Housing task force members appointed

Supporting Island families -

The six members appointed to the new Housing Supply Task Force bring a variety of experience and knowledge of housing in Prince Edward Island.

To help guide the province’s upcoming housing strategy, the task force will enhance government’s understanding of housing market trends and identify opportunities to address challenges. Task force members applied though Engage PEI and have been appointed to serve from January to June 2018.

“I welcome these members and look forward to learning from their unique expertise and diverse perspectives,” Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy said. “We know that an optimal housing supply depends on an active market, and that government alone will not be capable of responding to all needs.  We must work together on renewed approaches to housing so we can meet the needs of Islanders today and into the future.”

Earlier this fall government also assembled a co-development team of housing experts and clients to help create the housing strategy.  The task force will inform the work of this team and identify innovative approaches to address housing challenges across the province.

As a first step, the task force will develop an inventory of current and prospective initiatives to add to our Island housing supply. 
 
Media contact:
Darlene Gillis
ddgillis@gov.pe.ca

Backgrounder

Here are the six members appointed to the Housing Supply Task Force:

• John Horrelt, appointed chair of the task force, has worked in the building trade for 21 years. He is very active in the community and volunteers as president of the PEI Canadian Mental Health Association Board, president of the Adventure Group, and as member on the Health PEI Board of Directors.
• Terry Hennessey is a local business person with experience in various industries, including as the owner of residential housing in the Charlottetown rental market. His business interests include East Coast Cresting and Source for Sports. He has served with numerous boards and community organizations including the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation, Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce, Stratford Planning Board, and the Pownal Hockey Association.
• Karen Brodeur is the Atlantic region program manager for the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada.  There are 13 housing co-operatives on PEI.  The Co-operative Housing Federation provides advocacy, education and development opportunities in the co-operative housing sector and brings an innovative view to the housing market.
• Christina MacLeod is the permanent CEO for the Start Up Zone (currently on maternity leave), an incubator for new and emerging businesses.  She is the founder of Fusion Charlottetown and has served as the executive director for Discover Charlottetown. She was a member of the first Prince Edward Island cohort for 21 Inc Emerging Leaders program.
• Robert Haggis is the founder and principal of SableARC Studios Inc. and has been working as an architect and sustainable design consultant for more than 16 years.  He has worked on many single family and multi-unit residential projects including low income, senior-friendly, and mixed-use developments.
• Bruce MacDougall is a committed local volunteer and has served as a Summerside City Councillor for 28 years. He also brings many years experience as president and board member of the Federation of PEI Municipalities which has allowed him to see the Island as a whole.