Calgary Housing Action Initiative: Minutes of General Meeting

DATE: Tuesday November 14, 2006
TIME: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
PLACE: Knox United Church

Item AGENDA
Item, Discussion, Action (Missing Info)		 Person responsible & Timeline

Welcome and Overview of CHAI

 Debbi
1

Reports from Working Groups
1.1

Book Project

  • Group is collecting people’s stories and opinion pieces about the housing crisis to create a book.
  • Group met prior to general meeting.
  • Deadline for submissions is Saturday, November 18, 2006.
 Rachel rachel@housingaction.ca
1.2

Video Project

  • Collecting Stories about the housing crisis to use for three main purposes:
    1. to place on website for awareness,
    2. to use as part of a public awareness campaign,
    3. use for political lobbing
  • Collecting stories to include in the project, had been fairly inactive recently. If interested in this project or know someone who would like to share their story, contact Debbi.
 Debbi contact info
1.3

Alternative Housing Working Group

  • Had a guest speaker at the Aruisha Centre on affordable, eco friendly living.
  • Next Step for working group is to connect with local organizations that are working on these projects.
  • This group meets the first Tuesday of every month. For more info contact Dave
 Dave alternatives@housingaction.ca
1.4

Media Working Group

  • Working in conjunction with the policy working group on letters going out to Provincial Candidates
  • Contact Tavis for more info
 Tavis contact info
1.5

Community Outreach

  • Focus of group is on community outreach and awareness including postering, information campaign etc.
  • Group going slow right now
  • New forum up on housingaction.ca/forum/225.
 Debbi & Jennifer outreach@housingaction.ca
1.6

Policy Working Group

  • United Way Policy Proposal discussed and given feedback at the last policy meeting. The United Way will be having a symposium in the spring. More info to follow.
  • Policy group decided against the form letter presented at the last meeting because it cannot represent the views of all members.
  • The idea is to instead provide information so people can write personal letters to MLA’s.
 Jennifer contact info
2

Organization and Administration
2.1

General Info

  • CHAI now has 200 plus registered members
  • Proposal for a part time staff position had been submitted to the United Way. Hopeful to have answer in January 2007.
  • The Unitarian Church is interested in directing some funding to CHAI. There will be a social justice café on Friday November 24, 2006, 7:30 PM.
    Location: Unitarian Church, 1702 - 1 Street NW.
    Grant will be speaking on behalf of CHAI at the event.
  • The website is up and functioning. Any concerns please contact Grant.
  • Forums are up on the website, people are encouraged to contribute.
 Grant admin@housingaction.ca
2.2

Practicum Student

  • Working on a fast fact sheet on housing issues for membership.
  • Working on a social activism How To guide that will be tailored to the issue of CHAI
  • Can assist with helping book meeting spaces for working groups. Contact if you need any assistance.
 Angela angela@housingaction.ca
3

Community Working Groups
3.1

Bowness and Montgomery Working Group

  • Group members attended workshop on Imagine Calgary, which focused on the positive aspects of Calgary. It was focused on assets of community members.
  • This group is working on raising awareness on the positives aspects of affordable housing.
  • Will also be exploring how to create cooperative, social housing in Bowness.
 Jennifer contact info
3.2

Windsor Park Community

  • Concerned residents attended the meeting because many apartment buildings in the area are having rent increases and being converted into condos.
  • Some of the community members are contacting aldermen and looking at what tenants rights are.
4

Discussion Points
4.1 Members concerned over lack of housing board in Alberta. No act to protect tenant rights
4.2 Pauline: Affordable Housing tool kit shared with the group.
Will be posted on the website by Grant		 Grant
4.3

Phone Tree

Comment that email does not always work for all members.Phone tree needs to be established.
Angela and Vi will be working on this.
4.4

Education Campaign Land owners

Discussion of an equation campaign on the cost of the housing crisis to landowners, businesses etc in the long run.
4.5

Letters to the Editors on Housing Crisis

Discussion of targeting letters at this time due to current Conservative Party Leadership race. Targeting letters questioning what the leadership candidates positions are on this issue.
4.6

Electoral Funding

Members have a meeting with Joe Ceci about the funding of municipal elections.
4.7

Empty Schools

Discussion of possibility of opening the 13 empty schools in the city of Calgary for housing. Edmonton has a model that appears to work well.
5

Announcements
5.1

Arusha Action Film

February 2007 film will be “In the Gutter and Other Good Places” focusing on homelessness in Calgary. Would CHAI be interested in participating in promoting this event? Would CHAI set up an information booth at the event?
5.2

Alberta Housing Coalition

Will be a media campaign over the next few weeks in time with the Conservative leadership race about housing issues.
6

Upcoming Action
6.1

Action at City Hall

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, at 1pm, to protest the new City By-Law on Public Behavior.

ADJOURNMENT:

NEXT MEETING:

Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 7:00-9:00 PM
Knox United Church (506 - 4 Street SW)
Details.

DISTRIBUTION:

Minutes prepared/distributed by Angela Hutchinson