The CHRA Board of Directors met in St. John's, Newfoundland, June 28-30. They made time in their agenda to meet with local CHRA member organizations and to visit some of the affordable housing projects, both finished and under development, in St. John's.
The Board was delighted at the opportunity to see and learn more about the fantastic social housing projects that are operating or being constructed in St. John's.
(Above, left to right: Mark Guslits, Dave Eddy, Alex Arseneau, Catherine Boucher, Alison Earle, Danielle Juteau)
One of their first stops on a tour of social housing, organized by Helen Handrigan, a former member of the Board who works for the City of St. John's, was at Choices for Youth, where they met with Executive Director Sheldon Pollett. He showed the Board the shelter which provides youth with support services.
(Above, left to right: Sheldon Pollett, Dave Eddy, Bruce Pearce, Helen Handrigan, Catherine Boucher, Phil Brown)
After spending time at Choices for Youth's centre, the Board headed to a Choices for Youth construction site, the home of future transitional housing units is St. John's. The building is currently being retrofitted partly by youth who are being taught construction skills by building this housing.
(Alison Earle, Member of the CHRA Board of Directors, Chair of Stella Burry Housing Corporation, lends a hand to a young man working on the Choices for Youth construction site.)
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Hungry Heart Café, run as one of many projects by Stella Burry Community Services to support people with barriers to housing. Board Members enjoyed the Hungry Heart's famous scones before heading upstairs to see some of the affordable housing units.
(Above, left to right: Pam Ralston, Geoff Gillard, Patrick Stewart, Alex Arseneau)
Jocelyn Greene, a social housing pioneer in Newfoundland and the Executive Director for Stella Burry, then led the Board on a tour of a building that is being retrofitted as affordable housing for female ex-offenders.
(Jocelyne Greene, furthest left, tells Board Members and guests about the affordable housing units being constructed by Stella Burry Community Services.)
The last stop on the tour was a look at the Tommy Sexton Centre, a shelter and apartments for people living with HIV/AIDS, run by the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador.
In addition to their tour of social housing, the board also joined St. John's Mayor Dennis O'Keefe, St. John's city councillors, and CHRA members at a reception held at St. John's City Hall. They discussed the importance of affordable housing and key local initiatives and issues.
(St. John's Mayor Dennis O'Keefe with CHRA President Dave Eddy)
With thanks to CHRA members Stella Burry Community Services, Choices for Youth, the City of St. John's, and the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Helen Handrigan and Bruce Pearce for organizing the tour.