Hornepayne Housing Corp. to host symposium
Looking to settle down in Hornepayne but don’t know how or where to start?
The Hornepayne Housing Corporation (HHC) is hosting a Housing Symposium on May 11 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Legion Branch 194.
This is the first event held by the HCC after they were officially incorporated on March 22, 2021.
Cheryl Fort, chair of the HCC’s board of directors, said the symposium spun out of a ‘housing needs and demands’ study conducted in Hornepayne which identified a need to diversify the town’s housing market.
She also observed that there aren’t exactly a ton of real estate agencies in Hornepayne – meaning, first-time home-buyers/builders might come to the community with a lot of questions and feel overwhelmed.
“It’s very difficult for someone when they come to the community – sometimes they don’t have the skill set,” Fort said.
She listed some of the questions folks usually ask when they’re looking to build or buy including:
Fort said that the symposium is designed to answer all of these questions and more.
“The concept underneath was, ‘we need to diversify housing in Hornepayne, we’re not all going to do it alone.’ There’s plenty of people moving here that want to buy or build a house, but this gives them a portal for all of the information,” she said.
“It’s about just giving people the information they need to decide what would be the best fit for them. Everyone’s in a different situation. You might be a Hornepayne resident who has a well-paying job and can afford to build – or even maybe a senior who wants to downsize and figure out the options for that.
"Maybe you’re a couple with children, whose parents are here and you’re thinking of putting a garden suite on your property so your parents can stay within the community . . . these are the things people need to know about.”
The symposium will also feature presentations from community partners such as modular home builders, One Bowl and Seed Homes – in addition to Home Hardware, Scotiabank, Nord-Aski Regional Economic Development Corp., and realtor Kimmie Dozois.
The township’s building inspector, Kevin Sabourin, will also be in attendance to answer questions alongside other municipal staff.
Fort said the event has had “tremendous buy-in” and partners have donated a number of door prizes that registrants are eligible to win.
The event is free to the public – but registration is required to attend.
For those who can’t make it, a recorded version of the symposium will be posted to the HCC website following the event.
Those interested in attending should fill out the online registration form at www.hornepaynehousingcorp.ca/housing-symposium.
Austin Campbell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com
