TentCity
Oct 2, 2023
The Housing Crisis is Caused By Capitalist Greed Not Im/migration
This is an important time to support our unhoused comrades. A few members of the Anti-Racism Coalition NL, the SJC, and the 2SLGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Pod have been connecting with residents of the tent city to figure out what kind of help is needed. We have heard from members on the ground that currently residents of the tent city have plenty of food, sleeping bags, warm clothes, and hygiene products. Some things that are lacking are cigarettes and small amounts of alcohol to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Members on the ground have cautioned that it is not a good idea to show up unannounced with donations, for a couple of reasons. One being that a rush of donations can overfill the need and can end up needing to be redistributed or disposed of (in cases of food spoilage) by tent-city residents, inadvertently adding to their burden instead of alleviating it. Secondly, it's important to be mindful that some residents of the tent city are in active addiction and a rush of people approaching can be experienced as threatening.
Firewood is a big need, and is welcome to be dropped off unannounced, because at this point, it's being burned faster than it's being received and it is quite cold. If you have some to drop off, approach slowly, calmly, and respectfully. Or reply to this email and we can help make arrangements for a member to pick it up and drop it off.
The 2SLGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Pod, with guidance and support from members of the Anti-Racism Coalition NL, has been using its Community Aid Fund to provide things for harm reduction like cigarettes and small amounts of alcohol, as these are direly needed and rare to access through traditional non-profits. The Pod is currently discussing launching a solidarity and harm reduction fund for tent city. In the meantime, if you'd like to contribute financially to help with harm reduction efforts, there are members on the ground connecting with residents of the tent city who can get your support where it needs to be. Just email us at SocialJusticeCoopNL@gmail.com to let us know you want to help out and we'll put you in touch with them.
Other than financially, there are many ways to contribute your time and energy to help out. It is a powerful time to write your MHA and urge them to address the Housing Crisis and advocate for safe and affordable housing for all! You can find your MHA's email here: https://www.assembly.nl.ca/Members/members.aspx In addition to sending a letter to your own MHA, you can include the Minister of Children, Seniors, and Social Development, Paul Pike, at the following email: CSSDMinister@gov.nl.ca If you write your MHA, and would like to share your letter, or part of it, with us we'd love to hear from you. If you'd like we can share it with others as a template or to help get them started on a letter too. You can reach us at
You can also call the House of Assembly (Department of Children, Seniors, and Social Development) to complain about the lack of housing and unsafe and full shelters, with winter coming and no warming centers planned again this year.
Here is the phone number:
709-729-0659 It's crucial that we are loud and clear that the housing crisis is a problem of capitalist greed. It is not a problem caused by migration or immigration.
Dividing communities and turning people against one another is a key tactic of the rich to hold unto their wealth and power.
There is an excellent webinar on offer this month from the Migrant Rights Network, called
"How to Fix the Housing Crisis? And why im/migrants are not responsible."
Please consider attending and/or spreading the word about this important discussion! Register here: https://migrantrights.ca/events/oct18/ or by clicking the button below.
October 18, 2023
8:00 - 9:30 PM NT | 7:30 - 9:00 PM AT
