Dear Bruce Banman,
Could you please tell me what your involvement looks like in regards to the poverty in our city? I bring this question forward because I recognize – along with millions of other Canadians, that there is need for affordable housing. And secondly, my deep concern for the well-being of our neighbours who are currently residing in the park – closed to downtown.
While as a neighbour, I could assist in feeding our neighbours a meal here and there, because I too recognize the struggle with being able to afford proper housing. And I also recognize, my resources are limited so I reach to you to help our neighbours.
Could you tell me if you had ever struggled down this path? Of trying with all your might to stay afloat while recognizing statistically you too are living in poverty. If you had not, than could you imagine how hard it would be, to be left out in the cold, with no electricity, nowhere else to go because society has bought into the myth that homeless people ‘choose’ not to work; various studies – as you and I both recognize, that the underlying reasons to homelessness is as diverse as the amounts of Canadians. Yet, the definition of the word homeless is essentially being without a home (Jack Layton, 2000); wouldn’t the solution be to provide affordable housing for these people – many many years of research and programs has indicated so. So how are we helping these people in tent city by removing all that they have and not providing them with a solution or assistance? If by removing them you meant to find all these people a home, than yes, that would seem rational.
Could you tell me what is the intention of the city after our neighbours are to be evicted from this space? I could not help but wonder: would you evict your own family from the park if that was their last resort? I could imagine – that maybe your family, and my included was fortunate enough not to be living on the streets – so with these blessings and fortunes, as the law does state, we and including our government are just as responsible for the well-beings of another. So how are you assisting in this process?
Sincerely concerned,
Loan Nguyen
From Facebook: Abbotsfordians FOR a transition house downtown