The Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA) was a non-profit society in the

Downtown Eastside The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a list of neighbourhoods in Vancouver, neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues, including disproportio ...

area of

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, operating from 1973 until 2010. The association was founded by Bruce Eriksen, Libby Davies, Jean Swanson, University of Victoria professor Calvin Sandborn and other residents of the Downtown Eastside. Membership was restricted to those who live within the neighbourhood's boundaries. The association's original aims are outlined in its Mission Statement. The group was actively involved with opposition to the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

, and was accused of possessing the Olympic Flag stolen from

Vancouver City Hall Vancouver City Hall is home to Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at 453 West 12th Avenue, the building was ordered by the Vancouver Civic Building Committee, designed by architect Fred Townley and Matheson, and ...

on March 16, 2007. The association has close ties with the Anti-Poverty Committee, with many APC members having worked for the DERA, and live in DERA subsidized housing. In March 2010, the association was accused of mishandling public money, and failing to pay $500,000 in property taxes and rents from three government-owned social housing buildings that they manage. Since the suit, the three government-owned social housing buildings were handed over to a court-appointed receiver, and an undisclosed settlement was reached between the DERA and BC Housing. BC Housing issued a proposal call in the summer of 2010 to find nonprofit housing societies to manage the buildings in the long term. Former supporters of the DERA, such as Jim Green, a former Vancouver city councillor who led DERA in the 1980s, stated that this settlement likely means the end of the DERA as a housing provider for the poor. After the settlement, DERA disbanded without an official announcement.

References

External links

*http://www.vcn.bc.ca/dera/ Non-profit organizations based in Vancouver Downtown Eastside 1973 establishments in British Columbia 2010 disestablishments in British Columbia {{Vancouver-stub