Tanya Hutchens |
| Paralegal |
Gold Star Legal Services, Thornhill, Ontario |
|
Canada |
About Tanya Hutchens
Charity Involvement
In her ongoing commitment to change lives, Tanya Hutchens supports charitable organizations that better the lives of those around her. Acting locally and globally, Tanya Hutchens gives through hours of volunteering and fundraising efforts. Tanya Hutchens remains devoted to issues that provide life changes, end abuse, and find cures.
Interests
Encouraging individuals to end their battles with drugs and alcohol, Tanya Hutchens supports the Renascent treatment center. As a foundation contributor, Tanya Hutchens offers Renascent the funds it needs to effectively curb the addictions of its participants for a lifetime. In addition to her efforts to end substance abuse, Tanya Hutchens also strives to stop domestic abuse. Tanya Hutchens promotes women's personal growth, self-esteem, and independence as a self-defense coach. Not only does this level two black belt tae kwon do master prove to her students their physical strength, Tanya Hutchens shows them their ability to act quickly and wisely when faced with threatening situations. When she served as President and Paralegal Litigator with Gold Star Legal Services for over a decade, Tanya Hutchens took many abusers to court and brought restraining orders against them on behalf of the women they hurt.
Foundation Involvement
Because cancer affects so many people all over the world, Tanya Hutchens regularly donates to the Canadian Cancer Society. Tanya Hutchens also supports the Terry Fox Foundation, which collects donations for cancer research. The story of Terry Fox is one of both sadness and inspiration, and tugs at the heartstrings of many Canadians, including Tanya Hutchens. After Terry Fox lost his leg from cancer, he decided to run across Canada to raise awareness for the disease. During the cross-country trek, Terry Fox was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer, and this time, the disease took his life. Tanya Hutchens supports the foundation in order find a cure and honor this crusader.
Boardwalk Rental Communities
As a supporter of the needs in communities across Canada, Tanya Hutchens summarizes the efforts of the Boardwalk Rental Communities, which has its headquarters in Calgary, has more than 35,000 residential rental units in 30 communities in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.
These rental units mostly meet the housing needs of families and single people. Included in the portfolio are 200 units of assisted living for seniors in two buildings.
Recognizing that stable housing is a necessary pre-condition for social integration, educational achievement by children, access to services and even a determinant of health, Boardwalk's Community Development initiative offers rent relief to tenants in good standing across the country who are struggling on fixed incomes or low wages.
Tanya Hutchens comments on The Affordable Housing Solution
From time to time, especially in areas where vacancies are low, rental markets experience annual increases, which can create financial hardship for households onfixed incomes or households that depend on low-wage jobs.
To address this problem, Boardwalk has established a subsidy program, which offers reduced increases, one-time waiver of a particular rent increase or even a longer-term rent freeze to tenants. This financial relief is available for tenants who have been in good standing for at least 12 months and whose rent would otherwise be 40 per cent or more of their net household income.
Boardwalk also helps tenants in financial need by helping them access supportfrom community and social services agencies and government subsidy programs. The company will also transfer tenants to more affordable Boardwalk units, and offer financial help for some moving costs.
Boardwalk does not receive government support or special tax credit for this initiative. Tenants submit request for relief, along with information to verify income and asset levels.
According to Tanya Hutchens, any landlords make an effort to accommodate tenants to avoid turnover and reduce vacancies. However, Boardwalk's initiative is a comprehensive program that has been running for more than nine years and is part of the company's objectives to be a good corporate citizen. In addition to providing rent relief for tenants other activities in this program include renovating units to make them fully accessible for people needing attendant care and providing a suite for a support agency to maintain 24-hour on-site support.