shsc 2008 annual report

8/9/2019 SHSC 2008 Annual Report

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ANNUAL REPORTSocial Housing Services Corporation 200

Developing the

Next Generation of Housing Experts

SHSC Training Travelling, Listening & Delivering

The Story ofNicole Waldron The Community Champions Program

PLUSStrengthening the Sect

2008 Highlights

The Making of theGreenhouse Short Film



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Strengthening The SectorA message from our CEO & Chair

By The Numbers 2008Numerical highlights

HighlightsOur accomplishments in 2008

The Story of Nicole WaldronGLOBE: Empowering people to be agents of

change in their own communities

The Making of The Greenhouse Short Film

Developing the Next Generation of Housing Experts

SHSC TrainingTraveling, listening and delivering

Board Members

Finacial Report



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StrengtheningBuilding on our continuallygrowing reputation as a valuedservice provider, responsivepartner, and trusted advocate onthe key issues facing our sector,this past year we expanded ourreach farther than ever before.

We travelled across the provincetraining, consulting andplanning with clients andstakeholders, working towardsstrengthening our sector andensuring its sustainability.

In order for SHSC to achieve itsvision of a vital, affordable

housing sector, we needed todevelop a strategic road map. Inour 2008-2011 SHSC StrategicPlan, we set the direction for ourorganization. Over the next three years, SHSC will expand thesector’s capacity so that together,

we can meet its futureneeds, promote and fosterrelationships thatencourage partnershipsand help others make theconnection that housing isa central component of ahealthy community.

Ontario’s social housingstock is a $40 billionasset that is home tohundreds of thousands of

our most vulnerablecitizens. These assets needto be managed strategically andeffectively to ensure the long-termviability of affordable housing.On March 17, 2008, the Premierannounced $1 million in fundingfor SHSC to create the AssetManagement Centre (AMC).Acting as the secretariat for the

“Ontario’s social housingstock is a $40 billion assetthat is home to hundreds ofthousands of our mostvulnerable citizens. Theseassets need to be managed

strategically and effectively...”

A Message from Our CEO & Chair



AMC, SHSC has played acentral role in bringing togetherkey players to promotesustainable housing communitiesacross the Province. The AMCwill coordinate the sector’s effortsto set standards for effectivecapital asset management,provide a research andknowledge base and developbest practices for the socialhousing community.

In 2008, SHSC also launched agroundbreaking tenant insuranceplan specically created for low-income residents living in non-prot housing. Provided by SoHoInsurance, the plan is the rst andonly one of its kind in North

America. It offers low-incometenants property and liabilitycoverage regardless of theirpostal code.

Meanwhile, our core services --group insurance, investments, andour natural gas program -- allcontinued to demonstrate SHSC’scommitment to providing stability,

Roger MaloneySocial Housing Services CorporationChair

security and excellent valueto all of our clients.

In this year’s annual report, wehave included three feature storiesthat put the spotlight on areas inwhich SHSC has demonstratedexceptional leadership andinnovation. In each case, the

ingredients are the same: workingwith partners, engaging clients,valuing people and takingnew approaches.

With a successful 2008 behindus and a strategic plan in placefor the next three years, SHSC iswell-positioned to continue to bea pivotal and valued leader in thesocial housing movement,expanding its range of programs

and services, and furtherstrengthening its partnerships withkey stakeholders to increase theprole and asset value of socialhousing in Ontario.

Lindsey ReedSocial Housing Services CorporationCEO



5

By The

Numbers2008



20,000,000,000

2,781,76957,373

68199%

Watts of energy saved throughthe Toronto Hydro light bulbexchange program.

Percentage of surveyedworkshop participants whowould recommend SHSCTraining to others.

The number of energy efcientlight bulbs installed in 2008from the Toronto Hydro lightbulb exchange program

Amount of assets ($) insuredin the SHSC Group InsuranceProgram. One of the largestgroup insurance programs in

North America.

The number of social housingproviders in the SHSC GroupInsurance program.

SHSC Annual Report 2008



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HighlightsInteractive Online Strategic Plan• Developed our strategic plan for 2008-2011, which outlines

the steps we are taking to raise the prole of social housing andpromote its value as an asset to Ontario’s neighbourhoods.

• SHSC will expand the capacity of the sector over the next three years to meet its future needs, promote and foster relationships thatencourage partnerships and help demonstrate that housing is acentral component of a healthy community.

SHSC Governance Committee• SHSC Board of Directors established a governance committee to

review the current subsidiary model to ensure that it meets SHSCneeds and to identify how the corporation can best support thesuccess of its subsidiaries.

• Consultations with the Boards of each of the subsidiaries (SoHoInsurance Inc., SHSC Financial Inc. and GLOBE Inc.) to developkey performance measures and the optimum shareholder/subsidiary relationship for each corporation.

Visit the award-winningSHSC Interactive OnlineStrategic Plan at

www.ourstrategicplan.ca



The Establishment of the Asset Management Centre

Ontario’s social housing stock is a $40 billion asset, which is alsohome to hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens. Its morethan 230,000 units provide shelter to families and individuals. Thedecline of housing stock in the province not only affects residents, butsurrounding communities.

As part of the 2008-09 budget, the Premier announced a commitmentof $1 million to establish an Asset Management Centre (AMC) ofExcellence within SHSC.

AMC serves multiple roles across Ontario:

• It works with the sector to set standards for effective capitalasset management

• It provides a research and knowledge base to supportasset management

• It develops best practices for social housing providers,municipalities and residents

With SHSC acting as a secretariat,AMC includes representatives from:

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

• Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada– Ontario Region (CHF)

• Local Housing Corporations

• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario)

• Ontario Non-Prot Housing Association (ONPHA)

• Service Manager Housing Network

• SHSC Financial Inc.

• The Agency for Co-operative Housing




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Social Housing Investment ProgramThe Social Housing Investment Program enables the effectiveinvestment of capital reserves as well as operating dollars. Theprogram is administered by the SHSC subsidiary, SHSC FinancialInc. (SHSCFI), whose board members represent non-prots, co-ops,municipal nance ofcers and investment professionals. Theinvestment portfolio advisor and distributor of our investment funds isPhillips, Hager & North (PH&N) – a respected Canadian rm witha broad range of clients, including a substantial number of non-prot organizations.

In 2008, SHSCFI:

• Continued to play a signicant leadership role in the AssetManagement Centre with three SHSCFI board members havingserved as active participants since the Centre’s inception.

• Provided leadership by co-chairing the Provincial/Sectoral AssetLeveraging Working Group (ALWG) with MMAH. Formedin the fall of 2008, ALWG includes service managers andrepresentatives from ONPHA, CHF and several provincialministries. ALWG’s broad mandate is to develop nancing vehiclesthat support the capital repair requirements of non-prots in Ontario

and to nd solutions to address the signicant shortfall in nancialresources to deal with these needs.

• Provided assistance to Infrastructure Ontario (IO) in the designand rollout of its expanded mandate (as of spring 2008) to offera loan nancing program to social housing providers. SHSCFIassisted the IO in designing the program, the application formsand ensuring that it was tailored to meet the needs of non-prothousing providers.

Investment Fund Performance: Strength & Stability

SHSCFI successfully weathered the acquisition of PH&N by RBCin 2008 and the economic downturn with less than a 4% overallreduction in the Fund value over the last year (2007).

The management fee level continues to rank among the lowest forCanadian mutual funds.

PERFORMANCESHSCFI’s managementfee level ranks among thelowest for Canadianmutual funds.



New for 2008:Investment Program

1. Developed and delivered a new, easier to use Asset MixCalculator and Model Investment Portfolio Selector tools to helpunitholders improve their knowledge. The Asset Mix Calculator isa Microsoft Excel-based model that takes specic data inputs fromthe Building Condition Audit (BCA) and automatically generates arecommended investment portfolio. The Model Investment PortfolioSelector is a tool that can be used by a provider when they do nothave a BCA. These two asset allocation tools help social housingproviders make better investment decisions.

2. Developed the SHSCFI Charter, a broad umbrella framework forgovernance and accountability. This Charter and its associatedappendices are a comprehensive statement of principles, policiesand procedures that will guide SHSCFI in its commitment to servethe best interests of its unitholders and its many stakeholders andcarry out its affairs with the highest standard of ethical conduct.

SHSC Natural Gas Bulk Purchasing Program

SHSC’s Natural Gas program seeks to offer housing providers abalance of stable and competitive pricing, protecting against thevolatile marketplace while obtaining the lowest possible price.

In 2008, SHSC Natural Gas Program:

• Kept prices in line with prior years with minimal increases,remaining competitive with the market.

• Protected providers against extremely volatile markets where pricesincreased over 60% in less than a year (SHSC held prices at

during that time). Protecting our clients from volatility allows themto plan monthly expenses with much greater condence and avoidunexpected price increases that can disrupt nancial plans.

354.7million dollars inthe Social HousingInvestment Funds as ofDecember 31, 2008.

COMPARISON2008 natural gas pricecomparison chart betweenSHSC’s at rate and themarket’s volatile prices.

SHSC

Market




1

SHSC Group Insurance:Protecting Our Clients & Providing Excellent ValueSince 2003, housing providers in Ontario have participated in oneof the largest group insurance programs in North America. Insuringmore than $20 billion in assets, the size and scale of our groupensures competitive prices and coverage tailored to the needs of socialhousing providers.

• SHSC Group Insurance continued to offer excellent valuewith premium rates decreasing by more than 7% (as ofNovember 1, 2008).

• SHSC selected a new broker for the program in 2008 afterthe completion of an RFP process.

New for 2008:

SoHo Tenant Insurance

North America’s rst and only insurance plan exclusively created forlow-income housing tenants living in non-prot housing.

SoHo Tenant Insurance is a group insurance plan designed for thetenants of social housing, giving them access to insurance coverage at

competitive group rates.

• The SoHo subsidiary was created in 2006 to offer low-income housing tenants access to insurance regardless of theirpostal code. The Tenant Insurance plan gives tenants equalaccess to the same coverage with no limit on the number ofpolicies in a single building.

• SoHo Tenant Insurance offers property coverage to protecttenants from loss or damage to personal property from re, theft,and water damage and pays additional living expenses if thetenant is forced to leave their home because of a covered loss.

The insurance plan also offers liability coverage that protectstenants from the cost of claims made against them for accidentalinjury and for damage to other people’s property caused bynegligent actions.

7.2%SHSC Group Insurancepremium rates decreasedby 7.2% as ofNovember 1, 2008.

FIRSTSoHo Insurance launchedNorth America’s rst

and only insurance planfor low-income non-prot tenants.



SHSC Research:Building Knowledge Capacity in the SectorSHSC produces and supports research from leading housing experts.In addition to the research and papers we produce internally,we regularly partner with government and other social housingorganizations to explore new ideas and develop options on how to

deal with the most pressing and complex housing issues.

SHSC Research Highlights:

In May, SHSC hosted the “Ideas Into Action” Consultation Process andOpen Space Forum. The forum uncovered strategies to confront keyissues, such as alleviating underfunding, home ownership programs forlow-income earners, asset management in social housing, improvingthe public image of social housing and the looming succession crisis.

In June, SHSC hosted the “When Governments Don’t Invest...ThenWhat?” conference that explored innovative ways to raisefunds for social housing, featuring knowledge experts from the UK andthe USA.

Produced Signicant Research Papers for the sector, including:

• Closing the Gap: Finding Ways to Overcome CapitalShortfalls in Ontario’s Social Housing Portfolio

• Affordable Housing in Perilous Times: Investing in Our Future

• The Social Housing Pyramid: Getting to the Top by Startingat the Basics

The Housing Internship and Scholar Program published ve papers byresearch interns including:

• The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Funding SocialHousing in Canada

• Towards Food Security Policy for Canada’s Social

Housing Sector• Housing for Immigrants in Ontario’s Medium-Sized Cities

• Social Housing Wait Lists and the One-Person Householdin Ontario

• Homelessness, Program Responses and an Assessment ofToronto’s Streets to Homes Program

INNOVATIVEThe SHSC-fundedHousing Internshipand Scholar Program,facilitated by theCanadian PolicyResearch Network is theonly housing-specicprogram for youngscholars in Canada.

IDEAS INTO ACTION

SHSC hosted a two-dayforum with over 100 keystakeholders working inthe sector.




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SHSC Training:Listening to the Sector & Travelling to YouSHSC Training offers a wide range of educational services to housingproviders to ensure that those who are delivering housing on the frontlines can support healthy and vibrant communities.

In 2008, SHSC Training:

• Delivered training across the province to over 1,000 participantsthrough its three training streams: Regular, Custom and Program.

• Offered courses that included Emergency Response Planning,Business Continuity Planning & Pandemic Preparedness, Privacy:Handling personal information in accordance with the law andUnderstanding legal responsibilities of non-prot boards.

• Received rave reviews! Based on the hundreds of workshopevaluations collected at the 61 sessions, participants across allthree streams have indicated a very high level of satisfactionwith the 2008 training offerings. Of particular note, 99% ofrespondents indicated they would recommend the SHSC workshopthey attended to others.

• Led the formation of a training partnership group with CHF

Canada, ONPHA and the Institute of Housing Management (IHM)to analyze the training needs of the sector collaboratively. Over thecourse of the year, SHSC conducted regional focus groups withlarge and medium-to-small housing providers to identify trainingneeds based on their priorities.

• The overwhelming satisfaction with SHSC Training workshopsresulted in a substantial increase in requests by service managersfor low-cost, convenient custom delivery training.

• Piloted new “Operational Review” workshop for service managersin the South, South West and Northern service manager areas.

• Developed a new “Ontario Human Rights Code Amendments”

workshop, also based on requests made by the sector.

SATISFACTIONService managers’satisfaction with SHSCTraining led to largeincreases in request forcustom delivery training.

1,059the number of SHSCTraining workshopparticipants in 2008.



GLOBE (Green Light on a Better Environment):Making the Sector More Sustainable TogetherGLOBE is governed by a board of directors with environmental andhousing experience who, along with staff, constantly seek innovativeways to approach and nurture conservation and sustainability in thehousing community.

Toronto Hydro Light Bulb Exchange Program:

GLOBE, Toronto Hydro Electric System Ltd. Toronto Social Housing

Unit and SHSC partnered once more to reduce electricity demand inToronto social housing.

• In 2008, the Toronto Hydro light bulb exchange program hadentered 12,592 resident units, installed 57,373 energy-efcientcompact uorescent light bulbs and had saved approximately2,781,769 watts of energy.

2008 GLOBE Community Champions:

• The Community Champion program gives participants anopportunity to learn and play an active role in supportingsustainability in social housing communities. In its second year,

GLOBE trained 13 new Community Champions and over 36people overall, including housing providers, board members andstaff on how to conserve energy and engage their peers.

The Production of the “Greenhouse” Short Film:

• GLOBE captured the successes of the 2007 Community Championprogram in a video that was lmed in 2008. “Greenhouse”follows three Community Champions, their families andneighbours, and shows us how their dedication and enthusiasmcan be emulated to build a more healthy and sustainable world.

COMMUNITYCommunity Championsplay an active role in

supporting sustainability insocial housing communities.

12,592the number of socialhousing residential unitsthat participated in theToronto Hydro light bulbexchange program.




5

There is a gentle pause as Nicole Waldron works herself up towardsan answer. “That is the question that always makes me cry”, she says.

Our phone interview, to discuss Nicole’s role as a GLOBE Community

Champion began some ten minutes earlier. From the outset, it isapparent that she holds in equal measures a rare combination ofdetermination, compassion and leadership. Her involvement since2008 in the GLOBE Community Champion program has demonstratedall of these qualities in abundance. Her evolution as a resident leaderin energy conservation exemplies how resident engagement can notonly change individuals, but also transform a community.

Meet Nicole Waldron

A Resident for the past 15 years of the Atahualpa HousingCooperative in Scarborough, Ontario, Nicole is also a member of

the Ontario Council of the Cooperative Housing Federation ofCanada (CHF). Nicole works as an event planner by day, butconsiders her most important job is to be a mother to a 14-year-oldson. More than anything else, her role as a mother has motivated herdesire to educate, engage and become involved in the “greening” ofher community.

GLOBE: Empowering Individuals To Be AgentsOf Change in Their Own Communities

The Story of

WaldronNicole




8

Back in the spring of 2008,Nicole heard of GLOBE’scall for Community Champions.She had served her co-opmanagement board as aformer president and nowas its treasurer. When herbuilding’s managementboard needed to nominatesomeone for the program,the decision to nominateNicole was unanimous.

Nicole Waldron and her sonoutside of the Atahualpa Co-Op.




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The CommunityChampion ProgramThe GLOBE CommunityChampion program emerged in2008 as part of an initiativewhich partnered GLOBE, TorontoHydro Electric Systems, SHSCand the Social Housing Unit atthe City of Toronto in an effort tohelp housing providers save

money and reduce electricitydemand. Together theyimplemented a groundbreaking,integrated initiative that involvedthree key elements: a light bulbexchange, communityengagement and training.

The Toronto Hydro-funded lightbulb exchange program set outto promote energy conservationby replacing incandescent light

bulbs with energy efcient,compact uorescent lighting(CFLs) in the city’s social housingbuildings. By the end of 2008,the Toronto Hydro light bulbexchange program had entered17,766 resident units, installed78,155 new CFL light bulbsand had saved approximately3.8 megawatts of energy.

As part of the light bulb initiative,GLOBE launched their CommunityChampion program, whichprovided volunteer residents withthe training and resourcesnecessary to engage their peersand develop conservation plansthat reduced the environmentalfootprint in their own community.The program was built on theunderstanding that peer-led

education is a low-cost solutionand the most effective way tochange resident habits. “Wewanted to show housingproviders and residents what theycould accomplish by taking littlesteps. If everyone did a little itwould make a big difference”,explains Elsie Harvey, GLOBE’scoordinator for the CommunityChampion program.

From Training toChampioning ChangeIn the program’s inaugural year,Nicole and 12 other individualsattended training sessions withinstructors from Seneca College’s“Centre for the Built Environment”.These expert conservationinstructors had been speciallyrecruited by GLOBE to help

develop and deliver theCommunity Champion training.Volunteer resident leaders likeNicole learned how to developconservation plans specically fortheir buildings and strategies toengage their neighbourson the issues ofenergyconservation.



could make a difference. Byengaging children, teens and young adults, Nicole was able tomake energy conservation atopic at the dinner table. She wasable to make conservationeducation fun by organizinggames that taught both parentsand their children about the manyways they could conserve energyand lower water usages in their

own homes.

“You have nothing to lose and everythingto gain by participating in a programlike this. I would encourage anyoneinterested. It’s a lot easier than it soundsto become an agent of real change.”

Nicole Waldron

The training program was aninstant success. As a rst-handwitness, Elsie saw how theCommunity Champions “changedattitudes about how residents useenergy”. The Community

Champions wereable to drive home

the message bycommunicatingto peers that

“every time you turn on a light, atap, leave a T.V. or computer onunattended, you’re making adecision to spend money.“

However, getting the messageacross wasn’t easy. “Thechallenge in a co-op isparticipation”, Nicole remembers.“What I did was create a quizwith interesting facts and made

sure to tie in the nancial

savings from energyconservation.” To further stirup interest in energyconservation in her co-op,Nicole invited the youth atAtahualpa to be a part of thesolution, to realize they too



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Elsie Harvey had rst met Nicolein 2008, when she started hertraining as a GLOBE CommunityChampion. When I ask Elsiewhat qualities make Nicole sucha successful representative for theprogram, Elsie replies withouthesitation, “She’s a greatcommunicator, articulate and verycomfortable speaking in front ofgroups. She cares and she really

believes in what she’s saying”.Future DirectionsNicole’s work to raise awarenessabout conservation with her peershas strengthened her ownenvironmental convictions and hasmade her more self-conscious ofher behaviours. “It’s been a realitycheck. It’s made me aware ofwho I am, my role in society. It’s

made me conscious of my dailyhabits, made me want to learnmore, get better. Now everythinghas to be green!” she laughs.

In September 2008, Nicolewas a guest presenter at theGreen Communities Canada“Time for Action” Conference.An enthusiastic and engagingspeaker, Nicole is bound tomake many such presentations

Why participate?A Champion’s PerspectiveIt’s while we were on the topic of youth engagement that I decidedto ask Nicole why she chose toparticipate in the CommunityChampion program. That’s whenthere is a pause in ourconversation and she tells me thatthis is the question that always

makes her cry. “It’s about the nextgeneration. If I don’t dosomething my son and potentialgrandchildren will be in direstraits,” she says. She’s motivated,“to make sure they have a placeto live” and to make sure that theyhave the education “to take upthe cause” as the responsibility fora healthy, sustainable planet willbe theirs to manage one day.

Getting resident participation toinvest in energy conservation inNicole’s community was noeasy feat. But according toAndrew Lee, SHSC’s Director ofNew Opportunities, her successis no surprise. “She’s trulydedicated to conservation, tohelping others and being activein her community. She’s aleader,” he says.

in the future. Her passion foreducation, for energyconservation is electric. Shehopes others will be motivatedto follow her and becomeCommunity Champions intheir communities.

“You have nothing to lose andeverything to gain byparticipating in a program likethis. I would encourage anyone

interested. It’s a lot easier than itsounds to become an agent ofreal change,” she says.

In 2008, GLOBE trained 36people overall, includingCommunity Champions, housingproviders, board members andhousing staff on how to conserveenergy and engage residents.

To learn how GLOBE can help you create a CommunityChampion program in yourcommunity, call them toll-free at:1-877-733-7472(1-877-733-SHSC) or [email protected]



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“[Nicole’s] a greatcommunicator, articulateand very comfortablespeaking in front ofgroups. She cares andshe really believes in

what she’s saying”Elsie Harvey




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In 2008, when GLOBE waspreparing for the second year ofthe Toronto Hydro light bulb

exchange program, a new ideacame to the fore. With the energysavings from the new compactuorescent light bulbs installed,why not produce a short lmabout the rst wave of CommunityChampions and their experiencesintroducing energy conservationpractices in their communities?

“Greenhouse”, tells the story

of “the CommunityChampions and theirfamilies speaking from a rstperson point of view”summarizes Andrew Lee,who co-led the production ofthe short lm along withSHSC Marketing ManagerLouanne Keay. “It’s what they didand how they did it. It tells agripping story of how greenhouse

gases get generated and howresidents were able to engage youth, change their own habitsand those of their community toconserve energy”.

Christy Garland directed“Greenhouse” and recalls howinspiring and supportive her“stars” were during the course of

The Making Of The

Short Filmlming: “It was impressive howgreat they all were working withthe camera and how much time

they gave us, letting 30 peopleinto their homes every day.“

The short lm features an energyconservation game playedbetween the adults and theirchildren. The adults set up a‘scavenger hunt’ that includes anumber of places where energy

is being wasted (e.g. unusedappliances and lights are on;the heat is turned up and the

windows are open), which thechildren must discover andcorrect. By introducing fun to theact of conserving energy thegame “opened the way for a bitof humour and levity and itmakes it [the lm] somethingfamilies could watch together,”says Christy.

As a passionate advocate

for youth education onconservation, NicoleWaldron was thrilled tohave her family be a partof the “Greenhouse” lmand at the reception ithas received: “The launch

(of the lm) stirred up more interestand awareness. It made (energyconservation) fun and interactive.”

Greenhouse

Andrew Lee

“It tells a gripping story of how

greenhouse gases get generatedand how residents were able toengage youth, change their ownhabits and those of theircommunity to conserve energy.”




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Current DemographicChallengeBaby boomers (born between1946 and 1960) represent onethird of Canada’s population. By2011, they will account for astaggering 41% of the total labourforce. It is estimated that nearlyhalf of the workers from thisgeneration are closing in on

retirement. A 2007 ONPHAsurvey points to an even moredire workforce decit in Ontario’ssocial housing sector. Nearly90% of the sector’s senior-levelprofessionals are over the age of40, with nearly half over 55.Approximately 45% plan to retirewithin the next 3 years. When thiscohort leaves, workers will takewith them an intricate

understanding of legislation,

government programs, knowledgeand expertise in a multifaceted setof areas related to social housing.How can we ensure that thisknowledge gets passed on?

Tackling theChallenge TogetherSHSC has been a leading voicein raising awareness of this crisisin succession planning and thenecessity of promoting careers insocial housing.

In July of 2007, we hosted“Raising the Bar on SectorRevitalization,” in which 130social housing leaders,representatives and internationalexperts discussed the pressingissue of succession planning.Throughout 2008, SHSC

included the succession crisis asone of the focuses for its “Ideas

Baby boomers are retiring in increasing numbers and organizations arescrambling to avoid labour shortfalls. The housing sector is not immuneto this challenge. The generation that oversaw the growth of socialhousing in our province is closing in on retirement. How will we be ableto sustain the progress of social housing programs if we do not havehousing professionals with the necessary skills and experience?

“For every 1 that got into theInternship program, 40 are turnedaway. More opportunities are needed.”

Graham Watts



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Networks (CPRN). The goal of theprogram is to encourage housingresearch among graduate-levelstudents and to attract individualsto the sector right out of school.

The program is an intensivefour-month experience that resultsin the publication of originalhousing policy research. It is theonly housing-specic program for young scholars in Canada. The

papers produced through it havemade an impact, providing boldnew perspectives on the policiesand priorities of the sector. (Toview the Housing ResearchInternship and Scholar ProgramInternship Papers, click onResearch at www.shscorp.ca)

Interns in the program also haveopportunities to build their

networks through SHSC-facilitatedmentorships and presentations atprovincial and national housingconferences. Since the programgives interns sector-specicexperience, it has helpedgraduates easily bridge intocareers in the sector. MaryClarke, a former graduate, nowworks at the Canadian Housingand Renewal Association

(CHRA) as a SectorDevelopment Coordinator.

As a research intern, Maryworked with SHSC staff and

into Action” consultation process-- specically, what measures thesector could take to recruit newemployees and make a careerin social housing a moreattractive option.

“Ideas Into Action” participantsnoted that, despite theopportunities to quickly developand gain quality experiencewithin the sector, one of the

roadblocks in attracting bright,new people is the misconceptionthat social housing isdisconnected from other careerpathways – that career mobility islimited. According tointergenerational experts, this is aparticular concern of post-BabyBoom workers, who value verticaland horizontal mobility and whoexpect to change careers at least

once or twice in their lives. Part ofthe solution to address thisproblem, the forum concluded, isto actively promote social housingas a discernable professional eldthat offers vital, stable careers.

Supporting HousingPolicy Students

Since 2006, SHSC has funded aSocial Housing ResearchInternship and Scholar Program,which has been facilitated by theCanadian Policy Research

board members, sector mentors,as well as facilitators at CPRNto develop her research fromproposal to published paper.Her paper, “Linking SocialHousing and Energy Efciency”was comprised of three casestudies of highly energy efcientaffordable housing properties inOttawa, reviewing the benetsto residents, and looking at

the transferable potential ofthese models.

According to Mary, the value ofthe internship program was that it“exposes you to the entireaffordable housing sector.” Priorto gaining such exposure, acareer in social housing didn’tseem to be a real, viable optionfor Mary, “I didn’t think jobswould be out there. I thought

anything I did with affordablehousing would have to be on avolunteer basis only.”

When asked for her insights onhow to improve interest in careersin social housing, Mary suggeststhat high school and college co-op placements might be goodoptions. She also recommendspost-secondary courses that focus

specically on affordablehousing. “Getting into universityclasses that are related [to theeld], providing topics of researchwould do a lot to draw attention



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“It’s so important to besurrounded by peoplewith many years ofexperience in the sector.”

Dave Colangelo



“Everyone [at SHSC]

gives you the opportunityto do more.”Zara Hemmings


7



team. She appreciates having thechance to take on new

responsibilites: “Everyone [atSHSC] gives you the opportunityto do more. My manager wasvery supportive in helping me getmore involved in coordinatingand planning events.”

Dave Colangelo, a recentgraduate in Cultural Studies fromGoldsmiths University of London,was hired by SHSC straight out of

school as a Research and PolicyAdvisor. Like Zara, Dave hasbeen impressed with theopportunities he’s been afforded:“There are lots of opportunities fortaking on responsibilities. Theyaren’t afraid here to let you havedirect contact with seniorgovernment ofcials or with seniormanagement at SHSC or otherorganizations. It makes you feel

more connected with the sector,more like you’re a part of it, andmore invested in the goals”. Davealso notes how crucial it is for thenext generation of housing expertsto be able to tap into theknowledge of more experiencedco-workers: “It’s so important tobe surrounded by people withmany years of experience inthe sector.”

Why We Need

to Act NowWith the looming successioncrisis, Graham warns thatstanding still isn’t an option. If you’re not attracting the top talentavailable, “you continue with thestatus quo. It’ll just limp along.You’re not going to attract theright people to the sector unless you make it a good place towork.” Mary Clarke hears the

same worries voiced in hercurrent workplace, “Executivesdon’t see enough peoplefollowing in their footsteps“.

For Ontario’s social housingsector to move forward it willneed passionate, engaged andqualied individuals to helpshape its future. By increasingexposure of a youngerdemographic to the socialhousing sector and giving newand talented workersopportunities to develop and takeon responsibilities, it will not onlyhelp make a career in socialhousing more attractive but alsogo a long way in retaining thetop talent.

to careers in social housing. It’ssomething we can do right now

and it will get people interested inthe sector,” she says.

Graham Watts, the SHSCDirector of Resource & Exchange,Training & Development, hasoverseen the Internship programfor the past two years and isproud of the successes. However,he is also aware that the sectorneeds to produce more avenues

of opportunities. “For every onethat got into the Internshipprogram, 40 were turned away.More opportunities are needed.”

Setting an Example:“SHSC, as a relatively neworganization,” Graham Wattsnotes, “has been well positionedto attract new and talented staff.We’ve been able to create roles

and positions that often weresuitable for people new to thesector to take on.” In addition,Graham points out that SHSCCEO, Lindsey Reed, is “focusedon having innovative ideas,creative approaches and adynamic workplace that attractsbright people to the sector.”

One of SHSC’s newest staffmembers, Zara Hemmings, joined

SHSC in 2007 and is now amember of the SHSC Training




”The rural communities countas much as the larger centres.We wanted everyone tohave equal access to theseworkshops. We care aboutproviders no matter if they arein Moosonee or Toronto”.

Charles “Chuck” Dowdall

9




SHSC

Travelling, Listeningand DeliveringThe rst step in packing a greatsuitcase is picking the right bag.You need a road-worthycompanion, something sturdy thatts everything you might need,while making sure it’s easy tocarry around. Chuck Dowdallknows all about packing a greatsuitcase because he spent a goodportion of 2008 travelling acrossthe province delivering (riskmanagement) workshops forSHSC. In just six months, Chucktravelled 283,164 km, took 51ights, criss-crossed the entireprovince 4 times and was on a“rst name basis with practicallyevery Tim Hortons employee”in Ontario.

In 2008, SHSC Training heldmore sessions in more locationsthan ever before. That meant awhole lot more travelling, inparticular to smaller urban andrural communities. One has to

wonder, why not just have theworkshops in major centres andsave yourself the trouble?

SHSC Training Manager LisaKotsopoulos disagrees with thisapproach. In fact, she seestremendous advantages indelivering training to whereparticipants live rather than askthem to travel great distances: “By

bringing our workshops to ourclients, we were able to draw ina local network and theybeneted from exchangingshared experiences, which werebased on local realities and

needs”. This meant thatparticipants not only gainedknowledge from instructionalcomponents of the workshops,but also from the peer learningthat was possible with classmateswho shared the same problemsand regional concerns.

For Chuck, a former Manager ofSocial and Non-Prot Housingfor the largely rural municipality

of Prince Edward-Lennox &Addington, the value of thisapproach is also apparent: ”Therural communities count as muchas the larger centres. We wantedeveryone to have equal access tothese workshops. We care aboutproviders no matter if they are inMoosonee or Toronto”.

Tammy MacDonald attended theOperational Review workshopheld in Woodstock and wasimpressed by the “great lengths”SHSC takes to reach as manyproviders as possible by offeringworkshops in communities bothbig and small.

TRAINING



1

New Course OfferingsNot only did SHSC Training in2008 offer more sessions in moreplaces than ever before but it alsolaunched a series of newworkshops as well. Deliveringtraining across the province to just

over 1,000 participants, newcourses offered included topicssuch as emergency responseplanning, business continuityplanning, privacy and the legalresponsibilities of non-protboards. These new courses helphousing staff manage risk byensuring that they know how tofulll their obligations andresponsibilities as provider staff.

Response to the training offeringswas overwhelmingly positive.Participant evaluations indicatedthat a staggering 99% wouldrecommend SHSC Training toothers. Such favourable reviewsled to numerous service managerrequests for custom-deliveredtraining in their own local regions.

Taking an IntegratedApproach: Educatingthe Sector ThroughPartnershipsIn addition to delivering training, in 2008, SHSC led the formationof the Sector Training Partnershipgroup with CHF Ontario and theInstitute of Housing Management(IHM). The objective of thispartnership is to better coordinate

training and education programsto better address the needs of thesector. To get started, thepartnership undertook a NeedsAnalysis Project to document thelearning needs of housing staff inthe social housing community.

As part of this Needs AnalysisProject, the SHSC Training team

held regional focus groups withhousing providers (and withseveral co-ops) in Cambridge,Hamilton, Ottawa, Thunder Bayand Toronto. “We asked themto identify their priorities and togo into detail about what

training they needed based onthose priorities”, explainsSHSC Training Manager,Lisa Kotsopoulos.

The focus groups, however,weren’t the only source ofinformation in uncovering thetraining needs of housing staff.“During the course of hisworkshops, Chuck would let hisgroups know of things to watch

out for, such as changes inlegislation,” remembers Lisa. In June 2008, Chuck was awarethat the Ontario Human RightsCode amendment woulddramatically impact theresponsibilities of housingproviders so he raised this issue tohousing staff in several trainingsessions: “I would allude to themthat there were dramatic changes

to Human Rights legislation.Nobody knew what I wastalking about and we realizedthat we needed to do a fullworkshop on the changes to theHuman Rights code.”

SHSC responded to thisknowledge gap by creating anew training offering incollaboration with the Ontario

Human Rights Commission. Theclose working relationship withthe Commission ensured thatmaterials developed for theworkshop were accurate,complete and compliant withthe new act.

Engaging ClientsWhile SHSC Training worked in2008 with other sectoralorganizations to identify and llgaps in knowledge, it alsoengaged participants to do thesame. The development of

SHSC’s Operational Reviewworkshop is a case in point: “TheService Manager Network hadidentied this topic as somethingthey wanted training on and sowe build it,” recounts Lisa.

The creation of this workshop wasa massive undertaking. Chuckand David Martin, anindependent consultant, were

tasked with the responsibility ofpreparing the training manual – arst for the sector on operationalreviews since the devolution of theaffordable housing portfolio in2000. The preparation of themanual included getting theparticipation and input of 46 outof 47 of the service managersand collecting all of their currentpractices, so that Chuck and

David could extract the best ones.The manual, once nished, was600 pages long, and was fullyendorsed by the Ministry ofMunicipal Affairs and Housing.The new workshop was pilotedfor Service Managers in theSouth- South West and Northernservice manager areas in 2008and was a roaring success. ForTammy MacDonald, the Non-

Prot Housing Supervisor in theCounty of Oxford, it has “lled ina lot of blanks” and been aninvaluable reference.

SHSC will continue its work in2009 to identify the sector’straining needs and deliversessions to support housing staffall across the province with theknowledge and tools they need todo their work.



“We asked them to identify theirpriorities and to go into detailabout what training they needed based on those priorities”

Lisa Kotsopoulos



3

In March 2008, the Boardwelcomed Lynn Carson, General

Manager Nepean HousingCorporation as one of the twoMinisterial appointments to theBoard of Directors.

In September the Board saidgoodbye to Bob MacDonald,Macdonald Consulting, whoresigned from his position as acooperative housing providerrepresentative to the SHSC Boardof Directors. Bob had served onthe Board since 2006.

Board Members

2008 Director CompositionRoger MaloneyChair,Social HousingServices Corporation

Colin Gage(Vice-Chair) General Manager,

Victoria Park Community HomesDerek Ballantyne (Treasurer) Chief ExecutiveOfcer, Toronto CommunityHousing Corporation

Lynn CarsonGeneral Manager,Nepean Housing Corporation

Gary ChampagneChief Administrative Ofcer,

Manitoulin Sudbury DSSAB

In November, the SHSC Boardwelcomed Paul Hastie,

Managing Director, Homestarts,as the new cooperative housingprovider representative.

In December, the Board conrmedthe re-appointment of thefollowing non-prot housingprovider representatives for a termbeginning January 1, 2009 andending December 31, 2011:

• Derek Ballantyne

• Colin Gage• Trevor Lester

Pam CrippsCoordinator, KanataCo-operative Homes Inc.

Diane DeansCouncillor, City of Ottawa

Mike FeldmanDeputy Mayor & Councillor,City of Toronto

Michael HardingMayor, City of Woodstock

Paul HastieManaging Director,Homestarts

Merv HughesManager, Social Housing, Health& Social Services, Norfolk &Haldimand Counties

Trevor Lester

Bayshore PropertyManagement Inc.

Larry O’ConnorMayor, Durham Region

Adelina UrbanskiCommissioner, SocialCommunity Services,Regional Municipality of Halton

Dick Verrips Commissioner,

Social Services, County of Bruce

The Board also conrmed the re-appointment of the following co-

operative housing providerrepresentatives for a termbeginning January 1, 2009 andending December 31, 2011

• Pam Cripps

• Paul Hastie




Financial ReportFiscal Year Ending December 31, 2008

Revenue ($=000s)

Bulk Purchasing

Other

Total Revenue

Expenses ($=000s)

Bulk Purchasing

Salaries and Benets

Education and Training Programs

Other

Total Expenses

Surplus

Assets ($=000s)

Cash and Investments

Other

Total Assets

Liabilities

Net Assets

41,319 39,027

5,706 4,641

47,025 43,668

39,089 37,365

2,916 2,598

517 635

4,465 4,066

46,987 44,664

38 (996)

7,379 5,995

4,796 7,741

12,175 13,736

4,301 5,582

7,874 8,154

2008 2007

2008 2007

2008 2007

SummaryThis is a summary of theconsolidated nancial statementsfor the year ended December 31,2008 prepared by theorganization’s management.

A copy of the completeconsolidated nancial statementsprepared by the organization’smanagement is available uponrequest by contacting SHSC [email protected]. Theconsolidated nancial statementsinclude the Auditor’s Report datedApril 7, 2009 prepared byNeal, Pallett & Townsend LLP,Chartered Accountants.




www.shscorp.ca

shsc 2008 annual report

Documents