The local Cochrane non-profit group Cochrane Society for Housing Options (CSHO) is in the running for a $5,000 grant from CIR Realty’s $20,000 community grant giveaway.
The contest, In My Backyard, will be giving out four, $5,000 grants to local community projects and initiatives.
The public is invited to vote on the initiatives and the winner will be chosen for each category based on which entry has received the most number of votes.
There are four grant categories including locally registered non-profit, community facility improvement, youth extracurricular activities and local sustainability and conservation.
The CSHO is entered in category two – the community facility improvement grant.
According to the CSHO website, they promote access to safe, suitable and diverse housing appropriate to the incomes of Cochrane citizens.
On their entry description, the CSHO state that the funds it receives from the contest would go towards purchasing more rental units. It also goes on to say that safe, suitable and affordable housing is a basic human need and Cochrane is experiencing a rental-housing crisis due to significant growth.
As of Sept. 24, the Silverado Community Outdoor Skating Rink was in the lead for votes in the category with 234 and Warm Up Together, a campaign for a community “warm-up shack” for the Discovery Ridge skating rink, was in second with 85 votes.
The CSHO is currently at 33 votes.
Groups can enter the contest between Monday, Sept. 1 and Friday, Oct. 31 and voting will be open to the public from Monday, Sept. 15 until Friday, Oct. 31.
To vote visit inmybackyardcontest.com.
