The first four issues of our newsletter were specifically for folks doing on-the-ground support; the most recent three issues are online as PDF files for anyone who wants to read them. To see back issues you can check out our Google Drive folder. In this week’s issue: News on specific sheltering sites: Central/RAP, downtown, Ellice, … Continue reading Newsletter #7
Author: Poverty Kills 2020 - COVID edition
Poverty is deadly all the time...but especially now. We are a grassroots network of people in Lkwungen Territory (aka 'victoria, bc') who love the street community and are appalled by the injustice and suffering happening here. People are hugely resilient as always, but it's a lot to be dealing with COVID + closure of survival services + even more unpredictable drug supply than usual (leading to increased overdose / dangerous withdrawal) + decreased income + intensified isolation. Some of us have been part of the street community, our loved ones are in the street community, and/or we have worked with the street community. When the COVID crisis started we came together to figure out what we could do. None of us are getting paid for this work. There are many positive things that can be done and we hope you'll join us!
Newsletter #6 and Letters to Council
A new week, a new newsletter, and same old Council shenanigans. PK Newsletter, Issue #6 We've started posting our newsletters online as PDF files for anyone who wants to read them. In this week's issue: Updated Bylaw sheltering statsNews on specific sheltering sites: Central/RAP, McKenzie & Pat Bay, MEEGAN, and windstorm impactsUpdate on indoor options … Continue reading Newsletter #6 and Letters to Council
New weekly Poverty Kills newsletter
Access to information has been an ongoing challenge since March 2020 when the COVID restrictions first started. In conversation with frontline workers and informal grassroots teams, in early December Poverty Kills started doing a weekly newsletter trying to collate info so people have some sense of what is happening. We watch webcasts of government meetings, … Continue reading New weekly Poverty Kills newsletter
Action: Tell the city to divest from policing and invest in communities
In 'bc', every spring municipalities set their budgets and project a 5-year financial plan. They have to as part of this process invite public input. To help with this we've done a detailed analysis of the City of 'victoria' 2021 Draft Financial Plan (PDF file, 13 MB) that includes info about the City’s input process, … Continue reading Action: Tell the city to divest from policing and invest in communities
Colonial powers and community showers
Since the first COVID-19 restrictions were implemented in ‘victoria’ in March 2020, one survival service (of many) that has been restricted for those forced to shelter outside is basic hygiene access in the form of showers. While there have been several organizations that have been offering limited access to showers throughout the pandemic, overall these … Continue reading Colonial powers and community showers
Rest In Power, Joe Arvay
Joe Arvay died unexpectedly from a heart attack on December 6, 2020 at the age of 71. Joe was an amazing lawyer who fought hard for social and environmental justice. He worked for (and often won) legal recognition of the rights of Indigenous communities, people who use drugs, sex workers, people in prison, people with … Continue reading Rest In Power, Joe Arvay
In colonialism we trust: Ongoing municipal shenanigans at MEEGAN
In May we wrote about a post exploring some of the history of colonial theft and damage to MEEGAN (aka 'beaconhill park'). The post was prompted by a NIMBY uproar about people being allowed to shelter 24/7 in the park in COVID times, and related hysteria about temporary sheltering being predicted to cause apocalyptic damage … Continue reading In colonialism we trust: Ongoing municipal shenanigans at MEEGAN
Transparency and accountability
Tomorrow (Thursday November 12) at its Committee of the Whole meeting 'victoria' city council is once again considering multiple items relating to sheltering outside, with no input from people living outside. There is much that could be said about how information in this week's staff reports and motions contribute to stereotyping, fear, and hatred of … Continue reading Transparency and accountability
Municipal government blocks handwashing and shower access
On October 27 we wrote about a grassroots shower initiative started by people fed up with governments' continued failure to make sure that people sheltering outside have access to showers close to where they're living. Raising their own money and doing their own construction, on Saturday November 7 the two community-built showers were taken to … Continue reading Municipal government blocks handwashing and shower access
Grassroots showers
There are so many things in colonial government responses to COVID that are both predictable and also disturbing. Among these is the refusal to make sure that people who are sheltering outside can access basic hygiene like handwashing and showers close to where they are living. The United Nations has repeatedly stated that access to … Continue reading Grassroots showers
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