Tales From The Project – #1

Building in my new 'hood.

I’m in the projects!  BC Housing came through, finally, after enlisting the help of an NDP MLA who addressed my physical and mental health concerns to the health branch of housing.  Who would have known they had a health branch?  But that’s one of the things about B.C.’s Housing and Social Underdevelopement…it’s a huge puzzle and one person alone can’t tell you everything.  ‘They’ say you have to ask….welll if you don’t know what to ask for, that’s no bloody good, is it?

I’m in a terrific neighbourhood….Strathcona…with some of Vancouver’s oldest homes and buildings and it’s a thriving artist and gay community.  Yay.  My building is an asbestos wonder of the 60’s.  I’m on the tenth floor and have a fab view to the east….if you’re standing up.   So I buildt two window sill tables and Homestart was able to find four high stools with backs on them.  I build a ton of shelves, without applying to do so as I figured the bureacracy would have taken a few months and I’d have to submit drawings.  The walls are cinder block , which is great for not being able to hear the neighbours, but required a masonry bit and was loud.  Lucky they were reinforcing the tiles on the outside of the building at the same time so I could coincide my drilling with their noise.  Guerilla rennos!

Craigslist came through for me and I found a nice daybed for $50, and reclaimed a loveseat I adore from my ex.  That, an old persian carpet from a sister, a Chinese chest from my grandparents long ago, a soji screen from another sister, lots of baskets to put on the shelves and fill them with my junk,  my small art collection up, and voila, I have a home.  yes, it’s mine!

When I look out at the ‘hood I am waiting for Model T’s and horse and carriage to go by….I’m a bit thrown off with the mini-vans and sedans.  I go downstairs and many of the Chinese Elders are gathered there and I think I’m in a different country…..so I’m kinda hooked in to this geographic and time warp.  It’s a bit of a trip but I’m getting used to it.

I haven’t seen a cockroach in over a week now so I’m thinking my diatomaceous earth is working better then the building’s ‘bug paste’.  It also helps that they kicked out the guy down the hall who was bringing his bottle collection carts into the hallway.  At any rate, they’re always nasty to see and while they are tiny here compared to the giant beetle sized ones in Hawaii, the Hawaiian ones at least had an amber beauty to them.  These ones look anemic and sickly.  Ew.

There’s a lot of exploring of the hood to do yet, that will come bit by bit…I’m still isolating, which isn’t good, but joined the community center the other day and hope to get back into Tai Chi.

All’s semi-well on the eastern front.

B.C. Housing – The End of Shelterville

 

 

Here it is…Home Sweet Project.  I’m now in a 1960’s BC Housing Project….note the original lino floor and cinder block walls.  Ugly, but hey, I can’t hear my neighbours.  It took two years to finally get my own place , and I had to go through the NDP Housing and Social Developement Critic, Shane Simpson to do it.  I let Shane know that my mental and physical health were deteriorating without stable housing, got him the back up documentation from my doctor ad shrink, and he passed it on to the appropriate people.  Who was to know BC Housing has a seperate health department??????  The things that aren’t told.  Crazy.

I’ve got a love seat , found a daybed on Craigslist (Homestart did provide me with some stuff), and hit Zellers for cheap but decent looking curtains, shelving etc….made tables for the window sill as you can’t see out the window if you’re sitting on a normal chair…..built some shelving (and still building more!!!!)….hit Chinatown for baskets to store my junk in….ay yi yi, it’s been non-stop.  Some friends and sisters have helped out.

Oh ya, I’m on the 10th floor and have a fab east view…maybe a photo of that later.

The place has looked totally bombed out with all my stuff…but how could I possibly throw out that fisherman knit sweater with the holes in it?  Don’t know, I’m tired.  Beat.  But I have a home.