A health promoter with the Nova Scotia Health Authority says a number of different stakeholders took part in a think tank to discuss housing issues in Port Hawkesbury and Richmond Co.
Celeste Gotell says the one-day event took place in October.
She says they wanted many different points-of-view, so they had health and government officials, landlords, developers, clergy and RCMP take part.
Gotell tells The Hawk housing issues in the area go beyond just affordable housing.
“It could be seniors that are living in their homes, but the housing is no longer suitable for them,” she says. “It could be students that are coming to study at the Nova Scotia Community College, and are struggling to find appropriate, affordable housing; it could be families that are impacted by family violence.”
Gotell says there’s no organization in Port Hawkesbury and Richmond Co. focused solely on housing.
She says plans to move forward are already in the works.
“A number of people stepped up, and said they’d like to be involved in some type of planning group,” she says. “We’re going to reconvene in a few weeks, and then kind of figure out where we go from there.”
Gotell says there’s already talk of a second think tank in the spring.