Social Justice Housing Rally - Kitchener, January 25th, 2020
January 25th, 2020 - Today many areas in our community came alive. They represented unity of voice and concern about the current states of affair within our world, both far and near.

One of these was the Social Justice Housing Rally that took place at City Hall in Kitchener.  We begin to focus on not only the situations of today, but while strategizing for a better tomorrow.
United.

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​Once we acknowledge that pushing poor and homeless people away is not a humane or even viable solution, we can start to focus on actually addressing the problem of poverty.

Martin Asling

Co-Founder
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Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard

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With the recent eviction of local Nadine Udanapher's store, many are feeling more aware of the current local housing issues and recognize the changes we must face if we are to resolve them. 
​When local news caught the stories,  just after the release of the Housing Needs Assessment, it captivated the city and drew the public eye.

When this took place, it brought much needed attention to the homelessness and affordable housing topics locally. As citizens cried out in support, a rally was formed to bring voice to the topic. 

December 2021 - PETITION CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM
​ON ENCAMPMENT EVICTIONS IN WATERLOO REGION

Videos of each speaker:
​Terre Chartrand, Regan Sunshine Brussé, and Martin Asling
Last refuge for the homeless will close on Friday‘​ - The Record
​'A complete lack of compassion': Kitchener store that welcomed homeless is evicted - The Record
Today I come and stand before each and every one of you, no differently than I did our cities council, to say this:
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We have caused an accident. Our current housing situation, the struggles that our neighbors and fellow citizens are facing, we have created this. We never intended to. But now we choose. Do we unite in solidarity for its resolve? Do we recognize that it could be each and every one of us? That we are no different than each other at our base, we are nothing more than humans? Souls?

I am not here today to suggest that I know in any way what to do about all of this. Because at the end of the day that is a choice for every single citizen to make, and to bring forth, and to unite behind.

The onus of responsibility to manage not only the crisis of today but the potential from climate change and its impacts on any of our stability of housing, is on all of us. Together. Or not at all.

Every time we choose to break up a family like Nadine’s, though unrelated by blood, is a day we decide to continue to allow these unacceptable moral decisions.

We can’t change our systems, not instantly. But that will happen. Over time. We can evolve. Because we do. This will happen as we change our communities, so that our systems may better represent us, who we have become, and who we choose to be.

To do so we must toss away our egos and find our mutual ground. It’s time to remove our profits, our stigmas and politics, but not through division, through the unity of them, and recognizing their presence. This also MUST include the qualitative data, that we need to consider as well in this equation. Most specifically, the voices of those facing the deepest of these struggles.

We all must survive, but only with solidarity effort will we find the solutions we desire, as we have adjusted the lens of our views of what “Utopia” may look like. One where all are welcomed and warm, and have not only shelter from the weather but a place to call home.  

We must decide not only to take a course of action towards another life and world. One we can build. But also, to do so now. To decide that it IS time to end this.

To do this we, to move forward, we must accept that YES this is in our backyard, that it does exist, and we must no longer hide from the imperfection of these situations.

We must decide to say "YES, in my backyard I will welcome those I have been wrong to leave behind. I see now we are all but souls."

Its time to also support our overburdened agencies. To turn and give thanks to those who have begun our task, knowing also that to continue to resolve this, we have only just begun. Let us all also recognize our own privilege, knowing we are here warm, wearing boots, coats, and with umbrellas, with a warm place to go to sleep tonight.