RELEASE: A Response to the National Housing Strategy

For the past couple of days, people have been wanting to know my response to the National Housing Strategy revealed by Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government, so here I have prepared my response:

RELEASE

A National Housing Strategy is long overdue, so while I'm grateful for the discussion on the subject, and the acknowledgement of the homelessness crisis in Canada, this is NOT the strategy we need.

There are good things in the strategy, to be sure. The Government has finally decided that the right to housing be guaranteed and recognized. The UN has been reminding us of this constantly and if you ask any homeless person in Canada, I don't know a single one of them who would deny wanting a home and needing one. I acknowledge that this is a step in the right direction. Additionally, for many organizations that provide affordable housing, updates are greatly needed. There are too many spaces sitting empty right now because they need refurbishment and funds to upgrade those units are desperately needed.

However, my view about the strategy as a whole is that it falls far short of what is needed in this country. Members of the homeless community are dying every day in Canada, and the Government would have us wait until after the next election - almost two years away - before making any commitments. The homeless cannot afford to wait.

Furthermore, a previous private members bill regarding a National Housing Strategy - that all but four Governing MPs voted against - included amending the Canadian Human Rights act to include protected status from discrimination against the homeless community. The proposed strategy as far as I've read includes no such measure. What this means is that the Liberal Government literally voted against human rights for the homeless community, and have endorsed continuous acts of hate crimes, violence, abuse, mistreatment, segregation against the homeless community. This is not just simply a class issue. Indigenous peoples make up a disproportionately large amount of the homeless population in Canada. Women are often homeless because they are fleeing abuse, or struggling to make ends meet as single parents. This is a class issue, yes. But it is also a race issue. A gender issue. This means that people who would normally be protected under the Charter are not protected, strictly because they are homeless and the Government has determined it is okay to discriminate and abuse members of the homeless Community.

And with the strategy only calling for a 50% reduction in homelessness, that still leaves a large number of homeless individuals who need protections.

In short, this strategy falls far short of it's potential and does not do enough to protect the homeless community. I call on the government to not only implement protections for our societies most vulnerable, but to enact them immediately.

Signed,
Nigel Kirk

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Announcement: Applying for the Senate!

It is with great pleasure that I am announcing that I, Nigel Kirk, will be seeking a position within the Canadian Senate once nominations open up. Overall, I fit most of the qualifications except for net worth, which could be challenged based on based on court decisions determining what counts as discrimination and social standing certainly passes this test. Considering this is a job within the federal government which must adhere to the charter and Canadian Human Rights Act, this should be a cinch.

My qualifications go beyond that though. I am indeed at least 30 years of age. I have enough free time that actually appearing for senate proceedings would be a cinch. And knowing how to live for less than $25,000.00 a year means living within $145,000 dollars would be a cinch. Allowances and expense claims could be kept to an absolute minimum saving taxpayers money and restoring faith in the upper chamber because I could guarantee I would not be involved in any expense scandal.

Plus, having no real estate property in Calgary means I couldn't claim a resident here. I would be forced to pay out of my Salary to rent in Ottawa, and as a man of simple means, I could still easily do that within the budget of my salary.

While I do have some political leanings, I can still remain fairly non-partisan. I have no affiliation with any major federal party and have voted for different parties in different elections. Provincially, as a supporter of the Alberta Party, one of our core beliefs is not of hyperpartisanship, but of supporting good ideas, no matter where they come from.

It is for these reasons and more that I believe I have all the qualifications necessary to become a Canadian Senator. Sign this petition and click on the paypal button to the right to help support my efforts!

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A Homeless Perspective on the Refugee Situation

Yeah. I read the news a lot. I also have social media accounts that I utilise. I voted in the last federal election. And I personally support bringing in refugees. Of course, some people are opposed to this. Some of them are opposed because of bigotry (which is not okay). Some of them are concerned about the U.N. Screening process, or about the costs to the taxpayer (which are okay if these are your genuine concerns, and you're not using them to mask your bigotry).

But in letters to the newspaper editors, comments on blog posts and in social media, I'm seeing something disturbing: People trying to pit the homeless community against the refugees. I'm seeing people saying we shouldn't take the refugees in because we should focus on helping the homeless. I'm seeing them use us as homeless people as an excuse to oppose refugees.

Excuse my language but:

Who the fuck are you to speak for the homeless? And where the hell have you been for the past ten years, which have been among the most oppressive for the homeless population?

Seriously, I've read letters sent to homeless charities stating that decades-long donors will pull their funding unless the charity publicly opposes bringing in refugees (which, by the way, I'm pretty sure could be argued as to the partisanship of the charity), I've seen comments on blogs and online news sites, full of swearing, complaining about how we should be helping the homeless and not take in a single refugee.

We are not your tools to justify your hatred.

Now, the homeless community itself partially shares your sentiments. From those I've talked to, we're not all on the same page obviously. It's a contentious issue with diverse views. Two things I've learned though are that we mostly recognise when someone needs help, and that it's unethical to order people to help us in exclusion to others in need. And secondly, that this is an opportunity. If we're capable of helping refugees in need, then we have the resources to help the homeless too, and to deny the homeless their basic fundamental human rights is no longer going to be excusable.

And a third that I'm coming to realise is that we're aware that for the first time in ten years, the mass public is suddenly interested in helping us. And we're pretty upset that it took a crisis in Syria for that to happen, and we do want to know why so many people who talked down to us, mocked us, said we deserved our lots in life, perpetuated the systemic abuse and denial of our dignity, suddenly think they are our allies and speak for us.

And we are going to want answers.

I personally, once again, welcome all our refugees to Canada, and wish you nothing but safety and good will. But to those who oppose refugees coming in for any reason, please, do not use us as your excuse to justify your views, and let homeless people and their advocates and community speak for themselves.

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