DERA EVICTING TENANT WITHOUT CAUSE

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC


April 12, 2007

Dera Evicting Long Term Tenant Without Cause

In a particularly obscene manner, Dera, a DTES service and housing provider, is evicting long term resident and outspoken Oldtown activist, Jamie Lee Hamilton.

For the same reasons, Dera is crying foul regarding its Chinese Seniors grant being discontinued, Dera is evicting me from my housing on West Pender Street for expressing my political viewpoints on my Oldtown News blog site.

While my opinions have certainly been critical of three affiliated organizations, APC, Dera and Native Warrior Society, whether this constitutes legal grounds for housing eviction is actually quite shameful.

Referring to opinion pieces written by me, which Dera has downloaded from my website and put forward as documented evidence for eviction cause is pathetic housing advocacy on the part of Dera.

I find it interesting that Dera has criticized Peter Ladner and the NPA for allegedly singling them out for punishment and according to Executive Director of Dera, Kim Kerr, for its outspokeness on housing issues. Yet, when someone such as myself, expresses my viewpoints and freedom of speech rights, Dera does an-about face, retaliates and singles me out for cruel and harsh punishment. By forcing me out of my housing and essentially onto the street, is a disgusting, highly personal and obscene attack.

This and other willful actions of Dera, speaks volumes as to whether this group should consider themselves as the representative voice of poor, downtrodden and marginalized people.

The hearing on April 17, 2007 will determine whether Dera has the right as housing providers to evict people nilly willy for simply speaking out against them. Another interesting aspect of this case is that Dera which prides itself on solving homelessness continues adding to its credentials, of creating homelessness.

An interesting fact of this case is how the President of the BC Civil Liberties Association, Mr. Jason Gratl, who is legal counsel for Dera, along with PIVOT, demanded previously that I shut my blog down. And this from a representative of a group which espouses free speech. Shame on Mr Gratl and PIVOT.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com