"The best test of a civilised society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable and weakest members." Mahatma Gandhi
Homeless need housing, not shelters, activists say Those comments came in reaction to numbers released Wednesday by homeless advocacy group Pivot Legal Society. [Globe and Mail, May 23, 2008]
Local news in brief - SHELTER ACTION The Pivot Legal Society said yesterday police should stop handing out tickets to people sleeping outside when shelters are turning people away due to over-capacity. Pivot claims to have obtained government reports that show homeless people were turned away on more than 40,000 occasions over a nine-month period. [24 Hours, May 23, 2008]
No tickets for homeless: Pivot The Pivot Legal Society is demanding the City of Vancouver put a moratorium on tickets given to people sleeping outside after new statistics that show shelters are regularly turning people away. [Metro, May 23, 2008]
Changes to Election Act would marginalize the poor, critics say According to the Pivot Legal Society, the “voucher” must be from the same riding as the voter and may only vouch for one person, eliminating the possibility for advocates, lawyers or social workers to vouch for the many potential voters they may know. [WE, May 22, 2008] Housing minister disputes latest figures released by homeless advocates Pivot Legal Society says a leaked document from BC Housing shows 30,000 homeless were turned away from Metro Vancouver shelters between April 2007 and January of this year. [News1130, May 22, 2008] Shelters turned away homeless 40,000 times in nine months "I was blown away by these numbers," said David Eby of the Pivot Legal Society, which obtained them and is making them public at a news conference today. [Vancouver Sun, May 22, 2008]
PIVOT CRIES FOUL Changes to B.C.'s Election Act that the government says will ensure the province's electoral system is "transparent, fair and democratic" have Pivot Legal Society up in arms. [Vancouver Courier, May 16, 2008]
Vancouver 2010 Olympics Social Sustainability Legacy under Fire The Impact on Communities Coalition, the Pivot Legal Society and the Carnegie Community Action Project, with the help of Professor Michael Byers and student Mike Powar, are arguing... [Dissident Voice, May 16, 2008]
Vancouver's Bedbug Plague The major challenge with bedbugs in the DTES is with immune-compromised people," says lawyer David Eby of the Pivot Legal Society. "For some people, the bites get inflamed and opened from itching, causing infection. It's indirect, but this becomes a health issue." [The Tyee, May 15, 2008]
RCMP checking into downtown Vancouver hotel for 2010 Olympic Games The same group filing the human rights complaint - Pivot Legal Society - estimates more than 1300 of those rooms have been lost since Vancouver won the Olympic bid in 2003. [Canadian Press, May 8, 2008]
West End renters prepare to fight eviction The contest, aimed at finding creative solutions to homelessness, features its winning essays in a special report, “Housing Solutions for the Downtown Eastside,” released by Pivot last week. [WE, May 8, 2008] Businessmen, activists join forces to help developers find solutions for Downtown Eastside "This is exactly the kind of planning process we have to have. They're filling a void," said David Eby of Pivot Legal Society, the legal advocacy group that has emerged in recent years as one of the most vocal champions for the Downtown Eastside. [Vancouver Sun, May 3, 2008]
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