Affordable Housing Action Network (AHAN)

Information Sharing: Meeting Minutes

Time: 2:30p.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Location: Three Oaks

ATTENDANCE

Rahno Godfrey, Jennifer Davis, Cathy McCallum, Derek McGeachy, Joanne Goodfellow, Julie Hay, Theresa Sommerton

ACTION

Vanessa:

  1. Attend the Landlord Open House at HHRC to advertise AHAN (bring display board), receive feedback about the landlord packages and suggestions for the Practical Solutions forum.
  2. Explore possibility of attending next Quinte District Landlord Association (QDLA) meeting for same feedback/exposure.
  3. Request 200 Community Services booklets from Michele Ogden for landlord/tenant packages
  4. Contact a representative at Service Canada for a company stamp that can be used to correct pamphlets, cards and stickers.
  5. Make corrections to and reprint AHAN pamphlets. Have final draft translated into French for printing.

Joan:

  1. Send invitations for upcoming forum/meeting events to those who have not received them.

Derek:

1. Email updated version of revised tenant package to Vanessa

MINUTES
  • Members present approved the minutes from the January 24th Information Sharing meeting.
LANDLORD/TENANT PACKAGES
  • Geared towards two distinctly different groups so should be prepared and packaged separately, but made available to who ever requests them.
  • Members present suggested no changes to the landlord package, however the recommendation was made to incorporate materials from Derek McGeachy, Kathy McGrath, “Key to the Front Door” booklet and Boxed in Report (?).
  • Members present suggested review/update of the packages annually.
  • Members present suggested 100 copies of each (landlord and tenant packages) for first printing. One copy could be sent to a variety of services for them to reprint and distribute as needed.
  • Members present suggested the landlord and tenant information be packaged in large manila envelopes with labels. No need for a cover page however should be organized in some way (table of contents?)
  • Landlord packages should include information on how to access financial assistance with home repair/maintenance (ex. RHAP/heating & hydro upgrades funded/available through Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation: CMHC).
AHAN PAMPHLETS
  • Pamphlets require corrections related to literacy issues (avoid cutting words in half when formatting or spelling words out in complete capitals). Service Canada requires the pamphlets be translated and printed in French as well.
GENERAL CONCERNS
  • Jennifer Davis, Kathy McCallum and Bob Cottrell did not receive invitations to the upcoming forum events
  • Good media contacts recommended for AHAN coverage include:
  1. Community Press, Louise Livingston 395-3015 (work) 395-4388 (home)
  2. Intelligencer, Linda O’Connor 962-3339 ext. 212 (work)
  • Good facilities recommended for AHAN events include:
  1. City Hall conference room (free for non profits)
  2. St. Thomas conference room (free for non profits)
  • Kathy McGrath, Rahno Godfrey, Joanne Goodfellow, Theresa Sommerton, Julie Hay and Derek McGeachy will be available to assist with “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes”.
  • The Networking Group has expressed an interest in combining forces with the Information Sharing group as they feel many goals and responsibilities are similar. Members present agreed they were accepting of this request to “team up”.
Next Information Sharing Meeting

2:00p.m.Tuesday, March 28 at Three Oaks