United Way Perth-Huron is proud to announce Mitchell Rhodes as the Director of the new Community Renewal Company.
“We’d like to welcome Mitchell to the United Way team,” said Executive Director Ryan Erb. “There’s already been so much work behind the scenes, making local connections and sharing our vision. Mitchell brings a wealth of experience developing the kinds of projects we have in mind and we welcome his expertise and vision.”
“I’m pleased to join the team and work with Ryan and the team,” added Rhodes. “I have family ties in Stratford and after years working on affordable housing I’m happy to live here and build this collaboration. United Way’s vision for the Community Renewal Company as a way of helping keep communities affordable and act as a counter-balance to the prevailing continued rise in housing costs is compelling. I look forward to getting to know the local communities better and collaborating on some exciting projects.”
Part of the United Way team since January, Rhodes’ previous position was as the Director of Coordinated Access for Halifax and Rural Nova Scotia for the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia; where he worked within the federal Reaching Home program, which is under the umbrella of the National Housing Strategy. Rhodes has lived and worked in Ontario, BC, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Rwanda. He also lived in Sweden where he obtained a master’s degree in Sustainable Development and has two undergraduate degrees in Honours Business Administration from the University of Windsor and Economics from the University of Western Ontario.
The Community Renewal Company’s initial focus is developing and operating affordable rental supply, supportive housing options and innovation in social service access and delivery, including community hubs. Chief among the projects in the pipeline is the Listowel Access Centre. Components under consideration for the Centre include a new library retaining the Carnegie section of the building, a community hub for social services and 40 rental apartment units. The Renewal Company will also play a critical role in the community development ecosystem, supporting and building relationships between non-profit service providers and their supporters and advocates. For more on the Community Renewal Company, GO HERE.