Protester Lies to Media about being Homeless

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Poor Demand Millionaire Return Food Money

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uploaded by jr

Poor people on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside are demanding that millionaire developer Robert Wilson return the food money he took from them.

The Carnegie Action Project produced "WANTED" posters for Wilson, accusing him of having charged rents which exceeded the 'shelter portion' of welfare cheques. To pay rent, tenants had to dip into the 'support portion' of welfare cheques intended for food and other basic necessities. CCAP is demanding that Wilson return a year's worth of this food money.

It is entirely legal, of course, for a landlord to charge rents above welfare rates.  It is a common practice.

"None of this would be happening if it wasn't for the Olympics", says one Downtown Eastsider who said he planned to attend a rally outside Wilson's office Friday afternoon.  

One of several Downtown Eastside residents whom the Carnegie Action Project arranged to speak at the rally was Ada.  Ada looked directly at the media cameras and emphasized that she had been evicted from a building Wilson was converting to condos and was now "homeless".  The fact that she was evicted was true.  The fact that she was now homeless was a lie.  On the morning of the rally, she had moved her belongings into subsidized housing.  

To read the full story on Ada and to view photos of the rally, go to Downtown Eastside Enquirer