` Discussions on slum landlords and property managers including Metro Regional Housing Authority (MRHA), abuse of rights in Housing by staff and other tenants, lack of proper and meaningful supports for vulnerable tenants, ACCESS NOVA SCOTIA- Residential Tenancy Boards violations to the Act and Canadian Charter...
NS Residential Tenancy Act
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/resident.htm
And yes if you live in any MRHA Housing units, buildings, apartments... you can file an application for $25.00 plus taxes against your property manager and MRHA-Metro Regional Housing Authority.
Cannot afford it ? Maybe you can gather a few of your neighbours that you know are having similar problems and file a group application and split the cost. The more people with same stories the more credible or substantiated your claim will be. Keep receipts and pictures if you can and it is vital that you keep a running diary of attempts to resolve with your landlord and that itself becomes evidence to the lack of timely and legal responding by a landlord.
You can get an application at Access Nova Scotia on Portland Street (Dartmouth) or Bayers Lake Park.
New location for the Access NS that was previously at the West End Mall is now Bayers Road which has caused many issues for those with little to no access. Another brilliant move, no pun intended, by our public servants who really are not about the public!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actual Submissions to the Tenancy Board, Small Claims Courts and Supreme Court ( current)
G McIntyre Versus OMERS REALTY, OXFORD PROPERTIES, KEVIN RUSSELL- Highfield Park Dr.
draft
~~~~~~~~
Terra Ciolfe - For Metro
/http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/news/affordable-housing-news/new-report-precarious-housing-in-canada-2010/
Coming soon...corrupt public servants at Access NS.... Alan Bickle, Gerald Hashey, Janet Light, Peter Keating, Linda Hardy, Gerard Neal, R MacNeil, Moria Ducharme, Roberta,
Check out this great MSN video: Billion dollar home overlooks Mumbai slums
Having recently viewed this video and not knowing the family or man, who is India's richest man, I find it most vulgar that he would choose to build his 27 story billion dollar home next to the slums of Mombai which begs the question: who is more impoverished?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/10/14/2010-10-14_mukesh_ambani_indias_richest_man_builds_first_billiondollar_home_in_mumbai.html
______________
From: CNS Release [mailto:release@gov.ns.ca]
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 4:40 PM
Through amendments introduced today, Nov. 29 2010, to the Residential Tenancies Act, the proposed changes continue to balance the needs of tenants and landlords and will improve the process to resolve issues.
"We understand that Nova Scotians want a residential tenancies system that is up to date and effective," said Ramona Jennex, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "After consulting with tenants and landlords, this act will reflect what we heard and continues to balance the rights and responsibilities of both."
(I wonder what landlords and tenants were consulted.)
Given all the serious issues in this corrupt agency, the only things Ramona Jennex came up with are:
The proposed amendments include:
--immediate tenure for all tenants
--improving the process to deal with unpaid rent
--a simple process for rent increases in land lease communities (formerly mobile home parks)
--extending full rights to tenants with fixed-term leases
--and the ability to award an application fee for successful applicants in the residential tenancies hearing process.
"With more than 100,000 rental units in Nova Scotia, I'm pleased to say that the majority of rental relationships are working well," said Ms. Jennex. "However, if problems do arise, our updated, modernized changes to the residential tenancies program gives tenants and landlords the information and tools they need to sort out their differences."
Ms. Jennex also introduced amendments to the Condominium Act to correct minor housekeeping items.
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Media Contact: Tina Thibeau
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
902-722-1461
E-mail: thibeatd@gov.ns.ca
**end of message**
________________________________
Event for homeless first of its kind in Atlantic Canada Response from community positive: Organizer
RESPONSE:
Enclosed is my first newspaper publication on the corruption of Metro Regional Housing Authority and the Human Rights Commission who illegally changed the name of the named defendant from Irvine Carvery to MRHA during the supposed Kirk Johnson/ HRC investigation. More information to be discussed in the Human Rights Commission section.
A “Home Sweet Home” story, in the First Person:
“A man’s value to the community depends primarily on how far his feelings, thoughts, and actions are directed toward promoting the good of his fellows.”
(excuse the sexist language acceptable in the time of the author)
The following reading is an oversimplification of events as not to traumatize the author or reader. I call it ‘organized crime’. The way individuals and agencies organize themselves to ignore or pretend that certain social conditions are not a reality for a large number of people is criminal. No where is this more evident as in the public housing system called Mulgrave Park. Not one but many structure themselves in defensive modes to protect their own choices to be ignorant rather than using that same energy to identify the problem(s) and set out to remedy the ills.
For brevity sakes I will address the contributions of Metro Regional Housing Authority (herein MRHA) as the primary contributor to the abuse and violations of the poor and their very basic rights. This focus is not to take away from the Halifax Police Department or the Department of Community Services for their equal contributions to keeping the poor in their ‘squalor’ but these agencies,with their own discriminatory practices, are worthy of their own individual articles.
In 1997, after completing 3 university degrees --Advanced Double Major in Sociology and Anthropology, Anthropology and Psychology and BSW--, certain events rendered me incapable of functioning in a full capacity earning me the status of ‘permanent disability’. This medical category, in itself has never been the problem. It is the manner in which I am treated by agencies and prevalent attitudes that cause me the most pain and suffering. I say that I have ‘social apathitis’ for had I lived within a compassionate society I would not have endured the events that lead to my unwellness. Having this disability status gives me a free ticket to poverty and the related fringes. Having a dependant, being ill and living in poverty afforded me the privilege of eligibility for MRHA. For all of my talents, skills and resources, embellished and otherwise, I was not prepared for the blatant evidence of social and political disregard for human life that is so entrenched in public house living.
There are many existing social theories that offer explanations to the ‘why’ of this depraved existence. For all of these discussions, however, I am yet to hear Housing Authorities themselves take responsibility for substandard and inhumane living spaces and environments. Ranging from housing units that are deplorable physically to the various forms of daily violence none are as damaging as those in waged positions legislated or mandated to make sure these conditions do not occur and yet they do. In a capitalistic economy there is no realistic cure for poverty. This is not an excuse for those who take passive backseats and allow through their actions, or someone else’s, the abuse of people who are entitled to by protected by several laws, statutes and pieces of legislations (ie. Residential, Human, Constitutional, Civil and Criminal).
Some employees of MRHA in management positions treat the residents of the Park as if there is a genetic predisposition to inappropriate behaviour and criminal violence. Despite policies and procedures in the MRHA manual against acts of violence and misconduct I was evicted after filing against MRHA at the Residential Tenancy Board. Although I made many pleas for intervention and help I had to deal with each act of violence on my own. Immediately after they received my application they, having an allergic reaction to being held accountable, applied for my eviction. All of a sudden I became the most violent member of Mulgrave Park. Property and District management accepted fabricated letters from my offenders stating that they had witnessed me assaulting over 22 people in the community ( there were other allegations).
The fact that I had over 20 incident reports and 6 criminal charges laid against others for property damage and assault with a deadly weapon not one application for my offenders’ eviction was ever filed. Property management ‘made’ a visible allegiance with my offenders and vowed to ‘get rid of the white crazy *%^#’.’ It was difficult for me to get witnesses to come to court as ‘I am afraid I’ll get evicted’ was the popular and real belief. I did have two witnesses but property and district management transferred one of them (approval given just under 20 hours instead of the regular 2 years wait) the other witness was approached after I asked the operation manger for an investigation into the management conduct of engaging in racial and gender derogatory name calling with my offenders.
Instead of an investigation into misconduct they approached this witness and he withdrew as my support (this witness explained to me that he withdrew because
of ‘pressure’). In November I was ordered to be evicted by a residential officer who knew my property manager. In the spring of 2003 this order was rescinded and ‘then some’. The Appeals adjudicator was an absolute treat!
To be in the presence of someone in power not afraid to’‘do the right thing’ was long overdue. I was starving!
But my property manager had another kind of ‘treat’ for me. While we were in legal proceedings he pulled his trump. Because I did not have tenure the landlord/ manager can decide not to renew my lease for no reason. And he did just that. So although my order to evict was overturned MRHA decided not to renew my lease before the matter was heard and decided.
Besides the obvious pathetic nature of this situation I was constantly aware that had management applied the same energy they did in violating my rights and applied it to ‘cleaning up the mess they created’ then we would all be enjoying a safer and cleaner community.
We go back to ‘Residential’ again because property management is deliberately not providing certain services to me. Again, in retaliation they have applied for my eviction. Last week I submitted a report to the Board of Directors of MRHA. I have to believe that they as individuals or a collective were not aware of the blatant abuse of my rights. I have strongly recommended the termination of the certain management. The evidence supports this. If this Board chooses to ignore this they choose to collude with the abuse of the poor in public housing.
Recently, the Human Rights Commission dismissed my case. They stated ’it is not in the public’s best interest’ to conduct an investigation (my file was on the discriminatory practices of management). Investigating the corruption and discriminatory practice of MRHA management is not in the public’s best interest??? This has two dangerous implications. It allows management to continue in their misconduct. It says the rights of the poor ‘don’t matter’ to anybody else for if the Human Rights Commission do not deem the rights of the poor as valuable then how can we expect anybody else to feel and differently? This position, classist in its nature, should be challenged by those who know different.
“I have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunatethat silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity....this is the right, or the duty, of the individual to abstain from cooperating in activities which he considers wrong or pernicious”.
(Excerpts: Albert Einstein “Human Rights”, Ideas and Opinions. p 13, 35. Three Rivers Press: New York 1954, 1982.
Published in Street Feat - The Voice of the Poor; Vol. 6 Iss 4
September 2003
NS Residential Tenancy Act
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/resident.htm
And yes if you live in any MRHA Housing units, buildings, apartments... you can file an application for $25.00 plus taxes against your property manager and MRHA-Metro Regional Housing Authority.
Cannot afford it ? Maybe you can gather a few of your neighbours that you know are having similar problems and file a group application and split the cost. The more people with same stories the more credible or substantiated your claim will be. Keep receipts and pictures if you can and it is vital that you keep a running diary of attempts to resolve with your landlord and that itself becomes evidence to the lack of timely and legal responding by a landlord.
You can get an application at Access Nova Scotia on Portland Street (Dartmouth) or Bayers Lake Park.
New location for the Access NS that was previously at the West End Mall is now Bayers Road which has caused many issues for those with little to no access. Another brilliant move, no pun intended, by our public servants who really are not about the public!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OXFORD PROPERTIES and
OMERS REALTY
Corrupt Residential Tenancy Officers and grossly incompetent and unintelligent adjudicators at Small Claims holding hands with slum/pathological management too weak and pathetic to enforce the laws against the law breakers.
Slum Landlording is booming business in Dartmouth North thanks to public servants in this province.
Property manager Kevin Russell of Oxford Properties is the worse thug in Dartmouth North -found to discriminate, be less than diligent on repairs, found to be negligent on discriminatory issues that caused medical issues and was found not believable in his testimony under oath
more to be posted
http://decisions.courts.ns.ca/nssm/2011/2011nssm26.html
Bed Bugs at Highfield Park
proudly owned by Oxford Properties
OXFORD PROPERTIES and
OMERS REALTY
DRAFT: this will be an ongoing publication before sent to the Auditor General's office for an investigation into the number of public servants who have enabled slum landlording and abusive property management while violating laws and due process and encouraging and rewarding the gang-rape of tenant rights causing immeasurable harm. Please note that since this matter is still active in the courts all submitted documents will be published 'after' those matters have been heard at the Supreme Court in full.
Lawyer for Kevin Russell, Michelle Kelly checks in periodically to see what is being said about her and her client after she threatened a law suit but had me evicted instead. I am sure like you dear reader she is anticipating how much will be available for you the public to peruse so you can see her depraved and inhumane role in helping her client, an abusive male in authority, cause immeasurable injury on a woman with disabilities while rendering her homeless after losing 2 years of her life actualizing her tenant rights..
I will report back once this depraved and degenerate matter has been heard at the courts and before it is sent to the Auditor General.
We are currently waiting for the Barnett decision which no doubt will be filed at Supreme Court as well for one thing you can count on in this province of no accountability is the immature retaliation of lawyers and public servants when exposed for being unethical and unintelligent supporting others who are of like minds sets.
Barnett who should have recused himself, was overtly prejudicial, disrespectful, mocking and rude -an epidemic throughout the justice system of unhealthy, narcissistic and immature lawyering causing double jeopardy when also a public servant which now falls under the auspice of Auditor General.
In Ramona Jennex's proposal for amendments she thought to cease abuse of tenant rights by mangers and landlords, she could not have predicted that adjudicators such as Barnett would abuse the tenure rule more than most citing it 6 times during the hearing acting as co-counsel for defense.
July 17 2011
Barnett who should have recused himself, was overtly prejudicial, disrespectful, mocking and rude -an epidemic throughout the justice system of unhealthy, narcissistic and immature lawyering causing double jeopardy when also a public servant which now falls under the auspice of Auditor General.
In Ramona Jennex's proposal for amendments she thought to cease abuse of tenant rights by mangers and landlords, she could not have predicted that adjudicators such as Barnett would abuse the tenure rule more than most citing it 6 times during the hearing acting as co-counsel for defense.
July 17 2011
OXFORD PROPERTIES and OMERS REALTY
Highfield Park Drive Dartmouth NS are professional absentee slum landlords who gang -rape the rights of tenants because they are low income. They abuse them through their property management Kevin Russell while ignoring requests from tenants for investigations from those they have no problem making profits from.
Corrupt Residential Tenancy Officers and grossly incompetent and unintelligent adjudicators at Small Claims holding hands with slum/pathological management too weak and pathetic to enforce the laws against the law breakers.
Slum Landlording is booming business in Dartmouth North thanks to public servants in this province.
Property manager Kevin Russell of Oxford Properties is the worse thug in Dartmouth North -found to discriminate, be less than diligent on repairs, found to be negligent on discriminatory issues that caused medical issues and was found not believable in his testimony under oath
more to be posted
August 11 2011-as suspected the Stay was not granted by public servant and Judge Rosinski and please do not laugh but he did not grant it citing that Kevin Russell was credible in his claims that my staying would continue to interfere with staff morale-these would be the fabricated claims of staff feeling uncomfy with me though not once since the filing of 12/31/09 nor during the entire month long Sloan case was this mentioned, only after the eviction was served did this liar start with staff being uncomfy with me and two of his managers have followed suit as his managers are known to do. Not one grievance was ever filed against me regarding staff but now is being used as the reason for eviction.
Now for those of you who are are Kevin Russell's victims I know this is shocking that yet another public servant has held his hand and empowered this nefarious scumbag, property manager for OMERS REALTY and OXFORD PROPERTIES GROUP.
I will say this public servant was respectful in his tones and process but like Michelle Kelly and her partner in crime Kevin Russell, this judge could not look me in the face for most of the hearing especially when he returned after making his Decision to deny the STAY...
To lose a Stay because the Respondent who we know to be pathological claimed I cause harm on a fabricated issues of the staff walking on eggshells is as unintelligent as our court systems are. Sadly we need not look further than this exchange to see who is allowing the thugs to take over our city and who is empowering slum landlording..
What makes this more pathetic is that Kelly and Russell are not intelligent yet they manage to fool so many with their academy award performances or do they? Is there something else at work.
Right on time the Depraved Duo fabricated information which is stunning only because the courts continue to allow it. On one occasion I showed the judge that one of the managers stated that there had not been any staff issues in the last year (of her employment) yet the judge allowed Russell to state I effect staff morale and for judge to ignore this opposing discrepancy of fact is appalling.
Also on one occasion the Korrupt Kelly blurted that I had 50 items on a list for repairs that were interfering with my living here. I pointed out that I find her need to fabricate information annoying and that there were 12 items left to be done per the verbal contracts before signing the lease and again with the regional manager for Oxford Properties.
AS a lawyer Korrupt Kelly has great difficulty understanding what legally binding contracts are and then just invents information as she goes along the sure sign of a liar, one caught drafting an eviction because her legal threat back fired and this is what abusive ignorant people do. The fact that Kelly and her client have so much in common is clinically amusing and disturbing at the same time especially since Michelle Kelly is on the Board for a womens supportive shelter for abused woman (Alice Housing)..
She also volunteers for ReachAbility a legal program for persons with disabilities and she just helped an abusive male who harmed me for 2 years and took 2 years of my life in trauma, she helped him evict me which endangered my safety because it endangered my health..Again more to come about this depraved lawyer who is a pathological abuser herself.
Having Michelle Kelly sit on Board for abused women and for persons with disabilities is like having a child molester on the Board of a day care. I will write more about this later..
Right on time the Depraved Duo fabricated information which is stunning only because the courts continue to allow it. On one occasion I showed the judge that one of the managers stated that there had not been any staff issues in the last year (of her employment) yet the judge allowed Russell to state I effect staff morale and for judge to ignore this opposing discrepancy of fact is appalling.
Also on one occasion the Korrupt Kelly blurted that I had 50 items on a list for repairs that were interfering with my living here. I pointed out that I find her need to fabricate information annoying and that there were 12 items left to be done per the verbal contracts before signing the lease and again with the regional manager for Oxford Properties.
AS a lawyer Korrupt Kelly has great difficulty understanding what legally binding contracts are and then just invents information as she goes along the sure sign of a liar, one caught drafting an eviction because her legal threat back fired and this is what abusive ignorant people do. The fact that Kelly and her client have so much in common is clinically amusing and disturbing at the same time especially since Michelle Kelly is on the Board for a womens supportive shelter for abused woman (Alice Housing)..
She also volunteers for ReachAbility a legal program for persons with disabilities and she just helped an abusive male who harmed me for 2 years and took 2 years of my life in trauma, she helped him evict me which endangered my safety because it endangered my health..Again more to come about this depraved lawyer who is a pathological abuser herself.
Having Michelle Kelly sit on Board for abused women and for persons with disabilities is like having a child molester on the Board of a day care. I will write more about this later..
Well Kelly used the buffer tactic again of bringing yet another student to court one where the judge knew his father. This student also helps Kelly do her case The judge unless he is above reproach would not have ruled against her given the dynamics.
What will be discussed more at length is the blatant lack of respect by this judge for persons with disabilities.
So sociopaths ...............one
victim of sociopaths ....................zero.
It was amusing in a sad way that the judge didnot award the Respondent reimbursement for legal fees as if I would pay them anyway. I do not support organize crime. The judge denied reimbursement so he could sleep at night for not allowing me even an extra month to move because of my poverty status and inability to function right now due to injuries created by Kevin Russell and his lawyer Michelle Kelly.
The audio of this hearing will be posted as soon as I can.
It is important to show you the reader how many public servants chose to ignore the smoking gun that incriminates Michelle Kelly and how the eviction was her idea in retaliation for her bullying legal threat backfiring.
It is important for you to see how many public servants created this depraved situation and how many protected it from accountability before it goes to the auditor general for review.
It is important for you to see how incestuously corrupt our justice system is and that their lack of standards, insight and intelligence for proof and evidence is appalling. If my case was any more transparent they would have to call it the Casper Case yet each judicial staff member went out of their way to ignore their responsibility in holding this unethical lawyer accountable for her violence, what type of scum takes away housing from a poor disabled woman.
Kelly and her client hide behind the landlord claiming to be doing their bidding yet despite all the time I have mentioned that they do not represent the landlord they are yet to get a letter from head office saying such especially since this manager was found to be discriminatory, negligent, less than diligent and not believable.
The audio of this hearing will be posted as soon as I can.
It is important to show you the reader how many public servants chose to ignore the smoking gun that incriminates Michelle Kelly and how the eviction was her idea in retaliation for her bullying legal threat backfiring.
It is important for you to see how many public servants created this depraved situation and how many protected it from accountability before it goes to the auditor general for review.
It is important for you to see how incestuously corrupt our justice system is and that their lack of standards, insight and intelligence for proof and evidence is appalling. If my case was any more transparent they would have to call it the Casper Case yet each judicial staff member went out of their way to ignore their responsibility in holding this unethical lawyer accountable for her violence, what type of scum takes away housing from a poor disabled woman.
Kelly and her client hide behind the landlord claiming to be doing their bidding yet despite all the time I have mentioned that they do not represent the landlord they are yet to get a letter from head office saying such especially since this manager was found to be discriminatory, negligent, less than diligent and not believable.
http://decisions.courts.ns.ca/nssm/2011/2011nssm26.html
Bed Bugs at Highfield Park
proudly owned by Oxford Properties
bedbugregistry.com
This building is infested! The fourth floor is the worst! The tenants that were living in 413 had them so bad and never made a report of it, it got so bad they got evicted. Every grabage bin always has a bed or some sort of furniture in it that people are throwing out! When you ask the manager if....
bedbugregistry.com
Anonymous on 11/13/2010This building is INFESTED and bed bugs are not the only problem too! If you have pets you want to stay away from this building because its also infested the fleas. They only clean out and spray individual units (and even then I question their accuracy and approach) not taking precaution to do surrounding units when you KNOW they have to be infected as well. The company that took over this building does not care and if you move because of it, they'll even try to pin it on you so that you can FUND their "renovations". Thank God we were in a financial position to not only move out, but buy new furniture ... we had no choice. If I had my way, I would have incinerated our old stuff. Stay away from these buildings (Highfield Park), they're cheap and they lie!!!! Also, if you can afford it, just stay out of the area all together. I hate to say it, but Highfield is a low income area and this seams to be the trend!
Me and my wife both are getting bitten on a nightly basis. I have these itchy bumps all over me and my wife is actually getting whelts and swelling. We know it's bed bugs or something because it only happens when we sleep. When we moved here, within one week our ids had lice and we had to fight those for months to come and the kids even got sent home from school several times. They wouldn't let them come back. I see there is a BIG problem here with these bed bugs. We apparantly are not the only ones, which means it's a building problem. Why is the manager of the building not doing anything about this? This is kind of a requirement isn't it? If your tenants are getting chewed up by bugs? I'm not staying here another year.
I live in 55 Highfield park drive. I believe we have bedbugs..The landlord wont do fuck all...I have a 8 month old baby and no money to buy furniture also.They are gonna be sued..
www.bedbugregistry.com
Wow, that apartment still have issues with bedbugs? I lived there last year and they had them then. Do you know if building 96 has them?
There is a very bad problem with Bed bugs here and I hope that writing this will help to get the manager off of his ass to do something about it. I can't tell him personally about it because I have heard stories of others who have done that and then the tenant would be blamed for it (if they had a pet)and they would be made to fund this cleaning operation.We have had our animal for over 4 years and not one problem anywhere else we lived.We came here to 95 highfiled and within one week our kids had lice and could not go back to school.Me and my wife are now being chewed up nightly by these bed bugs and don't know what to do. I am getting so frustrated!
'I had friends that lived here and just like every other building in Highfield park, it's infested with bed bugs and fleas. Management SUCKS and they could really care less. Money is their bottom line and their attempts at resolving the issues are nothing but a well acted show to make tenants think they're doing something about it. JUST MOVE OUT if you're there now.'
http://www.oxfordresidential.ca/dnn/Portals/1/pdfs/newsletter_highfield.pdf
Just like hiding the bed bugs bedlam in several buildings Kevin Russell in his newsletter of 2010 names management but does not let tenants know that several had been since fired. HE also has this great speech about working with the police to make the community safer yet weed/pot can be found in the halls with dog dung left around.
He neglected to mention the cameras were not plugged in and this became evident when my mailbox had been broken into 12 times and police needed the video and the management took 1 month to say it was not available because the video was broken but because I knew they are nefarious liars, I had them put it in writing for police and the professional company said it had nt been plugged in at all.....There you go for safety folks....
Right after telling folks they could not have pets for more profits they allowed any and all dogs and many tenants are now scared with the big dogs allowed in.....never mind the dung you step in regularly in the halls or out doors.
And of course the Kevin Russell threat of fines or evictions.....he is one of the biggest scum and slum managers and HRM by-law violators of our city yet threatens tenants if they do not comply to By-laws......
From the newsletter:
Added peace of mind
The second phase of security installation will begin with the addition of more security cameras and increased lighting. We continue to work diligently with Halifax Regional Police Department to ensure Highfield Park is a safe community.
Reminder – Highfield Park pet policy
Residents are reminded of Highfield Park’s no pets policy. For those long-term tenants who signed a lease prior to our no pet policy, or those with previously written permission, we ask that you respect HRM’s Respecting Animals and Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw A-300.
Non-compliance will result in bylaw enforcement being notified, and could lead to an eviction order.
This step is another sincere commitment to make High Park a safe community for all.: Unt
Just like hiding the bed bugs bedlam in several buildings Kevin Russell in his newsletter of 2010 names management but does not let tenants know that several had been since fired. HE also has this great speech about working with the police to make the community safer yet weed/pot can be found in the halls with dog dung left around.
He neglected to mention the cameras were not plugged in and this became evident when my mailbox had been broken into 12 times and police needed the video and the management took 1 month to say it was not available because the video was broken but because I knew they are nefarious liars, I had them put it in writing for police and the professional company said it had nt been plugged in at all.....There you go for safety folks....
Right after telling folks they could not have pets for more profits they allowed any and all dogs and many tenants are now scared with the big dogs allowed in.....never mind the dung you step in regularly in the halls or out doors.
And of course the Kevin Russell threat of fines or evictions.....he is one of the biggest scum and slum managers and HRM by-law violators of our city yet threatens tenants if they do not comply to By-laws......
From the newsletter:
Added peace of mind
The second phase of security installation will begin with the addition of more security cameras and increased lighting. We continue to work diligently with Halifax Regional Police Department to ensure Highfield Park is a safe community.
Reminder – Highfield Park pet policy
Residents are reminded of Highfield Park’s no pets policy. For those long-term tenants who signed a lease prior to our no pet policy, or those with previously written permission, we ask that you respect HRM’s Respecting Animals and Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw A-300.
Non-compliance will result in bylaw enforcement being notified, and could lead to an eviction order.
This step is another sincere commitment to make High Park a safe community for all.: Unt
Your New Property
Management Team
Property Manager:
Kevin Russell
Resident Managers:
55/65 Highfield Park Drive and
10/20 Joseph Young Street
Barbara Davis and Dale Ensor
94/95/96/98 Highfield Park Drive
Thelma Arsenault and Ralph Rice
76/80/86/90 Highfield Park Drive
Renee Piercey and Robert Carson
Assistant Resident Managers:
94/95/96/98 Highfield Park Drive
Sherri White and Darren Smith
Management Team
Property Manager:
Kevin Russell
Resident Managers:
55/65 Highfield Park Drive and
10/20 Joseph Young Street
Barbara Davis and Dale Ensor
94/95/96/98 Highfield Park Drive
Thelma Arsenault and Ralph Rice
76/80/86/90 Highfield Park Drive
Renee Piercey and Robert Carson
Assistant Resident Managers:
94/95/96/98 Highfield Park Drive
Sherri White and Darren Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actual Submissions to the Tenancy Board, Small Claims Courts and Supreme Court ( current)
draft
_______________________________________________________________________
Manufactured Slum
Pinecrest-Highfield Park was designed and built so poorly that it was fated to become the city's most crime-ridden neighbourhood. But dedicated community activists are working to rebuild the broken social fabric, with promising results.
by Geoff Bird, Brittney Teasdale and Lily Sangter
"There's a lot of quiet desperation in this neighbourhood," says Kees Zwanenburg.
The priest of Holy Trinity Emmanuel church, Zwanenburg's one of the most qualified to gauge the state of the souls who live in the north end of Dartmouth.
Just a stone's throw from the church is Victoria Road, and across that busy thoroughfare is Pinecrest-Highfield Park. Bound by Victoria on the west, Highway 111 on the north and Albro Lake Road to the south, it's an area that has long been in crisis. Packed with apartment buildings, the neighbourhood is a literal and figurative dead end.
Pinecrest-Highfield Park remains one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. Most homes are rented, people move frequently, incomes are near rock-bottom, a disproportionate percentage of families are led by single parents---mostly women---and there are high rates of government assistance. Many people live in shoddy housing.
And the police are there a lot.
Analysis of police call data by University of King's College journalism students shows that seven percent of all police calls for serious incidents from 2005 to 2010 are to the area that includes Highfield-Pinecrest. Among the most common incidents: assaults; robberies; drug use; weapons and attempted suicides.
Donald MacLean, the outgoing East Division commander for the Halifax Regional Police Service, attributes many of the neighbourhood's woes to the high-density apartments on Highfield Park and Pinecrest Drives. "What we see is the type of housing situation that contributes to the transient nature of the community, which probably plays a part in some of this."
The apartments are the legacy of planning decisions that zoned the area for apartment buildings, first on the semi-urban Pinecrest and later in the brand-new community of Highfield Park, built starting in the 1980s on the site of a former naval radio base.
The result was cramming thousands of low- to middle-income people into the same area, a recipe for the area's problems today.
Jean Hughes, former president of the Dartmouth Family Centre, attributes much of the neighbourhood's problems to fast development of the Highfield Park Drive apartments.
"A lot of people compare north Dartmouth and Spryfield," she says, referencing another of the city's high-crime neighbourhoods. "But Spryfield is a different community in that it has a history."
Spryfield is an old rural community that has transformed over the years. Though it faces its share of problems, community leaders and infrastructure have long been in place to accommodate residents. Highfield Park went from an empty field to a forest of apartments in less than a decade. "That area, that came out of nowhere," says Hughes. "There was no history, no buildings existed, there was no one living there."
Foster MacKenzie, former president of the Nova Scotia Association of Architects, says during Highfield Park's development he predicted the neighbourhood would quickly turn into a high-density slum: "Start erecting these high-density housing units, four and five storeys, very close together with very few amenities and you start putting low- to middle-income families in those areas with lots of children, you're going to end up with problems."
In 1991 the former Dartmouth city council tabled a report that laid out a series of steps to save the neighbourhood. Among other things, the Pinecrest Highfield Park Neighbourhood Plan called for aggressive rezoning to allow privately owned family homes, a key step to improve the community.
Although rezoning was rolled out, walkways were built and various park and landscaping initiatives undertaken, the number of privately owned homes continued to drop. Apartments were never redeveloped and large corporate property management groups still dominate the landscape.
The plan also called for more space for small businesses to service the densely populated neighbourhood, but today Pincecrest-Highfield Park has little more than a small Sobeys, a couple corner stores, pizza joints and a pub.
"The absence of infrastructure is an indicator of a lack of diversity and opportunity," says Grant Wanzel, a professor of urban planning and architecture at Dalhousie University. He says the design and development of the neighbourhood is central to why it has turned into a slum. "Highfield Park is a cul-de-sac; you can get in but you can't get out. It sounds kind of funny [but] it's not about symbolism; it's about physical reality."
Wanzel says much of the blame should be shouldered by government for neglecting a problem as it got worse, in one of the city's most populous areas: "On a per capita basis there's a pretty low level of municipal commitment to that neighbourhood."
While it would be tempting to write off the area that many call The Dark Side, there is another side to Highfield-Pinecrest: a small band of community activists fighting the decades of neglect that have created a place where many fear to go out at night.
Zwanenburg, the priest, runs several outreach programs out of the basement of his small, white-painted, cinderblock church on Alfred Street. One is Youth United, which attracts up to 40 teenagers every Friday to play games, watch movies, eat and just hang out. "We're not talking about saints," he says of the adults who work with the kids. "We're talking about regular ordinary people that show respect and affection and affirmation."
"Most communities can learn from people up in this area," says police constable Randy Wood. "It's a very vibrant community that's sometimes not portrayed properly."
Wood is the community response officer for Dartmouth North, but he's better known to residents by his nickname, "Uncle Randy."
Wood's job is to help residents any way he can. He doesn't normally make arrests or detain people; his role is simply to assist the community however he sees fit. One Wednesday a month he ferries people from the local food bank to their apartments, via a police SUV filled with grocery bags.
A dispute with a neighbour, difficulties finding work or even a cat with diarrhea--- all fall under Wood's purview. "It's not just Monday to Friday, eight to four, it's whatever is required," he says. "Sometimes that's nights, sometimes that's weekends."
He's reluctant to take time off for vacation because there isn't another officer who can easily take over. Wood's wife works in the Middle East, so although he doesn't live in Dartmouth North, much of his life is there.
"Without sounding cliche or anything like that, he really is the heart and face of the police for a lot of people in that community," says MacLean of Wood.
MacLean oversaw the Highfield Park area for the last five years and knows the challenges facing the community. The community response officer model was piloted in Highfield Park and its success led to implementation in other troubled Halifax areas.
MacLean says that while drugs, weapons and violent crime are prevalent in the area, it's problematic to blanket it with that characterization because those crimes are committed by a small fraction of the population.
Most people just mind their own business.
Georgina Lee, 52, watched as the first apartments on Pinecrest Drive went up, and then the development of Highfield Park Drive. She moved to the neighbourhood with her infant son because, "It was cheaper rent than any place else."
That's still true---a two-bedroom apartment can be had for under $700, about the same for a room with a shared bath in Clayton Park West.
In her 33 years in Highfield-Pinecrest, Lee has held down a job and raised a child as a single parent. Her son Dean is now a high school teacher and a respected member of the community, an example to other young people growing up in the area. Once, when Lee's coat was stolen from the community centre, all she had to do was spread word that the coat belonged to Dean's mother and it was returned within the hour.
But while she sees all that is good in the neighbourhood, she has also seen the decline. "At one time, this neighbourhood, you could walk the street two, three, four o'clock in the morning and wouldn't think twice about it," she says. "But now you wouldn't. By the time, nine, 10 o'clock comes, you're not outside, because of the things going on in the area."
She knows her neighbourhood is labelled as a slum. "And that's the way it's going to stay."
But not if Sylvia Anthony has her way. Sometimes called "the mayor of Dartmouth North," the 71-year-old is a tireless volunteering machine, emblematic of the passion many have towards the area, where she has spent her entire life.
Anthony is involved in---or president of---just about every community action group in Dartmouth North. She's a member of Crime Stoppers, volunteers with MADD and the Halifax Regional Municipality, she's the facilities manager at the Northbrook Community centre, a liaison with Capital Heath's health and wellness committee, chairperson of Neighbourhood Watch.
She also started a community paper, the North Dartmouth Echo, seven years ago that focuses solely on good news stories from the area. She's providing a bit of positive bi-monthly counter-spin. "I mean you can't expect a community to be perfect. Nobody's perfect, nothing's perfect," says Anthony. "You couldn't find a better place to live in for resources, helping and caring individuals."
The Echo strives to get the word out on all the new programs available in the community and profiles the achievements of individuals. The last issue featured a story on a local couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.
Dorris Buffet-MacDonald, the features writer, shows her copy to the people she profiles before it goes to print to make sure all parties agree with what she's written---high treason at any other media outlet.
Anthony says the Echo also informs residents of the social programs available in the area, because many are often unaware. She says a grade six teacher at John MacNeil Elementary School is using the paper as a teaching tool to not only get kids reading, but to get them pride in their community.
"I believe that the children of today are the adults of tomorrow," says Anthony. "That's why our newspaper spends so much time in our schools."
On a Friday in early spring back in the basement of the Holy Trinity Emmanuel church, dozens of young teenagers have come out for another night of Youth United. In the past they've gone out for bowling, swimming at the Sportsplex and for a night at the movies.
"We have a total enrolment of 48 kids now, which is pretty good seeing how the junior high only has 210 students," says Jenifer Fitzsimmons, creator of Youth United. "If they form that pride in their community then they'll help make it a better place and maybe people will stand up and listen."
"At least we're not out roaming the streets looking for something to do, or out at the mall by ourselves," says Megan Vance, 15, who has come to the Friday night group since it started in September.
The group meetings provide her and her friends a place that shelters them from the crime and danger of the neighbourhood on a Friday night.
"We're all here together, safe."
RESPONSE:
As with all issues, unless they are thoroughly identified they cannot be sufficiently remedied and one of the writers did omit the entire truth in this human story. Infrastructure is the easy perp to see in the line -up. however it serves as a convenient distraction from the real issues here of slum- landlording , municipal (govt-police) apathy and class discrimination by those profiting from tenants here including Access Nova Scotia. This student received the entire legal brief that was submitted to Small Claims Court against the property manager for Oxford Properties/Omer Realty for gross negligence, bait and switch tactics etc. He also had grievances filed to then Minister Jennex about the incestuous corruption at the Residential Tenancy Board who have more in common with these landlords than tenants in this community. One officer was 'disciplined' but still works there.
Then we have a disturbingly discriminatory Dalhousie Legal Aid who cherry pick those tenants they deem worthy of their amatuer legal thoughts-they treat this office like their own private law firm.
As a tenant here that has been the deliberate target of the property manager I have had zero supports to assist me with the arduous task of representing myself legally while with multiple disabilities including brain injuries. On March 31 2011 before the SCC decision was in ink, this manager served me an eviction notice, retaliatory evictions are illegal in our province. I was threatened with civil action if I continued to call him corrupt, I stated I would counter file for all the injuries they committed. Days later I am served a sincerely written eviction notice.
It is now clear to me that responsible tenants are treated like garbage because we cost these landlords money and how dare we think we are entitled to safe, repaired places to live. I realize that they prefer criminals because they tend not to call for leaky faucets or drafty doors therefore save the business/ property owner much money.
WE should never forget this is not about housing, this is about making profits for property owners, Omers/Oxford are Ontario based. The student omitted that landlords here are enabled by Dept of Community Service and Metro Regional Housing Authority-Rental Supplement Program who fabricate inspection sheets then hang the tenant out to fight with the landlord who are making profits via vulnerable tenants-recipients living in deplorable conditions. In a manner, tax payers are making profits for these landlords and keeping this community unfit to live.
It is easy to blame the drug deala for rilla...lets hold those accountable who are breaking the law in broad daylight every day: Residential Tenancy Act-tenant and constitutional violations committed by public servants, elected officials, police and landlords/managers.
Then we have a disturbingly discriminatory Dalhousie Legal Aid who cherry pick those tenants they deem worthy of their amatuer legal thoughts-they treat this office like their own private law firm.
As a tenant here that has been the deliberate target of the property manager I have had zero supports to assist me with the arduous task of representing myself legally while with multiple disabilities including brain injuries. On March 31 2011 before the SCC decision was in ink, this manager served me an eviction notice, retaliatory evictions are illegal in our province. I was threatened with civil action if I continued to call him corrupt, I stated I would counter file for all the injuries they committed. Days later I am served a sincerely written eviction notice.
It is now clear to me that responsible tenants are treated like garbage because we cost these landlords money and how dare we think we are entitled to safe, repaired places to live. I realize that they prefer criminals because they tend not to call for leaky faucets or drafty doors therefore save the business/ property owner much money.
WE should never forget this is not about housing, this is about making profits for property owners, Omers/Oxford are Ontario based. The student omitted that landlords here are enabled by Dept of Community Service and Metro Regional Housing Authority-Rental Supplement Program who fabricate inspection sheets then hang the tenant out to fight with the landlord who are making profits via vulnerable tenants-recipients living in deplorable conditions. In a manner, tax payers are making profits for these landlords and keeping this community unfit to live.
It is easy to blame the drug deala for rilla...lets hold those accountable who are breaking the law in broad daylight every day: Residential Tenancy Act-tenant and constitutional violations committed by public servants, elected officials, police and landlords/managers.
I would like to add that in my case the landlord is Oxford Properties and Omers Realty with property manager Kevin Russell-all info has been legally published in small claims court in several hundred pages of documentation-they own most of Highfield Park Drive. We also have Homburg and several other smaller indies owning building that have been allowed to be run down and breed contempt for their tenants and why not, they get a govt cheque monthly regardless. Tax payers need to own this by holding all those that have allowed this to happen, slum landlords can only exist when DCS/MRHA and ACCESS NS allow them to. One thing I have learned in the short time living here is many have all kinds to say but not prepared to do a dang thing about it. Because many in this community cannot fight for themselves or they have to fight by themselves, it is up to the rest of society to act in manner that reflects a civilized society.
Many an elected official have done the ole 'glide and slide' in Dartmouth North because who else wants it......sadly they insult the residents here who are paying attention. The elected are clever though as every once in awhile they, including the copper, pass out free shirts and tickets to games just to keep the natives pacified...I found the article insulting in that did what NS is famous for-not addressing the real issue and turning the story into a hug-a-thon......the advocates in the story no doubt are doing a lot of work but it is reactionary....they are responding best they can to the symptoms of larger issues that go beyond architecture...
It is my understanding the auditor general is looking into issues of MRHA-RSP...he has no idea what they have been getting away with for years in their collusion with slumlandlords and class discrimination and degradation -they approve homes/units they would not let their own dying dogs live in....these public servants(housing-tenancy board/small claims) /police/elected/landlords know they will get away with it because those who do not live in the community could not give a fig newton about how the vulnerable are treated yet it is their tax dollars paying for this slow death of people in these communities.
Joe-ps. thanks for posting OMERS info....
http://www.oxfordproperties.com/corp/index… belongs to OMers, they legally go by either so I put both on the legal matters...they have most of the main drag then Homburg...you are right about OMERS-scary when you think all those making money from slumlandlording. Oxford is not what their website says it is....in fact the manager lied under oath saying The Park didnot have a negative reputation...ahem....the judge must have been confused.....oddly the day of this article the decision came in my mail but I will not read it til tomorrow.
It is my understanding the auditor general is looking into issues of MRHA-RSP...he has no idea what they have been getting away with for years in their collusion with slumlandlords and class discrimination and degradation -they approve homes/units they would not let their own dying dogs live in....these public servants(housing-tenancy board/small claims) /police/elected/landlords know they will get away with it because those who do not live in the community could not give a fig newton about how the vulnerable are treated yet it is their tax dollars paying for this slow death of people in these communities.
Joe-ps. thanks for posting OMERS info....
http://www.oxfordproperties.com/corp/index… belongs to OMers, they legally go by either so I put both on the legal matters...they have most of the main drag then Homburg...you are right about OMERS-scary when you think all those making money from slumlandlording. Oxford is not what their website says it is....in fact the manager lied under oath saying The Park didnot have a negative reputation...ahem....the judge must have been confused.....oddly the day of this article the decision came in my mail but I will not read it til tomorrow.
I am not confused how our legal system is too much of wimp to do real enforcement of the law against slum/abusive/negligent landlords.Again it is ONLY our tenancy boards-small claims enabling slumlandlords in our province. But if a tenant does not pay one month they cannot rush you through the door fast enough... CLASS DISCRIMINATION is a human rights violation.
Guyute-it is sad day when a family must move for their own safety especially when the DN is not that huge of an area...mister happy pappy police man cannot do all the good for the entire hood..note my sarcasm..I was on the DNCC board for 4 mos and never seen one hair of Mister Wood in the Hood...as soon as HRM took it over he is there all the time because big bro is watching now... he is like so many here including our elected officials, all of them-they are not doing any real work to have this community vibrant and safe-again you should not have to move b/c this geo-area should be manageable without much issue if there was meaningful intent to just that and this is the real issue-the covert and overt class discrimination that is epidemic through our province--it is mind over matter-they do not mind that poor folks dont matter...
sonflower-one does not need to be a nurse, electrician to be excluded from the term slum dwellers... one thing I have learned here is the apathy is overwhelming-the learned hopelessness is evident -people know that nefarious landlords/managers are all around here and that they have legal permission to be here because no one is doing a dang thing-it is like 'they' commit crimes every day in broad daylight but who cares..there are many tenants that b/c they are not nurses and are on social assistance they are treated like garbage everyday by landlords/police etc...I do not care what you do-welfare or nursing but if you are ignoring the issues and standing on the sidelines then you are part of the problem.
So many are afraid to take matters to formal hearings like police commissions or tenancy boards for fear of retaliation or evictions-it happened to me and where are my supports? The manager willnot get one consequence for doing a retaliatory eviction despite it being illegal.
I have live in HRM since the '70s and when I moved here in the Park in 2009-2010 I was shocked that not only was nothing done but the community was allowed to deteriorate with impunity ..the HRM bus terminal is a disgrace and is unsafe to walk on because the cement is crumbling everywhere so while I agree words can be harmful so are these subtle messages from the HRM saying that you are unworthy of safe services like other communities..the boarded up buildings have been like that for years.....who has allowed this
Blitzen: DCS/MRHA-RSP have an obligation as a public service to act legally, constitutionally, responsibly and ethically with due diligence...the greatest perps of the vulnerable are DCS-MRHA-RSP who violate rules/policies/charters/Acts every day all day long because who cares....
DCS-MRHA pays a shelter allowance that goes to these landlords/managers and they know the units are not up to par or legally safe etc...the MRHA-RSP are to actually do inspections and they are done by unqualified public servants whose classism is appalling, they approve units that they would not live in themselves....Then when you call MRHA-RSP because your landlord is doing nothing about repairs/safety etc the voicemail says they do not deal with these issues and to go back to your landlord... DCS/MRHA/RSP by paying the rent regardless of program is giving consent to these slum/abusive landlords b/c they keep paying knowing the poor are a captive audience...
There is a clause in the MRHA-RSP that gives them permission to random inspect your unit for damages b/c it works from the class premise all poor folk are animals and uncivil-this wording is unconstitutional and discriminatory-no where does it say they will do random checks to make sure the landlords are complying with the Acts-DCS/MRHA colludes with constant violations to relevant Acts causing other 'injuries'. Why are the public servants being paid when the tenant are forced to do all the work, tenants that are often vulnerable.
Then you get to the Tenancy Board and that is a slew of other corruption that has been allowed to breed because there is no monitoring, we have no accountability or an auditor general who behaves proactively. Our Ombudsman Office is as corrupt as those they are mandated to investigate. In my case I had to get the minister involved and the one guy was 'disciplined' but I was not allowed to know how.....public servants should be transparent.... and why is he still employed paid with your tax dollars after all the crimes/violations/bullying he committed..
......yes as I said blaming the infrastructure is the easy way out, it is the complacency of the non-poor, the corruption and incompetence of the public servant (elected/bureaucracy) and the overall classism of society that contribute to the slow death of Dartmouth North and its residents generation after generation.....there is zero excuses why DN is in the shape it is so I ask before folks call it slum etc ask what have you done to change that first and how have you played role to maintain its demise......
Guyute-it is sad day when a family must move for their own safety especially when the DN is not that huge of an area...mister happy pappy police man cannot do all the good for the entire hood..note my sarcasm..I was on the DNCC board for 4 mos and never seen one hair of Mister Wood in the Hood...as soon as HRM took it over he is there all the time because big bro is watching now... he is like so many here including our elected officials, all of them-they are not doing any real work to have this community vibrant and safe-again you should not have to move b/c this geo-area should be manageable without much issue if there was meaningful intent to just that and this is the real issue-the covert and overt class discrimination that is epidemic through our province--it is mind over matter-they do not mind that poor folks dont matter...
sonflower-one does not need to be a nurse, electrician to be excluded from the term slum dwellers... one thing I have learned here is the apathy is overwhelming-the learned hopelessness is evident -people know that nefarious landlords/managers are all around here and that they have legal permission to be here because no one is doing a dang thing-it is like 'they' commit crimes every day in broad daylight but who cares..there are many tenants that b/c they are not nurses and are on social assistance they are treated like garbage everyday by landlords/police etc...I do not care what you do-welfare or nursing but if you are ignoring the issues and standing on the sidelines then you are part of the problem.
So many are afraid to take matters to formal hearings like police commissions or tenancy boards for fear of retaliation or evictions-it happened to me and where are my supports? The manager willnot get one consequence for doing a retaliatory eviction despite it being illegal.
I have live in HRM since the '70s and when I moved here in the Park in 2009-2010 I was shocked that not only was nothing done but the community was allowed to deteriorate with impunity ..the HRM bus terminal is a disgrace and is unsafe to walk on because the cement is crumbling everywhere so while I agree words can be harmful so are these subtle messages from the HRM saying that you are unworthy of safe services like other communities..the boarded up buildings have been like that for years.....who has allowed this
Blitzen: DCS/MRHA-RSP have an obligation as a public service to act legally, constitutionally, responsibly and ethically with due diligence...the greatest perps of the vulnerable are DCS-MRHA-RSP who violate rules/policies/charters/Acts every day all day long because who cares....
DCS-MRHA pays a shelter allowance that goes to these landlords/managers and they know the units are not up to par or legally safe etc...the MRHA-RSP are to actually do inspections and they are done by unqualified public servants whose classism is appalling, they approve units that they would not live in themselves....Then when you call MRHA-RSP because your landlord is doing nothing about repairs/safety etc the voicemail says they do not deal with these issues and to go back to your landlord... DCS/MRHA/RSP by paying the rent regardless of program is giving consent to these slum/abusive landlords b/c they keep paying knowing the poor are a captive audience...
There is a clause in the MRHA-RSP that gives them permission to random inspect your unit for damages b/c it works from the class premise all poor folk are animals and uncivil-this wording is unconstitutional and discriminatory-no where does it say they will do random checks to make sure the landlords are complying with the Acts-DCS/MRHA colludes with constant violations to relevant Acts causing other 'injuries'. Why are the public servants being paid when the tenant are forced to do all the work, tenants that are often vulnerable.
Then you get to the Tenancy Board and that is a slew of other corruption that has been allowed to breed because there is no monitoring, we have no accountability or an auditor general who behaves proactively. Our Ombudsman Office is as corrupt as those they are mandated to investigate. In my case I had to get the minister involved and the one guy was 'disciplined' but I was not allowed to know how.....public servants should be transparent.... and why is he still employed paid with your tax dollars after all the crimes/violations/bullying he committed..
......yes as I said blaming the infrastructure is the easy way out, it is the complacency of the non-poor, the corruption and incompetence of the public servant (elected/bureaucracy) and the overall classism of society that contribute to the slow death of Dartmouth North and its residents generation after generation.....there is zero excuses why DN is in the shape it is so I ask before folks call it slum etc ask what have you done to change that first and how have you played role to maintain its demise......
~~~~~~~~
Workers with Metro Housing Authority vote to strike
Terra Ciolfe - For Metro Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union members march in front of the Metro Housing Authority office on Gottingen St. on Thursday.
Administrative workers from Metro Housing Authority voted for strike action on Wednesday night and were out marching early Thursday morning.
Joan Jessome, spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said the 33 workers are looking for wage parity with their colleagues in other areas of the province.
She said they planned to march to Province House at noon.
Joan Jessome, spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said the 33 workers are looking for wage parity with their colleagues in other areas of the province.
She said they planned to march to Province House at noon.
RESPONSE:
The nerve of these people!
I just finished a small claims matter which caused me much medical stress as a person with disabilities b/c MRHA fabricated an inspection, this after losing my home because MRHA fabricated that inspection and put me into debt for 30,000 for house repairs and this after the 4 years of tenancy work and racial hate crimes MRHA let Irvine Carver commit and organize against my family causing immeasurable medical harm and trauma.....The nerve..this is like child molesters upset there are no children to molest..MRHA is our biggest slumlandlord and they want more money!!!!
________________ 
By: Wellesley Institute
On: Aug. 16, 2010 Precarious Housing in Canada (2010)
Precarious Housing in Canada (2010) is a powerful, new research and policy report from the Wellesley Institute. Using the most comprehensive and current data, research and analysis, Precarious Housing sets out a pragmatic, five-point plan targeted to the millions of Canadians who are living in substandard, over-crowded and unaffordable homes – plus those who are living without any housing at all. Housing is one of the most important factors for a healthy life. A good home is important for individuals and for overall population health. The growing number of Canadians who are precariously housed continues to be a deep and persistent problem throughout the country; the nation-wide affordable housing crisis is costly to individuals, communities, the economy, and the government. Federal housing and homelessness investments – adjusted for inflation and population growth – have been shrinking over the past two decades; and, while the federal government announces short-term initiatives from time to time, Canada still doesn’t have a comprehensive, fully-funded and integrated national housing strategy.
Download the full Precarious Housing in Canada report.
Download the Executive Summary.
Download Part One: Framing the challenge .
Download Part Two: Vision 2020, toward a national housing plan.
Download the full Precarious Housing in Canada report.
Download the Executive Summary.
Download Part One: Framing the challenge .
Download Part Two: Vision 2020, toward a national housing plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/housing/investment/index.htmlAffordable Housing Projects
Access to affordable housing is essential to the health and well-being of Nova Scotia’s communities.
That is why in the period between 2002 and 2012 the Province of Nova Scotia and its partners will be investing over $196 million dollars in affordable housing.
See our Map of Affordable Housing Projects.
For a look at some of the completed projects around the province see our Gallery of Affordable Housing Projects.
For a look at some of the completed projects around the province see our Gallery of Affordable Housing Projects.
This investment will accomplish four major goals:
- provide access to a wide choice of quality affordable housing for low-income families, seniors and persons with disabilities
- provide a positive contribution to the economy by creating jobs and strengthening local economics
- increase the supply of affordable housing and incorporate design features to improve living standards
- preserve existing social housing dwellings and reduce energy costs.
To date more than 1,400 affordable housing units have been created, preserved or are being constructed.
As of March 31, 2009:
- 610 new rental units are occupied
- 312 new rental units are under construction or being repaired
- 523 units have been upgraded or repaired
- 41 new homes have been created
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Coming soon...corrupt public servants at Access NS.... Alan Bickle, Gerald Hashey, Janet Light, Peter Keating, Linda Hardy, Gerard Neal, R MacNeil, Moria Ducharme, Roberta,
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The Vulgarity of the Rich or Incentive for the Poor?
Check out this great MSN video: Billion dollar home overlooks Mumbai slums
Having recently viewed this video and not knowing the family or man, who is India's richest man, I find it most vulgar that he would choose to build his 27 story billion dollar home next to the slums of Mombai which begs the question: who is more impoverished?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/10/14/2010-10-14_mukesh_ambani_indias_richest_man_builds_first_billiondollar_home_in_mumbai.html
______________
From: CNS Release [mailto:release@gov.ns.ca]
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 4:40 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The province is taking steps to better protect the rights of Nova Scotia tenants and landlords?
Through amendments introduced today, Nov. 29 2010, to the Residential Tenancies Act, the proposed changes continue to balance the needs of tenants and landlords and will improve the process to resolve issues.
"We understand that Nova Scotians want a residential tenancies system that is up to date and effective," said Ramona Jennex, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "After consulting with tenants and landlords, this act will reflect what we heard and continues to balance the rights and responsibilities of both."
(I wonder what landlords and tenants were consulted.)
Given all the serious issues in this corrupt agency, the only things Ramona Jennex came up with are:
The proposed amendments include:
--immediate tenure for all tenants
--improving the process to deal with unpaid rent
--a simple process for rent increases in land lease communities (formerly mobile home parks)
--extending full rights to tenants with fixed-term leases
--and the ability to award an application fee for successful applicants in the residential tenancies hearing process.
"With more than 100,000 rental units in Nova Scotia, I'm pleased to say that the majority of rental relationships are working well," said Ms. Jennex. "However, if problems do arise, our updated, modernized changes to the residential tenancies program gives tenants and landlords the information and tools they need to sort out their differences."
Ms. Jennex also introduced amendments to the Condominium Act to correct minor housekeeping items.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FOR BROADCAST USE:
The province is better protecting the rights of Nova Scotia tenants and landlords through amendments introduced today (November 29th).
The proposed changes will continue to balance the rights of landlords and tenants and streamline the process to resolve issues.
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister Ramona Jennex says she understands that Nova Scotians want a residential tenancies system that is up to date and effective. She says government has consulted tenants and landlords to balance their rights and responsibilities.
Ms. Jennex also introduced amendments to the Condominium Act to correct minor housekeeping items.
Media Contact: Tina Thibeau
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
902-722-1461
E-mail: thibeatd@gov.ns.ca
**end of message**
________________________________
Making a connection with Halifax's homeless
Event for homeless first of its kind in Atlantic Canada Response from community positive: Organizer Meghan Laing noticed a marked difference yesterday in the people walking into Halifax Connects and people walking out.
“Just the body language of some of these people coming in ... and coming out, shoulders high, smiles on their face,” said Laing, one of the organizers of the all-day event providing services for Halifax’s homeless and low-income populations.
Participants at Halifax Connects, held at the Armoury, were offered basic services like haircuts, clothing, health and wellness counselling and a hot lunch.
Laing said the foot care, wound treatment, and haircut stations were far and away the most attended.
Participants were also given the opportunity to learn about education and employment programs.
More than 500 people took part — more than Laing had hoped for the event, which was advertised exclusively by word of mouth. It brought together volunteers and service providers usually spread all over the municipality.
Bill Pratt, executive director of the Saint Leonard’s Society of Nova Scotia, said gathering everyone under one roof was a benefit to service providers as well.
Pratt said while it’s always difficult to gauge numbers at a given point, he was confident about a third of HRM’s homeless population benefited from yesterday’s event.
“Just the body language of some of these people coming in ... and coming out, shoulders high, smiles on their face,” said Laing, one of the organizers of the all-day event providing services for Halifax’s homeless and low-income populations.
Participants at Halifax Connects, held at the Armoury, were offered basic services like haircuts, clothing, health and wellness counselling and a hot lunch.
Laing said the foot care, wound treatment, and haircut stations were far and away the most attended.
Participants were also given the opportunity to learn about education and employment programs.
More than 500 people took part — more than Laing had hoped for the event, which was advertised exclusively by word of mouth. It brought together volunteers and service providers usually spread all over the municipality.
Bill Pratt, executive director of the Saint Leonard’s Society of Nova Scotia, said gathering everyone under one roof was a benefit to service providers as well.
Pratt said while it’s always difficult to gauge numbers at a given point, he was confident about a third of HRM’s homeless population benefited from yesterday’s event.
___________
Landlords worry over tenancy changes
Landlords and tenants rights advocates have spoken out about proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act.
Changes would grant renters automatic tenure at the beginning of the lease, meaning landlords would have to provide cause before evictions.
Now a landlord has the same rights as a tenant – they must give three months notice. Tenure is granted after five years.
But some landlords worry changes would limit their ability to get rid of problem tenants.
Cole Webber of the Tenant Alliance of Nova Scotia says the amendments are a safeguard against unfair evictions.
RESPONSE:
| switch of power How do tenants get rid of problem landlords? Certainly not at the tenancy board table who goes out of their way to protect landlords who violate the laws to the detriment of the powerless tenant. Jennex says the system works for most people-how would she know-nothing is ever taped which is the first wrong as unmonitored sessions breeds contempt and corruption. There is not enough space here for all she knows but have no doubt the corruption in her office that colludes with slum lords is epidemic and classist. |
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Enclosed is my first newspaper publication on the corruption of Metro Regional Housing Authority and the Human Rights Commission who illegally changed the name of the named defendant from Irvine Carvery to MRHA during the supposed Kirk Johnson/ HRC investigation. More information to be discussed in the Human Rights Commission section.
A “Home Sweet Home” story, in the First Person:
My troubles with the Housing Authority
by Gayle nee Gail McIntyre “A man’s value to the community depends primarily on how far his feelings, thoughts, and actions are directed toward promoting the good of his fellows.”
(excuse the sexist language acceptable in the time of the author)
The following reading is an oversimplification of events as not to traumatize the author or reader. I call it ‘organized crime’. The way individuals and agencies organize themselves to ignore or pretend that certain social conditions are not a reality for a large number of people is criminal. No where is this more evident as in the public housing system called Mulgrave Park. Not one but many structure themselves in defensive modes to protect their own choices to be ignorant rather than using that same energy to identify the problem(s) and set out to remedy the ills.
For brevity sakes I will address the contributions of Metro Regional Housing Authority (herein MRHA) as the primary contributor to the abuse and violations of the poor and their very basic rights. This focus is not to take away from the Halifax Police Department or the Department of Community Services for their equal contributions to keeping the poor in their ‘squalor’ but these agencies,with their own discriminatory practices, are worthy of their own individual articles.
In 1997, after completing 3 university degrees --Advanced Double Major in Sociology and Anthropology, Anthropology and Psychology and BSW--, certain events rendered me incapable of functioning in a full capacity earning me the status of ‘permanent disability’. This medical category, in itself has never been the problem. It is the manner in which I am treated by agencies and prevalent attitudes that cause me the most pain and suffering. I say that I have ‘social apathitis’ for had I lived within a compassionate society I would not have endured the events that lead to my unwellness. Having this disability status gives me a free ticket to poverty and the related fringes. Having a dependant, being ill and living in poverty afforded me the privilege of eligibility for MRHA. For all of my talents, skills and resources, embellished and otherwise, I was not prepared for the blatant evidence of social and political disregard for human life that is so entrenched in public house living.
There are many existing social theories that offer explanations to the ‘why’ of this depraved existence. For all of these discussions, however, I am yet to hear Housing Authorities themselves take responsibility for substandard and inhumane living spaces and environments. Ranging from housing units that are deplorable physically to the various forms of daily violence none are as damaging as those in waged positions legislated or mandated to make sure these conditions do not occur and yet they do. In a capitalistic economy there is no realistic cure for poverty. This is not an excuse for those who take passive backseats and allow through their actions, or someone else’s, the abuse of people who are entitled to by protected by several laws, statutes and pieces of legislations (ie. Residential, Human, Constitutional, Civil and Criminal).
Some employees of MRHA in management positions treat the residents of the Park as if there is a genetic predisposition to inappropriate behaviour and criminal violence. Despite policies and procedures in the MRHA manual against acts of violence and misconduct I was evicted after filing against MRHA at the Residential Tenancy Board. Although I made many pleas for intervention and help I had to deal with each act of violence on my own. Immediately after they received my application they, having an allergic reaction to being held accountable, applied for my eviction. All of a sudden I became the most violent member of Mulgrave Park. Property and District management accepted fabricated letters from my offenders stating that they had witnessed me assaulting over 22 people in the community ( there were other allegations).
The fact that I had over 20 incident reports and 6 criminal charges laid against others for property damage and assault with a deadly weapon not one application for my offenders’ eviction was ever filed. Property management ‘made’ a visible allegiance with my offenders and vowed to ‘get rid of the white crazy *%^#’.’ It was difficult for me to get witnesses to come to court as ‘I am afraid I’ll get evicted’ was the popular and real belief. I did have two witnesses but property and district management transferred one of them (approval given just under 20 hours instead of the regular 2 years wait) the other witness was approached after I asked the operation manger for an investigation into the management conduct of engaging in racial and gender derogatory name calling with my offenders.
Instead of an investigation into misconduct they approached this witness and he withdrew as my support (this witness explained to me that he withdrew because
of ‘pressure’). In November I was ordered to be evicted by a residential officer who knew my property manager. In the spring of 2003 this order was rescinded and ‘then some’. The Appeals adjudicator was an absolute treat!
To be in the presence of someone in power not afraid to’‘do the right thing’ was long overdue. I was starving!
But my property manager had another kind of ‘treat’ for me. While we were in legal proceedings he pulled his trump. Because I did not have tenure the landlord/ manager can decide not to renew my lease for no reason. And he did just that. So although my order to evict was overturned MRHA decided not to renew my lease before the matter was heard and decided.
Besides the obvious pathetic nature of this situation I was constantly aware that had management applied the same energy they did in violating my rights and applied it to ‘cleaning up the mess they created’ then we would all be enjoying a safer and cleaner community.
We go back to ‘Residential’ again because property management is deliberately not providing certain services to me. Again, in retaliation they have applied for my eviction. Last week I submitted a report to the Board of Directors of MRHA. I have to believe that they as individuals or a collective were not aware of the blatant abuse of my rights. I have strongly recommended the termination of the certain management. The evidence supports this. If this Board chooses to ignore this they choose to collude with the abuse of the poor in public housing.
Recently, the Human Rights Commission dismissed my case. They stated ’it is not in the public’s best interest’ to conduct an investigation (my file was on the discriminatory practices of management). Investigating the corruption and discriminatory practice of MRHA management is not in the public’s best interest??? This has two dangerous implications. It allows management to continue in their misconduct. It says the rights of the poor ‘don’t matter’ to anybody else for if the Human Rights Commission do not deem the rights of the poor as valuable then how can we expect anybody else to feel and differently? This position, classist in its nature, should be challenged by those who know different.
“I have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me so bad and unfortunatethat silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity....this is the right, or the duty, of the individual to abstain from cooperating in activities which he considers wrong or pernicious”.
(Excerpts: Albert Einstein “Human Rights”, Ideas and Opinions. p 13, 35. Three Rivers Press: New York 1954, 1982.
Published in Street Feat - The Voice of the Poor; Vol. 6 Iss 4
September 2003
