May Day Focuses on Housing in Peterborough

by Paul Bocking (IWW & PCAP)

On May Day, the Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty (PCAP) and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) joined together for the kick-off of a local direct-action campaign for affordable housing in Peterborough, Ontario. Over four months, PCAP will publicly visit abandoned buildings throughout the city which could be opened up for housing. One of these will be squatted. A few dozen people (including members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, based in Toronto) gathered on an overcast day in Confederation Park in downtown Peterborough. Speakers discussed housing issues, May Day and the labour movement, along with the agenda for private control of public space led by the downtown business association.

Leaving the park, we marched onto the street, past the police station on the way to our destination, an extensive mansion; empty for two years after being sold by a centralizing university for which it formerly served as residences, classrooms and offices, to a private owner. While admitting that the building could easily serve as low cost housing, the owner is on the public record for stating, "It is too beautiful a home to convert into affordable apartments". A mindset which ensures that housing will not be a priority of the State, let alone private business, unless it is forced onto the table. After reading our banners, drivers honked at us as they drove past us in a lane of the three lane one-way road we kept partially open.

Reaching the house, PCAP, OCAP and IWW members spoke while a PCAP member bravely scaled a wall and unfolded a large PCAP banner off of the building's second floor balcony. A couple of interested neighbours came over and we discovered that several doors were open, allowing us to tour the expansive structure. Not intending to squat the building despite its excellent condition, we later headed out, to regroup at a music event that night featuring folk, funk and punk acts.

Amazingly we experienced no police interference, our main opposition coming from social agencies, represented by the muncipal housing chairman, who denounced 'breaking into private property' the next day, "I don't agree with their actions. There are lots of groups out there working hard to offer housing." Actions like this one, demonstrate the importance of PCAP and similar groups in providing a way for youth, unemployed and low income workers to speak for themselves and force change on a system which ignores or suppresses them.

The Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty is a member of the Ontario Common Front.