Fwd: Louis Riel House Residents Organize

[Sonja Luehrmann <luehrmann@sfu.ca>]

Forwarding with apologies for cross-posting. Many of you are probably already aware of the situation with Louis Riel House, but faculty response would probably be helpful in reminding the administration of the importance of maintaining affordable family housing options for students. 

best regards,

Sonja Luehrmann
Sociology and Anthropology 
----- Forwarded Message -----



Dear Colleagues, 

I don't know if you are already familiar with the situation at Louis Riel House, which has provided affordable family housing for SFU students over most of the University's lifetime. The residence is now being tested for mould contamination, applications for family housing have been suspended, and residents are concerned not only that they may lose their accommodation in the short term, but that the building will be replaced with something much more expensive as happened in a similar situation at UBC. 

I have supervised graduate students for whom Louis Riel was a financial lifeline and a genuine community in which their young children grew and thrived.I feel very strongly that SFU should continue to offer this kind of housing on campus, especially in Vancouver where housing is so expensive. 

These students really need broad support from vested university colleagues so as not to feel intimidated standing up for they're great community in Louis Riel. 

You can find information about the Louis Riel and the residents who are organizing at the link below. Also linked is a place where you can sign a petition on their behalf. And an article about their cause featured in the PEAK. 

If you would like updates on this issue, or need more information, feel free to email me. 

Also, any group or faculty statements would be greatly appreciated. 

And, if you have interest in contacting the residents, their main organizer, Teresa Dettling (a single-parent undergrad student whose family lives in Louis Riel), can be reached at tdettlin@sfu.ca . 

Thank you very much, 

Charles Bingham 

https://lrhcommunity.wordpress.com/about/our-declaration/ (tenant webpage) 

https://lrhcommunity.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/were-in-the-peak/ (PEAK story) 

https://www.change.org/p/simon-fraser-university-stop-sfu-from-closing-low-income-family-and-graduate-housing-please-help-us-keeps-our-kids-together 

(link to petition.) 


Prof Charles BIngham 
Faculty of Education 
Simon Fraser University 
twitter.com/bingbingham