Vancouver Courier May 26 2010

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Money for housing

midweek edition WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010

Vol. 101 No. 42 • Established 1908 • East

30

Political Plan B

Military century

19

Longtime program for disabled adults dealt death blow Group composed of 19 adults Jeremy Shepherd Contributing writer

Betty Ann Spinks chats with staffer Angela Paiyizi at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.

photo Dan Toulgoet

Broadway Connections, a 25-year-old program providing community and fostering independence for young and middleaged physically disabled adults, will be cancelled by health authorities in October. The program, held at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House on East Broadway near Prince Albert Street, operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The four-hour sessions provide a $3 hot dinner and activities for a group of physically challenged adults. Betty Ann Spinks, 57, said she has been taking part in what she called the “beloved and vital” program once a week for the last 17 years. Spinks

said she has had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for 40 years. “We need these kinds of services,” she said. “It’s hard to make changes when you’ve been going to the same place for many years.” Spinks said representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health arrived when the program was in session on May 11 and 13 and gave everyone a letter informing them of the end of the program. She said she was in shock when VCH officials informed her the program would be ending. She said many of the program’s clients were in tears when they heard the news. The group is composed of 19 adults ranging in age from their early 20s to early 60s. See HEALTH on page 4

Exclusive list of workers get first dibs on Olympic Village Police officers, nurses, teachers apply to rent affordable housing units Mike Howell Staff writer

About 50 people working in public safety, health care or education in Vancouver have applied to rent 126 of the affordable housing units at the Olympic Village. The city is reviewing the applications and hasn’t determined how many are from police of-

ficers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses or teachers. “We’ve had lots of people call us up,” said Dennis Carr, the city’s assistant director of social infrastructure, noting successful applicants could move in by August. Council decided in April to rent the city-owned units at market rates and give priority to workers who are essential to the city, including police officers

“WE’VE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE CALL US UP.” Dennis Carr

and nurses. Another 126 units are available to people who require subsidized housing, including lowincome families and people with mental or physical disabilities.

B.C. Housing is handling applications for those units but didn’t have a tally on how many people applied. A non-profit operator still has to be hired before applicants will be reviewed. The affordable housing component of the Village comprises 252 units that are located in three buildings on the site at Southeast False Creek. The nonprofit operator hired

to manage the subsidized units may also manage the market rent units, although it is possible three different operators will manage each of the three buildings. The buildings were originally planned for social housing until council decided in April on a so-called 50/50 plan that split the units in half to create the current formula. See CITY on page 4

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Vancouver Courier May 26 2010 by Glacier Community Publishing - Issuu