By Allison Hockin, Guest bloggerNo doubt most people reading this post have a safe, affordable home to sleep in at night but unfortunately that is not the reality for many people across the city. There are hundreds of Ottawans who spend their nights in shelters, in encampments, and on the street. And then there are thousands more who may have a roof over their heads but might not have eaten dinner or paid their hydro bill because their housing is simply not affordable. With more than 10,000 households on the centralized waiting list for housing in Ottawa, the demand for a safe and affordable place to live in this city far outpaces available homes and the construction of new affordable homes. As a Rental Officer with Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), another affordable housing provider in Ottawa, every day I see the impact that an affordable home has on someone’s life. Whether it’s a single mother and her children fleeing an abusive relationship or a refugee family settling in Canada after escaping a war, securing affordable housing can have a huge impact. Affordable rent for someone could mean they can return to school to upgrade their skills and get a better job, which might eventually lead to them no longer needing subsidized housing. It can be very rewarding to offer someone an apartment through the centralized waiting list and equally rewarding to watch a long-time tenant move out because they’ve been able to buy their first house. I interact with a diverse tenant population every day, from new Canadians to families to people living with HIV/AIDS and everyone in between. A mixed tenant population is what creates a rich community but it’s also not without its challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many people and we’ve seen firsthand the impact it has had on our tenants’ lives. Many tenants lost their jobs or had to pivot to online learning at home, while others found the pandemic challenging for their mental health. We also saw delays in construction projects with the pandemic, which means new tenants are waiting even longer before they can move in to their new homes. Studies have also shown that individuals with stable, affordable housing tend to have better health outcomes, both mentally and physically, but housing is only one piece of the puzzle. We also need proper health care, affordable education, fare wages, and better social supports. MHI’s upcoming affordable housing project, Dream at LeBreton Flats, will see the addition of 601 new rental units in Ottawa, with 41% of the units earmarked as affordable housing. These new affordable rental units will play a role in helping to house individuals and families in Ottawa who may have been waiting for many years for an affordable place to live or who may have been living in the shelter system for some time. With more purpose-built affordable rental units created in the future, one day we will no longer need to dream about ending homelessness in Ottawa.
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Before David Hill became an Ottawa City Councillor, he was a volunteer at MHI. Mr. Hill first became involved with MHI through the Barrhaven United Church where he is a congregation member. At that time, in 2016, MHI was in the planning phase for The Haven and The United Church was garnering support for the new housing initiative. MHI invited folks from its membership to attend an open house outlining the vision for The Haven. After attending the open house, Mr. Hill became a volunteer and joined the MHI community engagement committee as a local community member, and board member of the Barrhaven United Church. He quickly became the committee chair and was enthusiastic to showcase events that represent the diverse faith groups of Barrhaven, including local Christian Churches, the South Nepean Muslim Centre, and the Ottawa Torah Centre. In addition, the local faith-led community rallied around the new residents, keen to help these vulnerable families navigate the challenges that poverty can impart. When MHI began embarking on a Veterans’ first housing model, Mr. Hill, a veteran himself., became very interested. He engaged his own network and assisted with fundraising initiatives to help make Veterans’ House Canada a reality. We all know how that story turned out: the Andy Carswell Building became Canada’s first supportive housing site specifically for veterans and Veterans’ House Canada (VHC) gained its own charitable status with a mission to provide supportive housing to veterans across Canada. Mr. Hill learned about city investments and processes through his involvement with MHI. Now as City Councillor, Mr. Hill maintains a direct connection to the community he represents through volunteering with MHI as well as the Barrhaven Community Association. It is clear his vision for affordable housing in Ottawa is shaped by his community involvement. In his own words, he notes that affordable housing is an important component in the overall health of Ottawa’s ecosystem: “We need to grow our economy so that people have access to good paying jobs. We need to improve our transportation and public transit systems so that people can get to the places they need to go efficiently. We need to improve the overall affordability of the city so that a market rate / middle class lifestyle is achievable for as many people as possible. We need to improve public safety so that people of all backgrounds, faith groups, cultures, skin colours, sexual orientations, and abilities feel safe in their neighbourhood. We need to steward our environment so that our next generations of Ottawans have a safe and resilient community that can absorb extreme weather events, appropriately manage our waste and keep our water systems clean. Low-income housing plays a complementary role in all of this and I will continue to champion the MHI model because I believe in its foundational community sponsorship concept and I appreciate very much the outstanding and disproportionate impacts that they have in Ottawa.” Over the years Mr. Hill (and his family!) has participated in every holiday event since The Haven opened. He regularly attends The Haven celebrations of Seder, Eid, and Ramadan, and is always asking how he can help. Mr. Hill is humble about his involvement with MHI; as a volunteer, a fundraiser, and even his reoccurring acting role in The Haven’s annual Christmas play. Simply put, he puts his faith in action. I had originally written another address for this afternoon. One that talked more about our theme - the Joy of Dreaming Big. It talked about our small grassroots, our growth, and pointed out the ongoing need for us to continue to do our work of creating housing, and our role in helping to bring the housing crisis to an end. And if you want to hear that speech – I look forward to seeing you at our AGM in April. Because, like all of you, I have been watching the news. And the very distressing events that we see unfolding in front of us - every day. And like you, I experience that same level of powerlessness in the face of great tragedy. Therefore, I decided to shelve my original address, so I could speak to you more from the heart. Many of you will know that when I started with MHI back in January 2013, I had no experience in the housing industry. My background is in comparative religion. It is where I learned that people of the world’s faiths have so much more in common, in every single way, than they have differences. My master’s degree is in conflict studies. And my thesis was on genocide. This was where I learned what tools and methods could be used and implemented in a very process driven way, to create absolute suffering. I don’t think it will come as a shock to you when I say that one of the most common tools used to divide humankind throughout the history, Is religion. (Note I say Tool and not cause). Thus, my great attraction to MHI was the multifaith aspect of the charity. Here was an organization that took the markers along the road to conflict, division, and violence, and in our own small and local way – using religion as its tool, and housing as its method, walked those paths in reverse. MHI brings people together. Our religious differences do not divide us. They enrich us. I want to thank you all for coming here today. I knew you would. You will note we are in a different location than originally planned, and you might be surprised to learn that this is the National Housing Day Interfaith Service that almost didn’t happen. The security people at City Hall saw the risk of opening this weekend as too high. Today’s gathering was rescued by strong interventions of Councillors David Hill, Matt Lulloff and Mayor Sutcliff. It is thanks to them that we are here at all. And we are very grateful to them for believing in the importance of this gathering, and responding so rapidly to our SOS. Now, I recognize that for some of you, sitting in this room may feel hard. But maybe, this is exactly where you need to be. Because in my mind’s eye, of all the years we have held these interfaith services – this is the most important one. In this room. Here. Together, we stand as an example of what community should look like. Because we all belong. No matter what faith tradition you find home in, we are all part of the same human family. We don’t find division in diversity. We are enriched by it. We are enriched because of it. And because of who we are – not despite it - we have been gifted with the ability to serve the community in the most meaningful of ways. We provide those most at risk, most in need of our help, with a home. We give them a safe place to live, and a welcoming community in which to grow and thrive. A place where they are welcomed and valued. Where diversity is not just respected, but honoured. And we live those values not just in our housing communities, but in every other aspect of MHI: in our committees, our volunteer groups, our staff, our board, our Patrons – and in you. We are the Multifaith Housing Initiative. Let us be an example. Let us shine bright so that others can see us through the darkness. The world needs more MHI. So let’s give it to them. Thank you for being here. Speech Originally presented at National housing day, November 2023The National Housing Day that almost didn’t happen
MHI's interfaith National Housing Day celebration was scheduled for November 19th, 2023. The guest speakers were set, the program was printed, and the refreshments orders were ready to go. But the event almost didn't happen. As many of you know, the event was originally scheduled for Ottawa's City Hall in the Jean Pigott Hall where it has been hosts several times in the past. In light of the ongoing protests in downtown Ottawa, City hall staff deemed the location to be too risky late on Friday afternoon before the event was to take place on the following Sunday. MHI staff were in a scramble. What could they do? Thankfully the celebration was rescued by the strong interventions of Councilors David Hill, Matt Luloff and the Mayor myself (who was scheduled to speak at the event). MHI Staff and volunteers were grateful to them for believing in the importance of this gathering, and responding so rapidly to the SOS. MHI staff worked with the City of Ottawa staff to pivot to a new location; The Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park. On Sunday, staff hit the ground running and from an outsiders perspective, no one knew any different. As they say, the show must go on. And it did. MHI's National Housing Day celebration was a resounding success; a room filled with Ottawa City Councilors, affordable housing influencers, MHI Patrons, donors, volunteers, and supporters. The event kicked off with a heartfelt welcome from Rev. Fred Demaray, MHI Patron, Canadian Baptists of ON, and Nadine El-Hawary, MHI Board Member and Membership & Outreach Committee member. They recognized our political dignitaries in attendance such as, His Worship of Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Ottawa City Councilors Mr. David Hill, Ms. Laine Johnson, Ms. Marty Carr, Mr. Wilson Lo, Ms. Theresa Kavanagh, Ms. Chandra Pasma, as well as former City Councilor and CityShapes founder Catherine McKenney. Elder Albert Dumont of the Algonquin Nations welcomed those in attendance to the territory and touched on the deep need for indigenous housing. Imam Sikander Hashmi from the Kanata Muslim Association delivered an insightful prayer from the Quran. His Worship of Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe gave an engaging speech on the power of unity and the ability to achieve a common goal, like Multifaith Housing Initiative has done with the support of the community. The audience listened attentively as affordable housing has become a critical issue to the citizens of Ottawa. The keynote speaker, Carl Nicholson, Retired ED of Catholic Centre for Immigrants & an MHI Civic Patron, took the stage. He outlined a multi-level tier of challenges MHI will face with the expansive development projects such as Dream at LeBreton Flats and The Anchor. Two of MHI largest upcoming projects that will see MHI increase the number of units and families they serve by a significant amount. The attendees were dazzled by a young Violinist Firdaus El-Darymli who is a tenant of MHI's The Haven. Just Voices, a local choir, closed out the event with a rendition of Bill Wither's Lean on Me. Thank you to everyone who attended National Housing Day. To those who lent a hand or who simply showed up, we could not carry out our mission of affordable housing for all without you. By Guest Blogger, FRAN KLODAWSKY |
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February 2024
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