2 activists arrested at new Vancouver squat

Two anti-poverty activists have been arrested by Vancouver policefor sending food, water and blankets into a city-owned building being occupied by squatters, just down the street from city hall.

Kim Kerr of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association and a second person were arrested late Wednesday morning at the building at the corner of Cambie Street and West Broadway.

Kerr had tied a bag of supplies to a rope that the squatters had lowered from an upper window, and they pulled it up. Police moved in and arrested him immediately.

The second man was arrested a few minutes later for trying to do the same thing.

Police say the pair could be charged with obstruction.

Squatters spokesmanAaron Muirheadtold CBC News there had been an agreement with police to meet Wednesday to talk about negotiations to end the occupation. Buthe says that deal is now off.

Protesters moved in Tuesday

About 20 people took over the abandoned building on Tuesday just a block from city hall, in an effort to draw attention to the city's homeless situation.

Kerr, one of the leaders of the latest squat, also helped organize the recent occupation of Gastown's North Star Hotel, which ended with his arrest and those of five otherprotesters.

Police had been posted at the new squat site to prevent any suppliesfrom being taken into the protesters.

When asked about that strategyat hishomelessness news conference onWednesday, Mayor Sam Sullivan said he will not tolerate the illegal occupation of buildings.

Mayor looking for more money from Victoria, Ottawa

At that news conference, Sullivan unveiled his new homelessness strategy, which for the most part, involvesadditional funding from the federal and provincial governments.

He wants the province topay for new housing on city-owned land,replace existing single-resident-occupancy (SRO) hotels andprovide more emergency shelter beds.

The final point of his plan asks the province to finance improvements to the SRO hotels to bring them up tothe minimum standard demanded by the city.

Opposition Coun. Tim Stevenson of Vision Vancouver called that an admission of failure, saying the city has the power to order landlords to make the improvements, but has not done so.