Vancouver Squat Ended by Police

On Sunday, October 22, a group of approximately 100 protesters marched mere feet from where they assembled at Pigeon Park (Hastings and Carral) shouting "Homes not games" and "No homes, no peace" to support a group of six squatters who occupied the former North Star Hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning. The hotel was closed in 1999 by Vancouver Police on grounds of its owners failure to prevent drug use and prostitution from taking place on the premises. The North Star was one of a number of Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels in the Downtown East Side, which are largely occupied by those living on social assistance. The hotels run an average of about $350 monthly, which is all that is provided for in the $325 shelter allowance included in benefit rates for single, "employable" adults aged 18-64.
When elected, the NPA endorsed the "Homelessness Action Plan", which would see the city purchase one of such SRO buildings each year for conversion to low-income housing. Since then, a dozen hotels like the North Star have been closed, seeing the forceful eviction of hundreds of tenants. According to Homeless Count 2005, homelessness in the Greater Vancouver Area has increased from 1,121 persons in 2002 to 2,174 persons in 2005.
The squatters demanded a meeting with Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan to discuss the implementation of a plan to create more social housing. Sullivan responded that he did not feel he should meet with the group as they were breaking the law.
Tuesday afternoon, a group of 20 Vancouver Police Officers forcibly removed the squatters from the building, arresting and charging them with assault by trespass. The protesters, however, were not discouraged. Squatter and Downtown East Side Residents Assosciation director Kim Kerr said, "It brought attention to the plight of homeless people in this city. It illiustrated to people what is really happening." The squatters will go before court this December.