Membership can be indicative
of the degree of support to be found in the community for the
affordable housing cause. We encourage all those who support
public policy and government action that ensures adequate numbers
of appropriately designed and located affordable housing units
are made available throughout Nova Scotia to become members.
The more people who sign up the greater our voice with government.
Please
join us in promoting the just cause of affordable housing
for all.
Complete the membership
application and mail it along with a cheque
for $10.00 (students in post secondary program in Nova
Scotia are eligible for free membership). For further
information contact us at ahansboard@gmail.com.
AHANS (c/o
Community Action on Homelessness)
2030 Gottingen Street, suite 201
Halifax NS B3K 3A9
History
In the late 1980’s there were
only thirteen affordable housing units available in Nova Scotia.
As a response to that situation the Affordable Housing Association
of Nova Scotia (AHANS) was formed to lobby on behalf of Nova
Scotians in need of adequate, affordable housing.
Throughout the early nineties, AHANS wrote a number of research
papers that examined the housing situation in the province. AHANS
also held a number of well attended, regional meetings where
the findings were presented and further input from the community
was incorporated into the final reports. Nationally, AHANS prepared
information to ensure that housing was included in the constitutional
debates that dominated the political agenda of that time. AHANS
also reacted to the 1991 federal budget’s 52% cut to social housing
and the termination of the co-op program by lobbying, letter
writing, and playing a major role in the emergency meeting organized
and sponsored by the Mayor and council of the City of Halifax.
In 1992, Harbour City Homes (HCH) approached AHANS to take over
the coordination of the Creighton-Gerrish Development. A review
of the Nova Scotia Planning Act and Regulations had led to the
identification of a small, run down section of the North End
of Halifax as a key area, that if developed to provide housing
for low-to-middle income people, would generate significant renewal
to this and surrounding areas. This initiative led to the construction
of a significant number of units of affordable housing, a support
centre for homeless men, and 6 units of affordable ownership
family housing. Further phases are in development.
Today, AHANS is taking a leadership role in creating opportunities
for partnerships between the non-profit sector and private developers.
AHANS continues to lobby government to influence policy and programs.
AHANS is also developing a strategy to change the public’s perception
of affordable housing.
AHANS Partners
Community Action on Homelessness
(www.cahhalifax.org)
Seton Foundation
Dartmouth Non-Profit Housing
Harbour City Homes
Metro Non-Profit Housing (www3.ns.sympatico.ca/mnpha/)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca)
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (http://chra-achru.ca)
Coastal Community Network (www.coastalcommunities.ns.ca)
Board of
Directors 2009
AHANS Board of Directors is selected each year during its Annual
General Meeting in November. The current board benefits from
membership hailing from a broad range of backgrounds, each with
a history of commitment to affordable housing issues.
Ann Bromley, President - Ms. Bromley
comes to housing advocacy from a diverse background as a journalist,
film producer, and non-profit housing developer. She has worked
as a development consultant for the past 5 years, working with
groups to develop business plans that will realize their goals.
Ms. Bromley is committed to helping service the growing need
for affordable and sustainable housing in Nova Scotia. Her passions
are community development, gardening and the environment.
Anne Sinclair, Secretary
Bill Buckland, Vice President -
Bill has been employed with Seton Foundation Ltd, a non profit
housing provider of low income housing in the Cape Breton area
for the past 31 years where they have approximately 250 homes
under administration. He is currently the Administrator of the
Foundation and a Board Member of the Canada Housing and Renewal
Association. In his spare time he likes to play tennis.
Barbara Nehiley, Treasurer - Barbara
Nehiley has had an abiding interest in housing justice for almost
30 years in her work life as a Senior Policy Analyst with the
Community Development Department at the Halifax Regional Municipality.
There she worked to increase strategic knowledge on the scope
of homelessness with such reports as 'Homelessness in HRM : Portraits
of Streets and Shelters', 'Municipal Land Use Policy and Affordable
Housing', and 'The Cost of Homelessness'. She also sits on the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities National Housing Policy
Options Team (NHPOT) which promotes affordable housing policy
at the Federal level; the Community Action on Homelessness (CAH)
Steering Committee; the board of St. Leonard's Society of NS;
and the Metro Turning Point Men's Shelter board of directors.
Wayne MacNaughton, Director
Carol Tooton, Director - Carol is
Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Division of the Canadian
Mental Health Association and is very familiar with the issues
that directly affect individuals living with a mental illness
and regularly addresses these concerns through public presentations.
She is actively involved as Co-chair of the Kendrick Report Coalition,
a member of the Provincial Mental Health Steering Committee,
a member of the Steering Committee for the Nova Scotia Suicide
Strategy, and a member of the Advisory Committee as well as sponsoring
agency for a newly launched initiative called Communities Addressing
Suicide Together. In cooperation with colleagues across the region
she has introduced the award-winning Mental Health Works Program
to the Maritime area. Prior to becoming involved with CMHA Carol
taught in the public school system of Nova Scotia. She is married
with a daughter and son and two step-daughters.
Amy Moonshadow, Director - Amy is
a Community Mental Health Workers and member of the Homeless
Support Network of MRH for the last 20 years. She is currently
doing a lot of advocacy with equality-seeking groups such as
the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty, NS Carpenters Union, OXFAM
Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy, NS League for
Equal Opportunity, Brain Injury Association of NS, the Community
Advocate Network, and the First Voice Action Group of the Steering
Committee for the Community Action on Homelessness since its
founding.
Claudia Jahn, Director - Claudia
has a professional background in housing development and property
management from Germany. She worked previously as a consultant
for non-profit housing developers and also as a researcher. Blending
her passion for social justice and community development, Ms.
Jahn has worked for many years to develop practical and innovative
solutions for healthy, sustainable communities. Since 2005, Claudia
is the Program Director for Community Action on Homelessness
where she works with community in advancing solutions to homelessness
and the challenges community members face in accessing safe and
affordable housing. Claudia serves currently as a member of the
Board of the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, the
Safe Harbour Housing Society and the City Design Initiative.
Rev. Wayne Desmond, Director
Grant Wanzel, Director
Sharon Murphy, Director
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