AUDIO: New trustee program to support housing stability
“I’ve experienced the ups and downs of life, so that’s something that really informs my practice.”
People living in Port Hawkesbury or Richmond County can take advantage of New Dawn’s new Community Trustee program aimed at helping people maintain stable housing and manage essential expenses. It is funded by the province and is free, voluntary, and confidential.
Marguerite Conradie, New Dawn’s Community Trustee, is originally from South Africa and has been living in Cape Breton for ten years after spending some time teaching English in South Korea. She spoke with Information Morning Cape Breton host Steve Sutherland about the program and the experience she brings to the role.
“I have a background in commerce but also a background in teaching,” she said. “Personally, I’ve also experienced, I would say, the ups and downs of life, so that’s something that really informs my practice. The goal is to create something that’s grounding, something that’s safe, and to create practical solutions to our money situations.”
With participants’ consent, the Community Trustee helps ensure essential bills such as rent and utilities are paid on time and supports participants to create a simple monthly budget for costs like food and transportation. The service also offers financial literacy support.
“We’re a place where we can talk about what’s going on, and sometimes that’s the most helpful thing if we’ve lived through keeping money quiet and keeping our money problems to ourselves, sometimes it’s nice to be able to speak with someone who won’t be sharing it with everyone else, and see what we can do and make a plan together.”
The program recognizes that financial stress is often shaped by broader life experiences, including systemic barriers and past hardships. Services are designed to be respectful, collaborative, and paced to individual needs. Participants can ask questions at any time, bring a support person, request changes, pause or end services, and decide what information they share.
Listen to the full interview on CBC Radio’s Information Morning Cape Breton here.
Find out more about New Dawn’s Community Trustee program here.
