Perth Huron United Way has announced its Director for the new Community Renewal Company.
United Way Executive Director, Ryan Erb says the Community Renewal Company’s initial focus is developing and operating affordable rental supply, supportive housing options and innovation in social service access and delivery, including community hubs. One of their priorities is the new Listowel Access Centre, which will include forty rental apartment units.
New Director, Mitchel Rhodes, was previously the Director of Coordinated Access for Halifax and Rural Nova Scotia for the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia. Rhodes says the number of homeless people in Perth right now is at 170, in Huron it's 169. But he says he can see that number growing and growing as we get further down in time and where these housing issues and rental issues become more and more acute in our communities.
Rhodes says when you add to that the fact that some of the lowest unemployment rates are in Perth and he suspects that's also the case for Huron, in a sense, that is at the crux of our dilemma. How can you economically grow a region when people can't afford to live in that region.
Rhodes says a big part of the Community Renewal Company's mission is to address that issue and it really is a challenge because it comes down to where do you get the necessary financing and who's going to support that financing. He says that has traditionally fallen to government agencies like the CMHC. He says there are government agencies that fund these non-profit housing projects, but it's not easy to put those deals together and there are a lot of strings attached. He adds, it will be his job to try and put something together.