​Every October, Islamic History Month is an opportunity for Muslims in Canada to celebrate their history, heritage, and community in many different ways across many different cultures. Beyond this, IHM also creates a space for open dialogue, and a place to learn more about our neighbours and friends alike. The Stittsville Muslim Association creates this space annually with their IHM Coffee House, which brings together Muslim families, individuals, neighbors, friends, and all members of the wider Stittsville community for an afternoon of reflection and discussion. This flagship event has been running for 3 years now, and is often a great opportunity for connection, and open to all.

This year, the SMA's keynote speaker will be Sahada Alolo, the Director of Community Engagement at the Multifaith Housing Initiative. Her participation will be a core portion of the evening and will offer attendees an opportunity to hear her perspective and gain some insight into the meaningful work she takes on in our communities.

​At its heart, Islamic History Month is about bringing people together and celebrating the rich history and achievements of the Islamic community. As things around us continue to change and though opinions diverge, it is a fantastic space for us to talk, have a coffee, and encourage curiosity on all sides of the discussion to create understanding. We look forward to welcoming all to this lively day of genuine connection.

On October 17, communities around the world will mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a day dedicated to raising awareness of poverty and honouring people whose lives have been affected by it.

The day has its roots in October 17, 1987, when more than 100,000 people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, France, the same location where the Declaration of Human Rights had been signed in 1948. The gathering was held to stand in solidarity with and honour people experiencing extreme poverty, violence and homelessness. A commemorative stone dedicated to those affected by poverty was unveiled during the event.

Today, there are 53 commemorative stones around the world. Ottawa City Hall has its own, unveiled in 2004. Known as the Dorothy O’Connell Monument to Anti Poverty Activism, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing work to address poverty in our community.

Homelessness is one of the most visible and urgent aspects of poverty. At MHI, addressing homelessness is part of the work carried out every day, alongside many organizations and partners across Ottawa, including the municipal government.

In 2025, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe pledged to end youth homelessness by 2030, recognizing that preventing homelessness among young people can help reduce homelessness later in life. Since making this commitment, the City has increased the pace of supportive housing development and significantly increased funding for affordable and supportive housing compared with previous council terms.

The municipal government is not doing this work alone. Organizations such as the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa bring together more than 75 agencies, including MHI, from across the housing and homelessness sector. The Alliance coordinates efforts, advocates for change and works toward city wide solutions to homelessness.

As a member of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, MHI participated in the 2026 Race to End Homelessness as a fundraising agency. Held on September 27, the 1, 5 and 10 km run and walk brought people together to raise funds and awareness in support of efforts to end homelessness.

Events like the Race to End Homelessness show what can happen when people, organizations and communities come together around a shared goal. As October 17 approaches, it is an opportunity to reflect on the work being done across Ottawa to address poverty and homelessness and the steps still needed to create a community where everyone has access to a safe and affordable place to call home.

Every year on October 10, World Homeless Day gives us an opportunity to think about what homelessness looks like in our communities and what it takes to help people find and keep a safe, affordable place to call home.

Working in housing, I see every day that homelessness is about much more than not having a roof over your head. It can begin with a rent increase that a household can no longer afford, a job that is lost, a relationship that breaks down, a health challenge, or an unexpected expense. Sometimes, it is the result of several challenges coming together at once.

Behind every housing application, every conversation about rent, and every request for help is a person trying to find stability.

At Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), our work starts with a simple belief: everyone deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.

A home provides a foundation for so much of daily life. It is a place to rest, feel secure, build relationships, and plan for the future. Having a stable home can make it easier to focus on work, school, health, family, and the things that help people feel connected to their community.

From a housing perspective, stability matters. When someone is worried about where they will live or whether they can afford their next rent payment, it can affect every other part of their life.

This is why affordable housing matters so much. It is not simply about providing a unit. It is about creating the stability that allows people to build their lives.

Across Ottawa, the need for affordable housing continues to grow. More people are finding that the cost of housing leaves little room in their budgets for food, transportation, health care, and other everyday needs. For households already facing financial challenges, there may be very little room to absorb an unexpected change.

In my work at MHI, I see how important affordable housing is to the people we serve. Our tenants come from many different backgrounds and have different experiences, but one thing is shared: having a safe and affordable home provides an important foundation for stability.

Housing alone cannot solve every challenge a person may face. But without stable housing, many challenges become harder to manage.

World Homeless Day is a reminder that preventing homelessness is not only about responding when someone loses their home. It is also about creating more affordable housing and making sure people can access the stability they need to remain housed.

At MHI, that work happens every day. It is in the homes we manage, the relationships we build with tenants, and the communities we create together.

Beginning Friday night, September 11, with the beginning of Rosh Hashanah the Jewish communities enter a holiday season extending 23 days through October 4. Its themes of reflection, repentance and celebration speak directly to the work of Multifaith Housing Initiative.

Rosh Hashanah, observed from sunset on September 11 until nightfall on September 13, welcomes the year 5787. It begins the Ten Days of Repentance, concluding with Yom Kippur, from sunset on September 20 until nightfall on September 21. We reflect on our accomplishments and missteps and consider how to do better in the year ahead.

On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, we pray to be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life. But prayer alone cannot repair the wrongs we have done to others. We must seek forgiveness from those we have hurt, intentionally or unintentionally, and make sincere efforts to put things right.

There is a striking challenge at the heart of this day of fasting and prayer. In the morning’s reading, Isaiah challenges fasting accompanied by injustice, calling on us to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and free the oppressed. Our prayers must be matched by our deeds.

Succot follows, from sunset on September 25 through October 2. One of the three pilgrimage festivals, it brought Jews to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the autumn harvest.

Traditionally, we build a temporary hut, a succah, recalling the Israelites’ shelter in the wilderness and G-d’s protection. By leaving our permanent homes to spend time in this fragile dwelling, we are reminded of our dependence on G-d and how precious secure shelter is

For those with secure homes, this experience is temporary. For others, uncertainty about shelter is a daily reality. MHI helps turn our gratitude into action. A safe, affordable home provides stability, dignity and belonging. Supporting this work helps others find the security we are fortunate to enjoy.

The season concludes with Shemini Atzeret, beginning October 2 at sunset, and Simchat Torah, from the evening of October 3 until nightfall on October 4. 

Simchat Torah, “Rejoicing in the Torah,” celebrates completing the annual Torah-reading cycle and beginning again with Genesis. Learning and renewal never end.

The Torah connects Judaism with Christianity and Islam, although each understands its authority differently. Its five books open the Christian Bible; the Qur’an honours the Torah revealed to Moses as containing “guidance and light.” These connections offer common ground for respect among the Abrahamic faiths.

​Jewish tradition calls the Torah a Tree of Life and describes its paths as peace. Through MHI, we bring our different traditions to the shared work of building a caring community.
Shanah tovah u’metukah!

Wishing you a good and sweet New Year, filled with health, happiness, and peace.

Closing quotation

“… Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the fetters of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
“Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” — Isaiah 58:6–7, Jewish Publication Society translation (1917)

A temporary dwelling, a lasting lesson: the succah reminds us how precious a secure home is.

For families preparing for a new school year, the cost of backpacks, notebooks, pencils and other school supplies can add up quickly. Thanks to a group of community partners, 100 children living in MHI housing communities were able to start the school year with backpacks filled with the supplies they needed.

Through Kits for a Cause and Meridian Credit Union volunteering to pack the kits, Multifaith Housing Initiative received 100 backpacks packed with back to school supplies for children in grade school. The donation provided a welcome end to the summer and helped ensure that children across MHI’s nine housing communities had the supplies they needed for their first day of school.

There was an added bit of excitement when the backpacks were distributed. Most children were able to choose their preferred backpack colour, giving them the opportunity to start the school year with something that felt like their own.

In total, the backpacks reached 100 children from 55 households across all nine MHI properties in Ottawa.

The initiative was made possible through the generosity and collaboration of several community partners, including Kits for a Cause, Meridian Credit Union, and the Eastern Ontario Resource Centre (EORC).

MHI’s volunteer program offers a number of ways for individuals, businesses and groups to get involved throughout the year. Through its partnership with Kits for a Cause, corporate and community groups can assemble care kits for families and youth in need. The program can accommodate groups ranging from five to 5,000 people, making it an accessible way for colleagues, friends, families and other groups to turn a team activity into tangible support for the community.

The 100 back to school kits are a great example of what can happen when community members come together with a shared goal: making sure children have what they need to begin the school year feeling prepared and supported.

Learn more at www.multifaithhousing.ca/volunteer

Each summer, MHI brings neighbours together by holding BBQ events across our communities.

This year’s BBQ series felt especially meaningful, as MHI was honoured to receive an Ottawa 200 Civic Events Grant from the City of Ottawa to support these community events. The funding installed MHI’s 2026 BBQs as a part of the city’s Bytown 200 landmark celebration series, bringing Ottawa’s 200th anniversary festivities directly into MHI neighbourhoods, helping to make them accessible, inclusive, and meaningful to all.

Between June 26 and August 29, we hosted eight BBQs across all MHI communities. Each event had its own special moments, with food, storytelling, music, activities, and great company.

We were glad to work with Théo Paradis who opened our BBQs with a land acknowledgment that was followed by drumming, singing, and an invitation for guests to join in. As people found their rhythm, any initial shyness turned into pure enthusiasm. 

Some Summer Highlights:

At Somerset Gardens, intermittent rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. Tenants, neighbours, passersby, and participants from Belong Ottawa at The Well were excited to gather to enjoy a meal together. The Reverend Canon Gary van der Meer from nearby St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church was on hand to help dish out the BBQ feast.

Ken Steele Court featured dynamic bubble artistry and a fire truck demonstration, while at Fine Crescent, our partnership with CityServe offered everyone a free flea market experience where they were invited to fill their bags with new, donated treasures.

At The Haven, new Canadian and good friend of MHI, Fadi Taiba, entertained guests with a performance on the oud.

And when rain arrived suddenly at Carver Place, several tenants quickly pitched in to help move things indoors so the celebration could continue.

One family made a point of attending all eight BBQs and bringing handmade origami gifts to share with MHI tenants at every event. As always, it is good to see people who live outside of MHI communities come out to connect with residents and be a part of the celebration.

The Ottawa 200 funding not only helped us deliver consistent events across each of our communities; it was also a meaningful recognition that residents of affordable housing communities are an important part of Ottawa’s story.

This was our second summer since MHI’s amalgamation with Gloucester Housing Corporation, and as we continue to strengthen the foundation of our communities, these BBQs show what happens when we create opportunities for neighbours to connect, share stories and celebrate with one another.

Thank you to the City of Ottawa, and to each person who joined us and helped make this summer one to remember.