NEWS RELEASE
STRATFORD AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALLIANCE
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SAHA has invited several experts to help paint a picture of how Community Land Trusts and cooperative ownership can address our local affordability concerns, around housing and farmland - as well as answer questions from the community.
SAHA Co-Founder and event organizer, Niki André, explains why she coordinated the event:
“What we’re realizing is that a lot of folks have forgotten how to do community... We have forgotten that land and property that is owned by the City is owned by us., Our City representatives and officials are our representatives. They represent us. We pay their salaries so they can do good things for all of this community. This event is about reminding us of what is in our history; of how to do things as a community”
Event participants will learn what concrete steps they can take, right now, to help realize a vision of community owned and controlled affordable housing and agriculture in Stratford, Perth and other rural communities/centres in the region. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a community consultation on potential next steps and a Q&A with panelists.
As part of our presentation, two short films from the Depth of Field: Films About Farming series will be screened. One features local, Lucky Bug Farm in Baden, ON, the other is about Ferme Coopérative Tourne-Sol in Les Cèdres, QC. The films speak to the challenges farmers face securing sustainably affordable land and how cooperative models can help.
Panelists include :
- Dominique Russell from the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts (communityland.ca)
- Susanna Redekop, from Freedom Dreams Cooperative Education (freedomdreamscoop.com),
- Jon Gagnon from Sundance Commons (sundancecommons.com)
- Boris Emanuel, Executive Director of Love Your Neighbour Communities (lyncommunities.com) - and the Mill Block Community hub,
- Samantha Eby and Michael Piper from University of Toronto's ReHousing Project (ReHousing.ca),
- Scott Stager Piatowski from the Community Housing Transformation Centre (https://centre.support/)
- Akanee Yamaki and the FairBnB team (FairBnB.ca)
Plus, a brief presentation prepared by Martin Straathof of the Ontario Farmland Trust (OTF) will be presented on his behalf.
You can register for this FREE event and find out more at bit.ly/SAHA-CLT.
The Stratford Affordable Housing Alliance is advocating for Proportionately Mixed Income (PMI) Affordable Housing in the Stratford area. Sign the petition at bit.ly/SAHA_Petition
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