Continuing the discussion about innovative, affordable housing strategies

Many folks left the last 100 Mile Ideas Diet conversation café with their heads spinning. So much information was exchanged in 2 hours, and since affordable housing is such an intricate topic, many participants expressed interest in using an online forum for continuing on with the conversation.

This blog can be that forum. Please post your questions, comments and ideas for further action. Please be sure that your remarks are respectful.

Click to see more photos from the event:

CIEL- inspiring vitality and entrepreneurship in communities: Continuing the discussion about innovative, affordable housing strategies

More Related Links & Ideas - Provided by Lileth Swetland

• http://www.innovation-award.ca/story7845.html?Page=story.html&IdeabookID=901
• http://www.optionsforhomes.ca/news.php?articleID=4
• http://socialfinance.ca/blog/tag/affordable-housing/
• http://socialinnovation.ca/become-a-member

In The Spotlight: Notable Community Entrepreneur

Do you know someone in your community who inspires you with their ability to use innovative and entrepreneurial skills and attitudes to adapt and thrive? Let us know about them, and they might be featured in our quarterly newsletter!

In the past, CIEL has co-sponsored a yearly Community Entrepreneur and Innovative Organization award. It's been a great way of recognizing outstanding acheivement and sharing inspirational stories of success.

If you have someone in mind from your community, please send us a brief write-up (250 words) about them. You can include information about their role in the community, attitudes or outlooks that make them stand out, and how they've transformed a challenging situation into an opportunity.

You can send your Notable Community Entrepreneur write-up to info@theciel.com. If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about CIEL's work, phone us at (250) 352-9192 or toll free (888) 352-9192.

Photo: 2008 Community Entrepreneur Award winner Bruce Hardy (of the National Research Council) for the Central Kootenay region accepts award from CIEL Chair Jan Wright and Community Futures Central Kootenay Chair Bob Wright.

100 Mile Ideas Diet - Innovative, Affordable Housing Strategies on June 17th

The Centre for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Leadership is hosting its fourth conversation café tomorrow evening at Oso Negro. This one is about affordable housing, and we hope to get as many people and perspectives as possible! If you aren't able to make it, you will be able to listen to the podcast (but that isn't as fun, since you won't get to participate!).

The format is as follows: 40 minutes of speaker presentations, 15 minutes small group discussion, then the remaining time for large group discussion. If people like, we might try a world café format for the small group discussion...we'll see.

The speakers are:

• Michelle Mungall -MLA for the West Kootenays and used to be the Community Coordinator of Nelson Committee on Homelessness
• Derek Murphy - social planning consultant for Social Planning Action Network (SPAN)
• George Penfold -Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development (Selkirk College), Adjunct Professor at School of Business and Ecomomics (Thompson Rivers University).
• Jenna Arpita -Project Coordinator for Women in Sustainable Housing (Habondia Lending Society), previous Women's Support Worker (Aimee Beaulieu Transition House).
• Stacey Lock -Community Outreach Worker in Nelson, BC

Admission is by donation to the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation's CT Scanner. All of the presentations and discussion will be recorded and broadcasted on Kootenay Co-op Radio in half-hour segments on Fridays at 5:30 pm and Saturdays at 9:30 am. You can listen to the podcasts by going to http://www.cjly.org/index.php?/radio-show/show/the_100_mile_ideas_diet/

For more info, contact Anna at CIEL: 352-9192 ext. 221