affordable housing.


3. Take steps to increase the funding and supports available to residents of Peterborough whose hydro has been or will be cut off because they cannot afford to pay the bill.

Though PCAP/squatters have continually raised the problem of hydro cut-offs, Council has yet to adequately address this matter. Given that the above is a modest request that could have enormous impact on housing security in this city, Council should take immediate action on this issue.



WHAT YOU CAN DO.

1. Call / send e-mails to City Council opposing their decision to evict.

2. COME DOWN TO CITY HALLto show your support for the squatters. Donations of food and water are welcome.

3. SIGN THE PETITION OF SUPPORT -- The petition is available at City Hall or available by email slamble@pipcom.com

 

For email addresses of city council members

SOLIDARITY WITH PCAP AND THE WATER ST. SQUATTERS
GIVE IT OR GUARD IT!

 

SUPPORT THE PCAP SQUAT at 1130 Water St.

PCAP has occupied an empty city-owned building!!!

Update posted July 3, 2003

PTBO City Council Evicting Squatters at 1130 Water St.

PCAP is expecting police to arrive today (Thursday June 3), sometime in the early morning to evict the squatters at 1130 Water Street. About a dozen squatters have been residing at the city-owned building since June 15th.

On Monday, June 30th PCAP was shocked to learn that the City Council had made a closed-meeting decision to evict squatters from 1130 Water St. Though Mayor Sutherland and Councilor Edwards opposed this decision, the rest of council voted in favour of the eviction. Previously, the City had not asked squatters to leave the building since PCAP/the squatters had been negotiating with city officials to convert the building into for affordable housing. These discussions had gone extremely well and as PCAP/the squatters had tentatively partnered with the Peterborough District Labour Council and the Peterborough Community Housing Development Corporation, we were expecting to reach a deal with the city over the next week.

A week ago Monday (June 23th), Squatters, along with PCAP, made a well-received proposal to City Council asking that the building be loaned to PCAP for a 5-year period for the purposes of affordable housing. (The specific details of the proposal are below.) At this meeting, the city did not make a decision regarding the fate of the building, but did agree to spend $5000 on a study to investigate the mold in the basement and clean-up costs.

Squatters and PCAP are extremely dissapointed at the City's recent decision to evict squatters, especially in the context where both the City and squatters had been working well together to ensure the feasability of the project and the safety of the squatters.

While some squatters have chosen to leave voluntarily, others are determined to defend the squat regardless of police intervention. As most of the squatters have no other place to call home, the fight to stay in the building is a very real fight against homelessness.

What You Can Do:

1. Call / send e-mails to City Council opposing their decision to evict. (E-mail addresses are below).

2. If you hear of the arrest of squatters, COME DOWN TO THE POLICE STATION / COURT HOUSE to show solidarity. When you are locked up - hearing voices of solidariy outside can be a strong encouraging force..

3. If the squatters are arrested, please ATTEND AN EMERGENCY MEETING at 5:30pm in Confederation Park (across from city hall). This meeting will happen on whatever day the squatters are arrested (Likely Thurs. July 3).

Squatters' Proposal to City Council:

In order to come to a mutual agreement regarding the future use of 1130 Water Street which will both address City concerns and create affordable housing, PCAP has developed a proposal for Council to consider. Although we began last Sunday with 5 demands to the City, in the spirit of cooperation and compromise we have significantly changed our proposal so as to accommodate the city’s concerns. Based on discussions of the City’s Draft “Letter of Understanding” dated June 18, 2003, PCAP proposes the following:

a) PCAP agrees to take full responsibility for the improvements necessary to ensure a safe standard of occupancy (as agreed by the occupants and the City) at 1130 Water Street;

b) The City will authorize a 5-year loan of 1130 Water Street to PCAP or an entity on behalf of PCAP to be self-managed by its occupants; Given that PCAP will bear the costs of repairs on a building that the City intended to keep empty, we feel it is not unreasonable for rental payments to be waived

c) The occupants at 1130 Water Street agree to pay all utility costs during the 5 years;

d) The occupants will be granted access to the property unless the building is proven to be hazardous, at which point, the occupants must be provided with alternative housing as agreeable to them. If such housing is not found the occupants must be allowed to remain on the property outside the building.

e) The City will increase the funding and supports available to assist residents of Peterborough whose hydro has been or will be cut off because they can not afford to pay the bill.

(NOTE: For a full-copy of the 5 page presentation, please contact slamble@pipcom.com and we will forward you a copy).

* * * * * *

Contact Information for Peterborough City Councilors:

(Please copy all emails of support to slamble@pipcom.com)


GPagett@city.peterborough.on.ca

mayor@city.peterborough.on.ca

BHall@city.peterborough.on.ca

JoPritchard@city.peterborough.on.ca

DPeacock@city.peterborough.on.ca

PAyotte@city.peterborough.on.ca

medwards@nexicom.net

BJuby@city.peterborough.on.ca

JDoris@city.peterborough.on.ca

HClarke@city.peterborough.on.ca

JLeal@city.peterborough.on.ca

mhunt@city.peterborough.on.ca

clyon@city.peterborough.on.ca

 


Squatters' Proposal to City Council:

In order to come to a mutual agreement regarding the future use of 1130 Water Street which will both address City concerns and create affordable housing, PCAP has developed a proposal for Council to consider. Although we began last Sunday with 5 demands to the City, in the spirit of cooperation and compromise we have significantly changed our proposal so as to accommodate the city's concerns. Based on discussions of the City's Draft "Letter of Understanding" dated June 18, 2003, PCAP proposes the following:

a) PCAP agrees to take full responsibility for the improvements necessary to ensure a safe standard of occupancy (as agreed by the occupants and the City) at 1130 Water Street;

b) The City will authorize a 5-year loan of 1130 Water Street to PCAP or an entity on behalf of PCAP to be self-managed by its occupants; Given that PCAP will bear the costs of repairs on a building that the City intended to keep empty, we feel it is not unreasonable for rental payments to be waived

c) The occupants at 1130 Water Street agree to pay all utility costs during the 5 years;

d) The occupants will be granted access to the property unless the building is proven to be hazardous, at which point, the occupants must be provided with alternative housing as agreeable to them. If such housing is not found the occupants must be allowed to remain on the property outside the building.

e) The City will increase the funding and supports available to assist residents of Peterborough whose hydro has been or will be cut off because they can not afford to pay the bill.

 

Ways to Support The SQUAT...

What's Needed:

  • Food and Water

  • Building supplies

  • Cleaning supplies

  • Financial donations

  • Anything else it takes to make a home

  • Friendly faces and visits to the squat to show support

PLEASE feel free to bring any of this stuff by the Squat at 1130 Water St. there are people there all the time!


The Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty (PCAP) is a group dedicated to political struggle against an economic system that maintains and profits from the inequality, indignity and needless suffering of poverty. PCAP organizes actions to support and protect low income persons or groups who are being oppressed.

PCAP Office Location:
#17-393 Water St. at Hunter St.,
Peterborough, Ontario K9H 3L7
PCAP Phone Number: 705-749-9694

 

Update June 19, 2003

  1. FILM NIGHT: Sunday June 22 @ 8 p.m.

    Community event at the squat, 1130 Water St., Peterborough
    Film (TBA), Discussion, and Free Food

  2. CITY COUNCIL MEETING: Monday June 23 @ 7 p.m.

    City Council Meeting at city hall, 500 George St. N.
    Squatters will present their case to the Council

    Pack the Meeting! Support the Squat!
    Demand Affordable Housing NOW!

    Squat Update #2:
    PCAP Squat enters fourth night amidst negotiations with city

(Peterborough, ON) - As of Wednesday June 18, 2003 the Squat at 1130 Water Street is still going strong. A dozen squatters have been staying on the property (both inside the house and in tents on the back lawn) accompanied by numerous daily visitors.

The squatters have been busy working to improve the property - cutting the lawn, planning a flower garden, installing fire detectors and looking into building repairs. A communal cooking, composting and cleaning schedule has been devised and daily tasks are shared cooperatively.

The community response has been very positive - the neighbours are friendly and some have donated furniture and household supplies to the squat. One neighbour even called the city to demonstrate her support.

On Monday, two city planners visited the squat and indicated that they would like to resolve the matter through discussion with the squatters. The city officials assured the squatters that the police would not be called unless there were complaints from the neighbours or evidence of illegal activity.

This afternoon, squatters met again with the city planners to negotiate the building's future.

City planners expressed their concerns about mould in the basement which could be toxic - citing this as the reason why the previous tenant was relocated to another building. However, after reading the health inspector's report, squatters discovered that the type of mould in the building is not necessarily hazardous - of a possible 185 varieties, only 20 types are considered toxic. The inspector advised a second report be conducted after a proper cleaning of the basement. Up until now the City has not followed up with this recommendation.

Upon the squatters' request, the City has now promised to finance a second pre-cleaning inspection to confirm the status of the mould (by an accredited inspector of the squatters' choice). The City has also offered a contractor's estimate for repairs. If the building is officially turned over to the squatters for self-managed housing, they are willing to take care of the repairs themselves.

Though previously used for affordable housing, the building has been vacant for at least 7 months since a flood damaged the basement. City planners did not repair the house because it is located on a stretch of riverside land that is slated to be converted into green space. The City intends to purchase all the houses along the river with the intent of relocating or demolishing the buildings in the vicinity.

Community members took over the empty building on Sunday evening as part of the Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty's "Give it or Guard it" Housing Campaign and Squatting tour. The summer-long campaign tours unused buildings in the city that could be used for squatting or affordable housing.

On Monday June 23, the squatters will take their case to city council. They will rally outside city hall at 7pm and then present the following demands to council:

  1. Turn over the house at 1130 Water St. to the squatters to be self-managed as cooperative housing;

  2. Create a City-financed support fund to assist residents of Peterborough whose hydro has been or will be cut off because they can not afford to pay the bill;

  3. Undertake a city-wide inspection and repair blitz: Inspect and order repairs on all unsafe and substandard housing in the City

  4. Grant legal amnesty to all squatters at 1130 Water St.;.

 

 
 



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Page last updated July 4, 2003