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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, November 22, 2012 · 6 The Oakville Beaver The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 Guest Column Neil Oliver Vice-President and Group Publisher, Metroland West David harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Website www.oakvillebeaver.com The OakvilleBeaver is a division of T Working to make affordable housing a reality for all Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville ATHENA Award ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog A HEFTY DONATION: New Central students and families donated more than 2,000 food items that were collected through the school's We Scare Hunger initiative and handed over to Fareshare food bank. Here, from left, Karina Taylor, Brooke Nelson, and Kate List help carry a heavy box of donations. oday (Nov. 22), Halton Region and communities across the country will mark National Housing Day, a time that is meant to reflect on the importance of adequate housing in the lives of all people. Habitat for Humanity Halton (HHFH) is a proud and enthusiastic supporter of this day. In Halton, many of us are blessed with comfortable housing and high standards of living, but very often we overlook the difficulties facing those in our own communities. About 501,699 people live in Halton, according to Statistics Canada. One in nine lives below the low income level -- close to 43,000 people. The 2008 Housing Report for Halton Region shows that about 1,200 residents become homeless every year due to a lack of affordable housing. About 2,000 low-income residents are waiting for housing. In one of the wealthiest regions in the country, these numbers are shocking. The challenges facing low-income residents are often made worse by the fact that housing prices are very high and continue to rise. The average home in Oakville and Burlington costs $400,000. As housing costs go up, low-income households are spending more and more of income on housing or rent. Community Development Halton says, "One in six family households (in the region spends) 30 per cent or more of its income on shelter costs." At HFHH, we believe that all people should have access to affordable housing no matter where they live. Since its foundation, HFHH has worked to make Halton a place where everyone can afford to own a simple, decent home. Our model is simple. We provide hardworking families in need with the chance to own a home that is affordable for them. Each partner family pays for its home with an interestfree mortgage and contributes 500 hours of work (or "sweat equity") to Habitat's programs. The money made from each mortgage is used to fund another house. Partner families are able to spend much less of their income on housing costs and more on building equity. Our programs provide a hand-up, not a hand-out, creating stronger families, stronger communities and a stronger economy. Since 2001, HFHH has helped 65 people in 17 Halton families own their own home, end their dependency on social housing subsidies, and become taxpayers who contribute between $1,500-$3,000 each year in property taxes while still having money left over to pay for nutritious food, schooling, and healthier living. Together with volunteers, governments and corporate partners across the region, we are working to make affordable housing a reality for everyone in our community. Starting in 2013, we are embarking on a plan to build 10 homes per year in Halton, increasing dramatically the number of families who can benefit from our programs. This National Housing Day, join with us and others in your community as we work to make our towns and cities affordable, safe and decent places to live for everyone. To make a donation to HFHH's programs, visit www.habitathalton.ca, e-mail development@habitathalton.ca, or call 1-866-314-4344. -- Submitted by Roy Campbell, Habitat for Humanity Halton Cuckoo birds and other odd perils of working from home or once in my life, I'm apparently on the leading edge of a trend that continues to gain momentum. According to The Toronto Star, "Statistics Canada says almost half of Canadian jobs are telework-compatible (that is, they could be done off-site) and there are more than 1.5-million employees across the country now working from home at least part-time. Jobs," the Star concluded, "are moving home." I joined the so-called telecommuting crowd eons ago -- not as an employee, mind you, but as a freelancer. Consequently, I know first-hand the assorted pearls and perils of working where you live. Experts say that one of the biggest advantages of working at home is that you, well, don't work at an office: hence, no commute. It's estimated that the average commute for GTA-ers is one hour. Each way. Two hours daily. Which means, by the end of one work week, someone toiling at home has gained 10 hours that can be used to productively chip away at to-do lists, plot ways to better the world, or catch up on old episodes of Duck Dynasty. Personally speaking, the biggest advantage of working from home is freedom from the tyranny of rules, regulations, and sartorial bonds that so dominate office life. F Our house has a wonderful office, with a built-in, cherry wood desk and an entire wall of matching filing drawers and storage cupboards. For a long time I worked in that office. Nowadays, with the portability of laptop computers, wireless printers and such, I work at the kitchen counter, clad in my favorite Chicago Cubs T-shirt and a pair Andy Juniper of ratty gym shorts (that my wife is forever threatening to throw out), cup of coffee in hand, and The Avett Brothers on the stereo. It can all get somewhat unsightly, slovenly, and horribly antisocial, but it's where (and how) I'm most productive and do my best work. Occasionally, I crave human contact. I can only talk to the dog for so long before he either tires of the sound of my voice and quits the room, or I start thinking he's actually responding. At which point, I pack up my laptop and head to the nearest greasy spoon to talk weather with the waitresses over a plate of bacon and eggs. Perhaps I'm painting too idyllic a picture. The at-home worker encounters an abundance of distractions (did I mention Duck Dynasty?) and plenty of odd obstacles. Take last Friday. Already having trouble concentrating on the deadline at hand (like I said, it was Friday), my workday was unexpectedly undermined by a North American crested finch, replete with brilliant red plumage and an untrustworthy face. That is to say, my day was sabotaged by a cardinal, madly pecking at the basement windows, a sound so intrusive it made work impossible. I'd go shoo him away. Minutes later he'd return. Peck. Peck. Peck. Rendered incompetent. Tortured. By a blinkin' bird. Which brings me to the biggest drawback of working from home. Which is, well, you're always at home. And, ah, always at work. My father used to say that his favourite day of the week was Monday when he could get away from the motley crew he called family, go to the office, close his door, and revel in peace and quiet. Honestly, there's plenty of peace and quiet at our house. But it's a quiet that can instantly turn to chaos when you have kids. -- and one cuckoo cardinal pecking away at your sanity. Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook at www.facebook.com, or followed at www.twitter. com/thesportjesters.