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CHF Canada media release
 Previous release Media release index Next release June 20, 2008 – Paul Hastie, Managing Director of Homestarts, has been awarded the 2008 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation award for outstanding contribution to co‑operative housing. The award was presented on Saturday at the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada annual general meeting in Toronto. Homestarts is a community based non-profit organization that provides management, maintenance, capital repair and consulting services to housing co‑operatives and co‑op sector organizations in southern Ontario. This year, Homestarts celebrates 30 years of service to the co‑operative movement. When the organization began work, its primary focus was the development and construction of housing co‑ops. Between 1978 and 1996, Homestarts developed 52 housing co‑operatives, providing homes to over 4,000 families. Paul began work with Homestarts in 1988 as a Management and Development Consultant. He co-ordinated the development and construction of 15 housing co‑ops – roughly 1,000 units. Paul focused on infill sites with opportunity for intensification, and access to transportation, schools and other amenities. All of his projects incorporated measures to conserve gas, electricity and water, and reduce landfill. For Paul, perhaps the most satisfying of these was the development of a unique 68-unit townhome and apartment building in a downtown neighbourhood of Orangeville, Ontario. Lavender Lane became the first housing co‑op in the province certified as built to the super energy-efficiency standards of the federal government’s R-2000 construction program. This project was the proud recipients of awards from both the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada. Paul currently supervises the delivery of services to 40 housing co‑op clients. He continues to take a keen interest in energy and water retrofits, not only to save co‑op members’ money but to reduce the greenhouse gasses that threaten our future and that of our children. Finally, he plays a key role organizing and supervising capital repair projects. When Paul started at Homestarts in 1988, there were just six employees. Today there are close to 80 and growing. Homestarts’ success may be the importance it places on creating a progressive work environment and supporting staff in the workplace. Accordingly, many staff now regard Homestarts as a good place to work. A former member of F.G. McLoughlin Co‑op, Paul served as one of its volunteer founding directors and was active on its finance committee. For more information, contact: Paul Hastie, Homestarts, (905) 858-1110 Ext 27 or phastie @ homestarts.org Merrilee Robson, Program Manager, Communications, 1-877-533-2667, ext. 122, (778) 227-3864(cell) or mrobson @ chfcanada.coop |
