Victoria Votes had a chance to sit down with Lisa Helps, the Executive Director of Community Micro Lending. Helps is the former board chair of the Fernwood NRG, and has been a community activist in Victoria for many years. This is the first in what will (time permitting) be a series of interviews with interesting community members, showcasing some of the awesome stuff going on in our city and how it relates to the by-election.
Victoria Votes: What do you do?
Lisa Helps: Community Micro Lending (CML) does two things which are directly related to the election - poverty reduction, and economic development. Specifically, what we're doing is poverty reduction through economic development, creating small loans that lead to employment. The people we lend to don't qualify for loans from traditional sources, but they have good ideas. Maybe someone wants to start a small business, or expand their landscaping business by buying a couple of rakes and mowers - we help them by providing the start-up capital that they wouldn't otherwise have.
V V: Why is this important?
L H: First of all, a lot of people work in each area, but this does both, it brings everyone together with a common goal. It also builds community over divides of class, race, culture, everything. I'm always inspired at our meetings to see lenders, borrowers, business owners, people just starting out, all building community together.
V V: How does your work relate to the next year for City Hall?
L H: The city just recently put together a committee to figure out its economic development plan. In the midst of all the issues of the moment, it's important to continue to think ahead, and Community Micro Lending is part of that.
V V: So what can Council do over the next year to further the goal of poverty reduction through economic development?
L H: Approve an Official Community Plan [Victoria Votes will talk more about the OCP later] that fosters economic prosperity over the next 30 years and ties economic development to community wellbeing.
Also, when thinking about their economic development strategy, develop policy, tools, and cultivate talented staff to make it easy for someone who is poor and has no experience with bureaucracy or setting up a business to access City Hall. Basically, make City Hall open to entrepreneurs who might not look the part.
Finally, create zoning that makes it easy for people to a) have home-based businesses, b) allows creative land-use practices, and c) allows for more flexibility in land use, especially in neighbourhood centres.
V V: What are some important qualities for a candidate?
L H: Someone who has a vast amount of experience in the community, who is visible in the community and brings with them a strong base of support.
Somebody who is visionary, who's not going to sit at the Council table and talk about what kind of siding a building should have in order to qualify for a rezoning.
Someone who has a genuine ability to work across differences, who can bring people together.
Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to sit down with us! Check out Community Micro Lending's blog, which Lisa will be updating on a weekly basis here.
Community Micro Lending is also hosting a fundraising event on Tuesday the 16th (poster below).
Lisa Helps will be running for Victoria City Council in 2011.
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