Everyone deserves a place to live
The story of how a group of caring residents in Cochrane came together to ensure everyone has a decent place to live is a heartwarming one.
The HomeStead, the town’s first affordable housing development, recently celebrated its first decade of making a difference in the lives of people going through difficult times in their lives.
It all started in 1999
Three Cochrane women, Joann Churchill, Maureen Wills and Susan Flowers, recognized the fact that in this year the rental market in Cochrane was tight. The vacancy rate was close to zero and even Cochrane businesses were finding it next to impossible to bring employees to town because they couldn’t afford to live here. The women approached Cochrane Town Council and approached the mayor, asking for a needs assessment to be conducted to see just how great the problem was.
In a recent interview with The Cochrane Times, Joann Churchill recalls people, whether they had low paying jobs or whether they lost a good paying job, having to leave town because of lack of affordable housing.
Town council agreed to the assessment and in the three year following, the Cochrane Society for Housing Options (CSHO) was established with the whole mission to seek out and provide affordable housing options. Joann Churchill was the board Chair of the CSHO until 2007.
She noted that the Society could not have happened without the efforts of contributors from the community, local businesses and the partnerships between municipal and provincial government agencies. The CSHO was able to obtain land which was formerly occupied by a community hall, which was underutilized. It was the perfect spot for housing as the location is in walkable distance to shopping, pharmacies and work. The CSHO was able to provide funding to construct The HomeStead, a 38-unit complex. The ground floor is for administrative use and the rest is residential.
The HomeStead reached capacity as soon as it opened and a healthy waiting list soon developed.
Responding to Negative Feedback
During the process the CSHO found some resistance from members of the community that expressed concern that the project would be akin to a homeless shelter and that some societal issues would arise such as crime. The vision for The HomeStead was to provide affordable options for folks who had indeed lost their homes but simply needed shelter while getting back on their feet. It was more about people and families that had established a good life in Cochrane and needed a temporary home so that they could stay in town and minimize disruption to their lives.
Joann Churchill emphasized that residents of The HomeStead aren’t supposed to live there permanently. Staff are assigned to work with residents to help control finances, keep their jobs or perhaps re-enter the workplace and return to living in their own ‘forever’ home.
The HomeStead 10 Years Later
There is still a long waiting list with as many as 50 inquiries every month. The good news is that more affordable housing in Cochrane has come online like the Trading Post in the community of Sunset with 12 units. One of the barometers to the need for more affordable housing in the future is the use of the Food Bank in Cochrane. When the number of clients accessing the Food Bank increases it’s a sure sign that a wave of requests for affordable housing in Cochrane is the next step.
The CSHO continues to seek funding and is grateful for the donations it receives from Home Reno Heaven, a charitable retail outlet in Cochrane that sells appliances and fixtures and turns over proceeds to CSHO. Home Reno Heaven is located on River Ave in Cochrane.