6 beauty

The supporters and ideas behind the squat occupation at Overdale. Food Not Bombs donated and cooked the daily meals.

architecture at the barricades Darrel Ronald A mong a crowd of 500 marching protesters I leaned towards a doubting friend claiming that:“By the end of today they’ll have a home!” This type of architecture rarely happens. This was Montréal, July 27, summer 2001.The city has one of the most difficult housing situations in Canada with an affordable housing vacancy rate of 1%. It is a problem recognized throughout the city and province, so much so that McGill University has a special department for social housing in its architecture department. Amongst this crowd of the homeless, the unemployed, social activists, anarchists and supporters, I was overcome by the feeling that we need more architects involved with activism. While Montréal is in a housing crisis; it is a problem not unlike other Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. Since the federal government shifted social housing responsibilities to the provinces in 1995, the availability of affordable rental units has become increasingly scarce. Ontario developer Mitchell Cohen has argued in the Globe and Mail that the federal government has ignored its social responsibility for housing. “Well, here we are, six years later” he writes.“Six years in which Ottawa and most provinces spent no money on new affordable hous- ing.The result: ever increasing numbers of men, women and children living in substandard, temporary housing — or on the street.” The entrance to the Overdale Squat, with a list of needs; such as plumbing, electrical, paint, furniture. The black and red communitarian anarchist flag hangs above.

A shot showing the urban/highrise backdrop of the site: the Overdale Squat was right downtown. This was during the occupation before they were relocated to the Rachel Squat. The building here is covered with grafitti; and the roof is used as the watchtower for riot police.

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ON SITE review 6: BEAUTY

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