Spryfield residents form housing society to lobby for better maintenance

A newly formed society made up of community members in the Greystone area of Spryfield aims to take on housing issues they say the provincial government is ducking.

Last January,Jodi Brown moved into a low-income housing unit in Greystone operatedby the Metropolitan Regional Housing Authorityunder Housing Nova Scotia.

Brownsays she noticed a mouse infestation right away.

"Because of that, I started meeting more of the neighboursand I started to realize that the problem was everywhere," she said.

'We can stand up for our rights'

After hearing her neighbours complain about Housing Nova Scotia, she and a group of residents formed the Community of Rockingstone Society.

The group is made up of five core board members who will be supported by other volunteers. Their funding will come from grants and community business donations.

"We can stand up for our rights and hold them accountable for the things that they should be doing but they're not." said Brown.

The Metropolitan Regional Housing Authority says it's not uncommon for residential complexes to have a tenants' association and they will be moving forward with a assessment of all of their units in the Greystone area.

"A comprehensive assessment of all Metro Regional Housing Authority units is currently underway and targeted for completion by June 30." said Heather Fairbairn, spokesperson for the Department of Community Services.

Maintenance job 'not physically possible'

Brown, a formeraircraft maintenance planner, decided there was a need for a board to take on maintenanceissues more efficiently thanHousing Nova Scotia.

"They're not maintaining their homes.There's a lady that has a hole in her ceiling," said Brown."It's been like that for threeyears."

Brown says there is only one maintenance worker for the 250 units in Greystone and it's"not physically possible" for one person to do that job.

General store and laundry area

The society has acquired an area on the main level of a unit shared with community police officers. They plan touse it as a general store and will start byselling ice cream to fund various community projects.

Brown says there will also be a laundry area in the store, because many residents can't afford a washer or dryer.

"A lot of individuals that live up here, theirincome is only $255 a month," she said.

The society plans to run the area's food bank,implement tutoring programs for childrenand start a pilot program with community police officers to make residents feel safer by installing peep-holes in doors on every unit.

Issues 'need to be addressed'

HalifaxAtlantic MLABrendan Maguire acknowledged that there are issues that "need to be addressed" in Greystone. He says he's heard of infestation problems since he was elected in 2013.

The society identified garbage as being one of the issues causing the problemsand Maguire says new bins are being installed to help.

"The new garbage bins will help out with the rodent problem, but they [community members] need a strong association with a voice, and Jodi and that whole group up there will provide that and I'm looking forward to it," said Maguire.

He will be meeting with Brown next week to talk about the society's next steps.

"It's important for the community to come together and learn to work with one another, and to see when you come together and you work, you make a difference," said Brown.