STRAIT AREA: The Strait Richmond Housing Matters Coalition has invited landlords from Richmond County to join its group.
In a press release issued last week, the coalition noted that it represents several sectors including government, health, community services, victims of family violence, seniors, persons with disabilities and community advocates.
“Landlords will bring a valuable private sector perspective to this group that ensures our actions support innovative solutions to the housing challenges faced in our rural communities,” coalition co-chair and Richmond Warden Amanda Mombourquette noted.
As members of the coalition, Mombourquette said the new landlord representative will be actively involved in the coalition’s decision-making processes.
“All landlords in Richmond County with six or more units are invited to submit an application to become a coalition member,” she told The Reporter. “We already have a landlord representative from Port Hawkesbury. Any landlords who indicate an interest in supporting the goals of the coalition will be kept in the loop on our progress and we hope will become part of our wider support network.”
Mombourquette and Celeste Gotell were named co-chairs of the group in February.
Mombourquette also thanked Port Hawkesbury Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton for her leadership as previous chair.
“The coalition has made significant progress building relationships among service providers and that success is in large part due to the mayor’s commitment to improving housing options for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” the warden said in the press release.
To express an interest in joining the coalition, fill out a short questionnaire at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/srcoalition. The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is April 20.
The coalition said it is committed to advancing its vision of ensuring that inclusive, healthy, affordable, sustainable and accessible housing is available in Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury.
The Strait Richmond Housing Matters Coalition began in December 2018 after a concerned group of citizens interested in housing came together following the October 2018 Community Think Tank – Housing Matters. The coalition is comprised of individuals and members of organizations that represent a wide spectrum of housing related issues including community health and social service organizations and municipal representatives.
“Our long-term goal is to have more inclusive, healthy, affordable, sustainable and accessible housing made available in Strait Richmond communities,” Mombourquette stated. “Short-term, we want to make sure we have a private sector voice at the table to ensure we include that perspective in our decision making. We’re educating all stakeholders about the housing situation in this region; we’re also working with all levels of government, community, and businesses to attract investment in housing solutions and to advocate for policy change to improve access.”