By Chad Ingram
Local non-profit affordable housing organization Places for People is seeking three new members for its board of directors.
Places for People now in its eighth year recently held its annual general meeting.
“The rhythm that Places for People seems to have established over the eight years of its existence is of alternating growth and consolidation years; within this context 2015 was a consolidation year” read the president’s report.
The organization tidied some of its management protocols said goodbye to two board members – Adele Espina and Fred Phipps both of whom were founding members of P4P – and gained three – John Rogers Shirley Moore and Nancy Therrien.
Rounding out the board are president Max Ward vice-president Steve Kauffeldt Gordon Forbes Gerry Moraal Jack Russell and Fay Martin.
It is seeking three more board members.
Places for People operates three subsidized housing properties one in each of Dysart et al Algonquin Highlands and Minden Hills and is looking to attain a fourth this one in Highlands East.
“We determined that we should prioritize that new property being in Highlands East since it is the only township in which we do not currently have property” the report reads. “This would require strengthening our organizational presence in that municipality. A presentation to Highlands East council in September was well received and followed up by discussion with their housing and grants committee. We are currently assessing identified properties and clarifying our focus. As always the apparently simple task of acquiring property is complicated by ongoing consideration of the real and perceived role of affordable rental housing in the social and political life of our community.”
The organization considered making changes to its model whereby some tasks that have previously been carried out by volunteers would be done by paid staff.
“We considered that we may need to begin to hire people to do some of the work that is now carried out by volunteers if we are to expand further” the report reads. “We engaged facilitators from COIN (Community Opportunity and Innovation Network Peterborough) to lead us through a facilitated exploration of whether and how to modify our model. Several options to develop a social enterprise that could fund paid personnel were explored but in the end none chosen. At base it appeared that no board member wanted to hire out their chosen tasks. We concluded that with increased efficiency and extending the reach of directors by engaging community members in the day-to-day tasks of running the corporation we could stretch the current model to cover one more property acquisition.”
Places for People raises funds through a variety of events including the Highland Yard a bowlathon and its annual Haliburton Hootenanny concert.
