vETERANS' HOUSE FAQ
What is Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building? | Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building, Ottawa, is a housing community for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The facility provides supportive housing for 40 veterans. The site is located on Mikinak Road on the site of the former CFB Rockcliffe Airbase. Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building began offering limited programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and veterans began occupying units in early 2021. The Andy Carswell Building includes gathering spaces (including a communal kitchen and outdoor barbecue facilities); an indoor gym; and a dog park for training service dogs. Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building is the fifth affordable housing project of Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), an Ottawa-based charitable not-for-profit that provides affordable housing to those in need. It is MHI’s first project dedicated to housing veterans.
What is the relationship between MHI and Veterans' House Canada? | Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building, located in Ottawa, is currently owned by MHI. However, MHI will be transferring ownership of the building to our sister nonprofit, Veterans' House Canada, as soon as possible. Veterans' House Canada is currently awaiting charitable status and is gearing up to build four more homes across Canada for veterans who are homeless/at risk of homelessness. MHI will continue to accept donations for the Andy Carswell Building until Veterans' House Canada receives charitable status.
What is Multifaith Housing Initiative? | Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) is an Ottawa-based registered charity that provides and promotes safe, affordable, and well-maintained housing in inclusive communities, and mobilizes resources for these purposes. MHI was established in 2002 after religious leaders in the broader Ottawa region realized that the city suffered from a significant shortage of affordable housing, and teamed up to try to address the problem. Today, MHI’s membership consists of more than 70 faith groups, including congregations from the Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Unitarian communities. In addition to the 40 units at the Andy Carswell Building, MHI currently has 139 rental units that house between 300 and 400 residents at any given time. MHI has four affordable housing sites: Kent House, located in Centretown; Blake House, located in Vanier; Somerset Gardens, located in Centretown (MHI owns 10 condo units there); The Haven, located in Barrhaven. For more information about MHI, visit MHI's main FAQ page here.
How is Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building different from MHI's previous projects? | Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building is different from MHI's other buildings/communities (Kent House, Blake House, Somerset Gardens, and The Haven) in two ways:
Who is partnering with MHI on Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building? |
When did Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building open? | Veterans began moving into the Andy Carswell Building in early 2021.
How do prospective applicants sign up to become residents of Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Buidling? | Apply or learn more here.
Do you have to be religious to volunteer with MHI, or to live at an MHI site? | No. The “multifaith” aspect of MHI simply refers to the fact that our voting members consist of faith groups. (Faith communities pay a $100 membership fee each year; in return, they are invited to appoint a representative from their congregation to vote at MHI’s Annual General Meeting.) If you belong to a faith group that is not yet a member of MHI, please consider learning more about our membership process here.
Who was Andy Carswell, and why did MHI name the facility after him? | Several years ago, Toronto resident John Carswell – President of Canso Investment Counsel – made a lead gift to MHI on behalf of the Carswell family to help build a community for homeless veterans. The building has been named Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building in honour of John’s late father, Squadron Leader (ret’d) Andrew (Andy) Carswell, AFC, CD. Andy was a Second World War veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and was stationed at CFB Rockcliffe after the war.
Canso Investment Counsel made the second lead gift to Veterans’ House in 2018. Canso Investment Counsel is named after an airplane Sqn. Leader Carswell flew during his time with the military. In recognition of the company’s donation, MHI named the site of Veterans’ House the Canso Campus.
To learn more about Andy Carswell and his experiences during the Second World War, we recommend reading his book: Over the Wire: A Canadian Pilot's Memoir of War and Survival as a POW.
Is Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building a pilot project? | Yes. Our goal is to produce a robust model that can be replicated across Canada to serve the needs of Canadian veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans’ House is set to be Canada’s first permanent, long-term community house for homeless veterans.
How many homeless veterans are located in Ottawa? | According to Everyone Counts: Ottawa’s 2020-21 Point-in-Time Count, 4% of respondents (n=1340) identified as being a former military or RCMP member. Of these individuals, 42% identified as Indigenous.[1] Throughout the past several years, Soldiers Helping Soldiers – an Ottawa-based organization of serving military members who volunteer in the shelters – have encountered more than 380 homeless individuals with prior military service.
[1] For more information, see Everyone Counts: Ottawa’s 2021 Point-in-Time Count.
How much did Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building cost to build? | Capital: The total cost of building Veterans’ House was $11.5 million. The federal government committed $6.5 million to the project. The City of Ottawa provided $730,000 worth of contributions in development charges relief, property tax waivers, and other fees and permits. In addition, $1.5 million in funding was delivered through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative, a federal-provincial program.
The remaining funds were raised through local faith groups, businesses, and individuals who believed in this project and donated the remaining funds.
Are both male and female veterans eligible to become tenants? | Yes, both men and women are eligible to live at Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building.
What is the relationship between MHI and Veterans' House Canada? | Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building, located in Ottawa, is currently owned by MHI. However, MHI will be transferring ownership of the building to our sister nonprofit, Veterans' House Canada, as soon as possible. Veterans' House Canada is currently awaiting charitable status and is gearing up to build four more homes across Canada for veterans who are homeless/at risk of homelessness. MHI will continue to accept donations for the Andy Carswell Building until Veterans' House Canada receives charitable status.
What is Multifaith Housing Initiative? | Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) is an Ottawa-based registered charity that provides and promotes safe, affordable, and well-maintained housing in inclusive communities, and mobilizes resources for these purposes. MHI was established in 2002 after religious leaders in the broader Ottawa region realized that the city suffered from a significant shortage of affordable housing, and teamed up to try to address the problem. Today, MHI’s membership consists of more than 70 faith groups, including congregations from the Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Unitarian communities. In addition to the 40 units at the Andy Carswell Building, MHI currently has 139 rental units that house between 300 and 400 residents at any given time. MHI has four affordable housing sites: Kent House, located in Centretown; Blake House, located in Vanier; Somerset Gardens, located in Centretown (MHI owns 10 condo units there); The Haven, located in Barrhaven. For more information about MHI, visit MHI's main FAQ page here.
How is Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building different from MHI's previous projects? | Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building is different from MHI's other buildings/communities (Kent House, Blake House, Somerset Gardens, and The Haven) in two ways:
- Veterans only: Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building is different from MHI’s other four sites because its tenants are veterans. The other MHI sites are not designed specifically for veterans. (Kent, Blake, and Somerset Gardens are open to individuals/families that meet low-income requirements. At the Haven, 80% of units are for low-income individuals/families, while the remaining 20% of units are rented out at regular market rates.)
- Supportive housing: MHI’s five existing sites offer affordable housing and community activities and services. Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building offers the same and supportive housing services – including counselling, mental health services etc. – that are tailored to the needs of each veteran. These services are administered by Ottawa Salus with caseworker support from Veterans Affairs Canada.
Who is partnering with MHI on Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building? |
- Governmental partners include: The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of Ottawa.
- Non-governmental partners include: Canadian Forces Morale & Welfare Services, Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation, Commissionaires Ottawa, Helmets to Hardhats, Ottawa Salus, Soldiers Helping Soldiers, Support our Troops, the Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit, the Royal Canadian Legion & Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command and District G, True Patriot Love.
When did Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building open? | Veterans began moving into the Andy Carswell Building in early 2021.
How do prospective applicants sign up to become residents of Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Buidling? | Apply or learn more here.
Do you have to be religious to volunteer with MHI, or to live at an MHI site? | No. The “multifaith” aspect of MHI simply refers to the fact that our voting members consist of faith groups. (Faith communities pay a $100 membership fee each year; in return, they are invited to appoint a representative from their congregation to vote at MHI’s Annual General Meeting.) If you belong to a faith group that is not yet a member of MHI, please consider learning more about our membership process here.
Who was Andy Carswell, and why did MHI name the facility after him? | Several years ago, Toronto resident John Carswell – President of Canso Investment Counsel – made a lead gift to MHI on behalf of the Carswell family to help build a community for homeless veterans. The building has been named Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building in honour of John’s late father, Squadron Leader (ret’d) Andrew (Andy) Carswell, AFC, CD. Andy was a Second World War veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, and was stationed at CFB Rockcliffe after the war.
Canso Investment Counsel made the second lead gift to Veterans’ House in 2018. Canso Investment Counsel is named after an airplane Sqn. Leader Carswell flew during his time with the military. In recognition of the company’s donation, MHI named the site of Veterans’ House the Canso Campus.
To learn more about Andy Carswell and his experiences during the Second World War, we recommend reading his book: Over the Wire: A Canadian Pilot's Memoir of War and Survival as a POW.
Is Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building a pilot project? | Yes. Our goal is to produce a robust model that can be replicated across Canada to serve the needs of Canadian veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans’ House is set to be Canada’s first permanent, long-term community house for homeless veterans.
How many homeless veterans are located in Ottawa? | According to Everyone Counts: Ottawa’s 2020-21 Point-in-Time Count, 4% of respondents (n=1340) identified as being a former military or RCMP member. Of these individuals, 42% identified as Indigenous.[1] Throughout the past several years, Soldiers Helping Soldiers – an Ottawa-based organization of serving military members who volunteer in the shelters – have encountered more than 380 homeless individuals with prior military service.
[1] For more information, see Everyone Counts: Ottawa’s 2021 Point-in-Time Count.
How much did Veterans' House: the Andy Carswell Building cost to build? | Capital: The total cost of building Veterans’ House was $11.5 million. The federal government committed $6.5 million to the project. The City of Ottawa provided $730,000 worth of contributions in development charges relief, property tax waivers, and other fees and permits. In addition, $1.5 million in funding was delivered through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative, a federal-provincial program.
The remaining funds were raised through local faith groups, businesses, and individuals who believed in this project and donated the remaining funds.
Are both male and female veterans eligible to become tenants? | Yes, both men and women are eligible to live at Veterans’ House: the Andy Carswell Building.
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