Home is where the housing is

The City of St. John’s collaborated with CMHC to put together an affordable housing forum to discuss the changing times 

My Online Journalism Blog
Melissa Wong

The Canadian Government made housing a human right when they passed Bill C-97 on June 21, 2019, when the Governor General signed the “National Housing Strategy Act”.

The historic decision has a massive impact on Canadian provinces, its housing corporations and housing forums.

“Since 1998, municipalities and other gov- other organizations across the nation have recognized National Housing Day on November 22, which is this Friday,” Simone Lilly, Affordable Housing & Development Facilitator from the City of St. John’s Housing Division, said in her opening speech at this year’s housing forum.

Simone Lilly is the Affordable Housing & Development
 Facilitator from the City of St. John’s Housing Division.
She introduced each speaker at the Affordable Housing
 Forum. After the forum’s attendance had a complimentary
 breakfast, she gave the opening speech. 
Melissa Wong/My Online Journalism Blog

“National Housing Day recognizes that having a safe secure home is a basic human right and is a key pathway out of poverty,” Lilly added. “Mayor Danny Breen… declared November 22 to be a day meant to raise awareness about housing and homelessness.”

The Affordable Housing Forum titled “Finding the Right Mix: Projects, Partnerships and Funding” was held at the Emera Innovation Exchange on 100 Signal Hill Road, St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador (N.L.). The event began on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Conference Centre. The City of St. John’s and the Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) work together each year to hold the Forum.

Breen attended the forum and explained to the crowd what the City is actively doing to create safe and affordable housing. He mentioned that the City is continuing to offer the 2020 Housing Catalyst Fund grants for housing projects until the last Friday of November.

According to the City’s annual update, First Light N.L. was awarded one of the grants.

One of the speakers at the event was Breannah Tulk, director of business operations at First Light. First Light is a registered non-profit that serves urban indigenous and non-indigenous people, while celebrating indigenous culture, friendship and trust.

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First Light has focused on emergency housing in the past, but they are moving to invest in affordable housing. Tulk said they are partnering with the Cochrane Street United Church in St. John's to house tenants by renovating and supporting the housing. 

“We couldn’t walk away from this sort of opportunity,” Tulk said. “… We also had a community organization that was struggling to become operational. When we saw the number of people who were engaged and wanted to see that project become successful- we had an opportunity to work with people we otherwise would not normally work with.”

According to Tulk, First Light has friendship centres across the country. In N.L. they have centres in St. John’s, Happy Valley Goose Bay and Stephenville and are planning to open a fourth centre.

“Something we are really interested in is revitalizing some of these spaces that are downtown,” Tulk said. “To make sure the green spaces aren’t only there for the tenants that are living in the building but encourage community coming together to use spaces together.”

Affordable Housing & Development created 
a timeline about how housing actions have shaped
the landscape for Newfoundland and Labrador. 
It begins in 1938 when the National Housing Act
 (NHA) was introduced in 2019 when the Canadian 
government passed Bill-97 making housing a 
Human Right in Canada. 
Melissa Wong/My Online Journalism Blog

Greg Dewling, CEO of Capital Region Housing in Edmonton Alberta, agreed about the importance of green spaces during his questions and answers period at the housing forum. He was born in N.L. and came “home for one night” to give his presentation.

“All of our new buildings, if they don’t have... (green space) next door, we will integrate features on the sight,” Dewling said.

In his keynote presentation titled “Portfolios, Partnerships and For Profit”, Dewling talked about how the National Housing Strategy Act can create momentum for projects and the importance of having partnerships. He also spoke about how the private sector can help to increase affordable housing.

In 2014, End Homelessness St. John’s began its first community plan to help people without homes to find them and in 2018 Canada announced its first ever National Housing Strategy.

Now that housing is a human right in Canada, the annual housing forums will never be the same. 

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©Melissa Wong