Do you want your voice to be heard? Are you interested in bettering CRH communities? You’re invited to an opportunity to build fellowship in community, hear about what a resident council is, and start the process of creating our very own.
In December we will host a virtual informational session to talk more about why Community Roots is considering putting a resident council together, what purpose it would serve, and how we should proceed. We want your input! Join us at the meeting to ask questions, give input about what a CRH resident council can look like, and consider being part of a planning committee! Stay tuned for more details.
Why have a resident council or committee?
- Equity and representation.
- Provide voice to residents.
- Engage residents in decision-making.
- Get resident feedback/input on housing/organizational issues.
- Keep all tenants informed of council activities.
- Increase resident understanding of how the agency works (regs, scope, etc.).
- Relationship building among residents and between residents and agency.
- Increase resonance with neighborhood via community engagement.
- Be a catalyst for creating a place of stabilization.
- Give a voice to / influence regional/state/national policy on housing issues.
- Develop skill and capacity of tenants and residents to facilitate and engage in decision making.
- Provide advice and information regarding housing, regeneration, and planning policy.
Items to plan:
- Establish when, where, and how often to meet.
- Establish how membership is determined and how long members serve.
- Determine the relationship of council with the property manager/agency.
- Clarify boundaries of the council, of the agency, and what they can and cannot do.
- Set the culture of the council: need to know that “my voice matters,” need facilitation trained in equity and inclusive meeting practices, to manage dominant/non dominant speakers, to stop non-inclusive practices or statements.
- Come up with mission, goals, key actions.
- Clarify how decisions will be made (consensus, vote, etc.)
- Establish how to be contacted by the residents – best to set up a common email account.
- Establish how the council will communicate and how often with residents, communicate important points after each meeting at a minimum.
- Operate by consensus, evidence based.
