Kim Kerr was right -- added to on 02 July 2010

I cannot dismiss Kim's claim that BC Housing did not give him enough money to manage the buildings (see Statement of Defence). Lily also said that every accountant Kim hired also came to the conclusion that BC Housing did not give him enough money. Only Kim and BC Housing were privy to the financial statements. What right did Kim have to withhold this information from the directors of DERAH and the DTES community. The community could have save DERAH if it knew the truth.
In 2007 - monthly
Income from rentals $100,000
Income from BC Housing (subsidies) $100,000
Total income $200,000
Mortgage payments $110,000
Wages $45,000
Insurance $10,000
Utilities $14,000
only four items total $174,000
So what is left to pay everything else $ 26,000 that is less than $100 per unit
Non-profits should not be using the accrual method of accounting. It should be cash-in cash-out. The old fashion way. Simple.

the Portland Hotel Society

There seems to be a general consensus out there that the PHS Society (the Portland Hotel Society) is 100 times worse than DERA ever was. I checked this morning and found out that at least seven employees earn over $100,000 a year with benefits and yet the PHS has no money to WASH windows for its properties. For years I have seen the dirty windows (an insult to architect Arthur Erickson) and just assumed the Portland didn't have the money to clean. I would like to know who these employees are that make $100,000 a year as I would like to ask each of them to donate monies to get the windows washed. I personally feel that no one employed by a charitable society should earn more than 3X the minimum wage. This should also extend to public servants. If all these social and public employees worked for minimum wage capped at 3X I assure you that the minumum wage would be more than $8.00 an hour.

Law Foundation Cuts Funding

It was announced yesterday that the Law Foundation has cuts its funding to DERAdvocacy.

In the National Post on Monday it said that criminal charges could be laid against those that did wrong at DERAHousing. This is not what I heard at the court application hearing on May 18th 2010 when Sabrina asked the Court if the signed confidentiality agreement meant that no one would be prosecuted. The lawyer for BC Housing confirmed that if the terms of the confidential agreement were met no one would be prosecuted. I suspect Rich Coleman didn't get it right when he spoke to Brian Hutcheson, the reporter.

In an interview with the National Post, provincial housing minister Rich Coleman said a criminal investigation of DERA on matters "such as fraud" could be forthcoming. "We're not precluded from taking [further action]," said the minister.
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PIVOT and Carnegie Governing Boards

Ancillary to what is happening at DERA, two events should be noted. Although I was very vocal in the community about DERA and its non-compliance to the rule of law since the summer of 2009, Julie Rogers was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the PIVOT Legal Society. The only qualification that Julie had for the PIVOT Board of Directors was her directorship with DERA. And then if that was not bad enough, Pat McSherry was elected recenty to the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Centre. Pat McSherry is a director of DERA and her contribution to any discussion at any board meeting was "wait until a problem happens." The function of a Board is to make sure that problems do not happen. Not only was Pat a director she was also the Secretary. Because of her laziness she allowed a hired employee to look after her legislated duties (see Society Act). Pat was elected a few weeks ago to the Carnegie Board so everyone knew in the DTES that she was a party to the destruction of DERAH and still she was elected. Both Julie and Pat as well as every director of DERA/DERAH should be barred from ever being a member of any Board. Both should be held $accountable for what they did and in this case did not do. This just shows what type of Boards the decision makers and funders listen to. If there was even a whisper that a Board was or had members that were dysfunctional, funders should run. But then funders are just employees so why should they care.
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Response The Vancouver Sun June 12 2010

This response has not been published by the Vancouver Sun.

Rich Coleman's office neglected to say in its report to the Sun June 12 2010 that there is an outstanding application before the Courts by a DERAHousing Director, Audrey Jane Laferriere, to be added to the BC Housing action. Although Mrs. Laferriere is a director of DERAHousing she was not privy to the litigation. She questions the legality of the confidential agreement since both the judge and the lawyers for BC Housing knew of her non-involvment. How can an agreement be ratified without all the directors knowing about it.
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Audrey Jane Laferriere,
Director of DERAH (April 2009),
778-329-1250
audreylaferriere@yahoo.ca

So sad, Mr. Green

In response to Mr. Green's response to the Vancouver Sun about DERA June 12 2010.

I am very sad that Jim Green is sad that the original DERA does not exist. It can again as DERAdvocacy is still there maybe not for long but it is not lost yet (the only part that is affected by the receiver-manager is DERAHousing) so why doesn't he and the other "leaders" of the DTES get involved. They were rumours for years of mismanagement and yet DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing were allowed to flounder. The blame for the failure of DERA Housing and the eventual failure of DERAdvocacy (by the domino effect) is the community. No one else. Anyone that lives in the DTES is a member of DERAdvocacy. And it is not too late for the community to organize.
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The NATIONAL POST and the DTES

Brian Hutchinson of the National Post is doing daily articles on the DTES this month. If you have any comments or information that you have wanted to report but were afraid to or did not know where to go so do it now. Brian's sources are kept confidential unless you want your name in print. Up to now there has been no where to address concerns so this is an opportunity that we all should take advantage of. The housing non-profits and the government agencies in the DTES have been very good at "don't ask, don't tell" and it is time "we ask" and "we tell."

Type in your computer address bar: National Post and there it is. If not type in Woodwards Project in the search window. And his blog is DTES gossipy (when in National Post type in search window Woodwards blog).

Brian Hutchinson

bhutchinson@nationalpost.com
604-742-8882 phone
604-682-3628 fax

This week

I am involved with a medical emergency and I won't be able to address any issues for at least a week.

DERAdvocacy Funding

The Law Foundation will be making a decision as to whether or not funding will be given to DERAdvocacy for another year. The decision will be taking place by the Board of Governors in the third week of June.

I was talking to a former resident of the DTES yesterday and she said that it would be a tragedy if DERAdvocacy folded.

DERAdvocacy and DERAHousing are two separate identities. The Law Foundation has been strictly overseeing the Advocacy unlike BC Housing with DERAHousing. Since the mandate of the Law Foundation is the public interest, any input from the public, DERA employees as they know exactly what their contributions have been, would influence its decision.

J. Cumming
The Law Foundation of BC
1340 - 605 Robson Street
Vancouver, B>C>
V6B 5J2
jcumming@tlfbc.org
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Crosby Property Management

So much for professional property management. If any resident of the towers is not happy with something Crosby does keep notes.

.Reviews Matching:
Search Reviews 1 review for Crosby Property Management Ltd Darcy C.

Vancouver, BC
1/22/2009 Okay- a caveat: I rent in my building rather than own.

But ... these people have been incredibly obtuse, and then incredibly non-responsive. They destroyed the parking structure in our complex with multiple poorly placed speed bumps. Everyone's suspension is getting ruined. It no longer safe to drive, as people are driving in the middle of the road to avoid the bumps. They have been incredibly unwilling to keep the residents informed about how they intend to solve this problem. I have heard from some of the owners that they're just as non-responsive to the owners. And, they didn't even bother to inform the residents when the water tower on top of the building leaked and damaged a number of the upper units.

I'm new to BC, but when I am ready to buy, I will NOT be buying into any building that uses Crosby for strata management, nor will I allow them to manage investment properties.