This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from VancouverIAM where you will find the best blogs from Vancouver, BC as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring
Were Homeless Needs Ignored in 2007 Housing Endowment Fund?
Today in the Tyee , Monte Paulson asks what happened to the $250 million Housing Endowment Fund that was promised in BC’s 2007 budget? The $250 million Housing Endowment Fund had promised “innovative housing solutions for British Columbians most in need.” The funds were “to be invested and the interest, estimated at $10 million a year, was to be awarded to innovative new housing solutions.” The preference for initiatives were to be consistent with the provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC. However, only $2.65 million of that money was given away, and critics say only three of the four projects funded actually met the criteria.
Paulson reveals in his post that $480,000 
went to the Victoria Youth Empowerment Society “to build eight youth housing units in conjunction with a hospitality industry training program.” Another $70,000 went to the Roofs and Roots Housing Cooperative to “help fund the conversion of a Victoria apartment building to five co-op units for low-income families and individuals.” $100,000 then went to the SAFERhome Standards Society “to establish design criteria intended to help new residential or commercial building serve the needs of elderly residents.” But the majority of the $2.65 million was granted to the BC Professional Firefighters' Burn Fund “for construction of eight suites of short-term housing for burn survivors and their families.” Criticizing this move, MLA David Chudnovsky said, “If the burn unit housing is a good idea… the money for that housing should flow from the Ministry of Health through the normal allocation process… Instead, it appears to have come at the expense of resources that were promised to help B.C.'s homeless.”
Olympic Clock Vandalized
Chinese in Vancouver reports that the Olympic Clock in Downtown Vancouver was vandalized yesterday by anti-poverty activists, who threw paint onto it “after a rally that spanned from the Victory Square to Robson Street.” Rallying is fine, “as long as it is peaceful,” our blogger believes, but “can’t understand the logic behind all the damaging/disrupting acts these ‘activists’ are making.” Vandalizing things doesn’t change anything and acts such these are not “going to attract more empathy from the public.” What goals are achieved and do the poor benefit from these acts?
Our blogger recalls in the post having seen a homeless man on TV a few years back, telling reporters that when they “set up the tent city near the Science World that these ‘activists’ never slept in the tents with the poor.” According to the man interviewed, the activists were only there “when the media were there. Then slipped away the minute reporters drove away.”
Johnny Depp and Friends to Film in Vancouver
A quick post from Ghosty on Metroblogging Vancouver , announces a movie star alert for Vancouver. As mentioned by many, the writer's strike has caused “many job losses in our local film industry.” But things may be picking up as indicated by recent announcements, according to the post .
Our blogger recalls when 21 Jump Street was filmed here and adds that Johnny Depp will apparently be back in our city “as he, Jude Law and Colin Farrell will be coming to town to replace Heath Ledger's character in the upcoming Terry Gilliam flick.” This combined with the end of the writer's strike will hopefully mean “a quick recovery and resurgence of jobs for our local and vital film industry.”
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