The Partnership Families engaged in a dispute with Habitat for Humanity – Edmonton Society (Habitat Edmonton) over changes to the organization’s housing program provide the following statement in response to the mediation proposal issued by Habitat Edmonton on June 30, 2020.
From the moment that Habitat for Humanity - Edmonton Society proposed changes to its housing program, the Partnership Families have attempted to work with the organization to reach a fair and just resolution that would not result in the families being evicted from their homes. At every turn, Habitat Edmonton has refused our requests, and informed the families that it would not be “opening the Habitat program to debate or meeting as a group to discuss individual homeownership issues.”
Although the Partnership Families are optimistic that the change in Habitat Edmonton’s position could potentially result in a fair and just outcome for the families, over the past months, they have seen Habitat Edmonton issue numerous public assurances of committing to work with the families and not forcibly evicting them from their homes, only to do the opposite and push the families to the brink of homelessness.
The Partnership Families are committed to working with Habitat Edmonton, and ensuring the true spirit of “partnership” that is supposed to inform the relationship between the parties.
For this to occur at this particularly difficult time for the Partnership Families, the Partnership Families propose that Habitat Edmonton commits to the following public assurances as a condition to mediation that will ensure there is public and donor accountability of what happens next:
The mediation involves all of the Partnership Families, including those who have signed the releases imposed on them by Habitat Edmonton.
The mediation for all the Partnership Families occur concurrently, with representatives from the Partnership Families and Habitat Edmonton, and not in an individual manner with Habitat Edmonton meeting directly and in private with each family.
The mediation be conducted by an independent third party approved by both parties.
All evictions, equity clawbacks, eviction notices, equity clawback notices, settlement proposals, releases agreements, and related offers, agreements, and notices made to the Partnership Families, be cancelled and set aside to allow the parties to engage in mediation in good-faith without any undue pressure on the families.
The vacant or vacated homes of the Partnership Families not be given by Habitat Edmonton to other families until the mediation is resolved.
The Partnership Families continue to make the payments that they are currently making to Habitat Edmonton for occupying the homes, and adhere to all other conditions that the families agreed to follow to occupy the homes.
The acknowledgement that any change to the housing model and whether it is imposed on a specific family should be the sole discretion of that family, and no one else. If the result of the mediation is an altered version of the housing model, then each individual family has the discretion to accept or reject it.
The parties enter into a formal order or agreement staying or suspending the legal proceeding until the mediation process is complete.
The presence of independent community observers at the mediation to witness and help facilitate a resolution.
Our lawyer has already communicated this information to Habitat Edmonton’s lawyer, and we are awaiting a response.
The Partnership Families share Habitat Edmonton’s commitment to resolve this dispute in a manner that is “as fairly and quickly as possible.” However, the primary concern to us is fairness, and we will continue to take action to ensure that occurs.