For 40 years Jean Swanson has fought to end poverty and homelessness. At the
Downtown Eastside Residents Association in the 1970s, she worked to create a
space for the people of this neighbourhood to take an active role in improving their
community. She has sought to dispel myths that link poverty to personal deficiencies,
and played leading roles provincially and nationally in several organizations. But her
overriding focus is the Downtown Eastside, where she continues to work on housing
and income issues as a volunteer for the Carnegie Community Centre.