Hello friends,

Our lead team has been busy with meetings with Council on all parties, with the operator, with VPD, with Eby with community groups, and schools.

What we're asking of you is to compliment this effort by blanketing inboxes with letters written to the Mayor and Council to urge them to REJECT the current proposal for Arbutus / 7th.

Remember, THE most effective tool we have in our arsenal right now is applying pressure with letters and calls to our Mayor and Council.

Guidance and assistance for letter writing can be found here, but let me assure you that the arguments that are landing with our sitting Council are these:

- Exclusion of housing and programming for women and women-led families, a demographic that currently auditors are looking into whether BC Housing has indeed provided enough for, the answer they will find is NO when service use at the Downtown EastSide Women's Shelter are up 50% just this past year and 5 women and women with children call the Battered Women Society daily for housing.

- Lack of supports that exist within the neighbourhood

- The size of the building, the 140 units is too large and unmanageable

- The intersection of 6 vulnerable groups (toddler park, elementary school, preschool, Sancta Maria Home guests, seniors) plus this group, again an unmanageable mass of those dealing with serious mental health and addiction challenges, presents the community with safety and integration challenges

Thank you for getting back to us with a quick confirmation that indeed you've submitted your letter. Email us at parents4TCP@gmail.com.

Thank you for encouraging your family, spouse, partner, parents to submit letters as well.

--
Thank you,

Charlene and The Organizers of Parents for Thoughtful City Planning

"Never doubt that a thoughtful group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -  Margaret Mead