Members of the Hospital Employees’ Union Terrace local will join in a province-wide “Stand for Housing” rally from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 29 to call attention to the growing issue of homelessness in their community.
Local members from the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the District Labour Council, along with service organizations, will join them on the corner of Lakelse Avenue and Ottawa Street in downtown Terrace.
“Homelessness and housing insecurity are not just urban issues,” explains Stand co-organizer and HEU member Romea Morton. “We see more and more people sleeping on the streets right here in Terrace.
“With the forestry industry in crisis, it’s especially important that resource-dependent communities like ours have affordable housing available for those who need it,” adds Morton.
Since early last year, housing activists and people across the province have held monthly “Housing Stands” holding banners that read “Home for All”, wearing symbolic blue scarves, and handing out information on the issues.
The demonstrations aim to put pressure on local, provincial and federal governments to invest in affordable housing and take action on the crisis of homelessness in B.C.
“Poverty in our community affects all of us,” says co-organizer Linda Izatt. “These Stands are an opportunity to work together to make a difference and create a society where we take care of each other and no one is left to fall through the cracks.”