Jun 14th, 2023
OCH Presents its 2022 Annual Report to City Council
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NEWS RELEASE: OTTAWA COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OUTLINES ITS COMMITMENT TO TENANTS AND ACTIONS TAKEN TO ADDRESS HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
Wednesday, June 14th, 2023 (OTTAWA, ON) – The Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCH) held its Annual General Meeting with its sole shareholder, Ottawa City Council.
During the meeting, Stéphane Giguère, Chief Executive Officer, and Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, Chair of the OCH Board of Directors, provided key findings of OCH’s 2022 Annual Report. They each highlighted the three core pillars of OCH’s work – to preserve and maintain existing community housing, support tenants and communities, and build more affordable housing.
As the new Chair of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation Board, I am proud of the work accomplished by the OCH team and our community partners. With the need for more affordable housing at an all-time high, I am so grateful that OCH is continuing to build new affordable homes while remaining focused on finding opportunities to always improve the tenant experience, said Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, Chair of the OCH Board of Directors
OCH’s mandate aligns with the City of Ottawa’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness plan, and with its commitment to continuous improvement, OCH is supporting its tenants and building better communities.
With the ongoing dedication of OCH staff, support from all orders of government, and partnerships with incredible community organizations, the report features how OCH is moving ahead with the construction of over 900 more affordable homes.
OCH is actively developing a Complex Care Housing Strategy. The objective is to foster thriving and inclusive communities by effectively assessing tenants at intake for housing supports to ensure they are appropriately housed and adequately supported in the community upon arrival and throughout their tenancy. The success of this strategy will rely on enhancing collaboration and partnership with the housing and the health and social service systems to optimize efforts and investments in the supports needed for tenants to live healthy, independent, and empowered lives.
2022 was a year of continued progress and determination. Our entire team, once again, went over and above to ensure tenants remained our priority. Through collaboration and innovation with our critical partners, including City Council, the City of Ottawa and their partner agencies, along all orders of government, OCH will continue to make progress on building more affordable homes, ensuring safe and quality communities for tenants, and being a reliable, trusted partner within the sector, said Stéphane Giguère, CEO of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation.
Throughout the report, a key theme emerges; addressing housing and homelessness requires hard work, collaboration, innovation and funding.
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RESOURCES:
www.och-lco.ca
2022 Annual Report LINK
About Ottawa Community Housing Corporation: OCH provides approximately 15,000 homes to over 32,000 tenants, including seniors, parents, children, couples, singles and persons with special needs, within many communities across the City of Ottawa. OCH houses a diverse population of varying languages, ethnicity and cultures. OCH is the largest social housing provider in Ottawa, managing two-thirds of the City’s social housing portfolio, and is the second largest in Ontario. In 2023, OCH earned recognition for the sixth consecutive year as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers. For more information, please visit www.och-lco.ca or follow us on social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chantal Genova, Media and Public Relations Advisor
Ottawa Community Housing Corp.
343-997-5700
media@och.ca
KEY FACTS FROM 2022 ANNUAL REPORT
NURTURING HEALTHY, SAFE, AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES
2022 marked the return of many corporate groups to the OCH Volunteer Engagement Program. It brings together volunteers from local businesses, corporate sponsors or individual supporters to help beautify OCH communities through various projects. Here are some of the 2022 highlights:
- 610 volunteers engaged
- 4,000 + hours donate
- 80 tenant volunteers
- Examples of volunteer projects: 42 garden boxes constructed, 30 hallways painted, 3 sectional benches and 750 fence boards repaired.
DELIVERING QUALITY SERVICES TO EVERY TENANT, EVERY HOME
In 2022, OCH continued to deliver quality and responsive services to every tenant and every home using a customer-centric approach to strengthen understanding of clients’ needs.
The 2022 Tenant Satisfaction Survey found that there was an increase in the number of tenants who have a positive perception of OCH services. The organization also delivered timely services, particularly through our Integrated Pest Management approach, with an on-time response rate of 98%.
My Home – OCH Online Tenant Portal – since its inception in 2021, registrations have grown 63%, averaging 400 users per month. My Account, Report a Repair, and Contact Details are the top 3 features used. New functionalities will be added in 2023 to increase client service options.
INNOVATING TO MEET HOUSING AND FINANCIAL NEEDS
$65 Million Capital Investment for repairs, upgrades and retrofits across OCH Portfolio of 15,000 homes. Work included building and fire life safety systems, restoration, community projects, and support activities. With an aging portfolio comes a requirement for long-term investments in capital repairs. OCH is anticipating multi-year projects that balance capital spending in an affordable and sustainable way.
Example: Elevator Modernization Program improves safety, reliability, accessibility, energy efficiency, property value, compliance, and community satisfaction. It is a forward-thinking investment that enhances residents’ overall quality of life while ensuring the housing infrastructure’s long-term viability.
As part of its 10-Year Development Strategy, OCH aims to fill Ottawa’s affordable rental market gap by providing apartments and townhomes at affordable prices for low to moderate-income households. Upon completion, these various projects will create over 900 affordable homes.
FOSTERING AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Operating within its 10-Year Strategic Plan (2016-2025), OCH continues to use governance, management systems and innovation to ensure it can build and maintain the housing portfolio, deliver quality tenant services, and support healthy communities. Investing in the organization’s culture, employees, and technology continues to be a critical element of the strategy.
2022 marked the 20th anniversary of OCH building better communities together with tenants. This significant milestone offered an opportunity to reflect on the learning and growth that has transpired over the years and to recognize OCH as a leader and innovator striving for a future where everyone in Ottawa has a quality home they can afford.
OCH’s Green Plan is another area where the organization has shown continued commitment to addressing climate change and the Race to Zero campaign. Some ways OCH is striving towards sustainability include:
- organic diversion pilot program,
- the electric vehicle car-sharing program,
- the PEER Presland (Prefabricated Exterior Energy Retrofit) project