why ONTARIO ABORIGINAL HOUSING SERVICES (OAHS)
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In June the Campus Planning Committee (CPC) initiated an onsite due diligence process with representatives of the Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) to determine if OAHS met FirstU’s detailed criteria for an affordable housing partner. The criteria were established by the CPC and supported by the FirstU Board.
Based on input from our affordable housing consultants (Cahdco), we had earlier identified OAHS as being a candidate organization that met our initial objectives. Other local potential partners had been considered, but screened out by Cahdco as not being in a position to participate in the FirstU project for a variety of reasons, including other commitments, lack of funding, and not having the necessary experience with buildings of the scale FirstU is contemplating. OAHS was represented by their Executive Director and four senior staff for a series of meetings lasting much of the afternoon and evening. The CPC and various Board members spent 2 hours interviewing OAHS on the specific due diligence questions. |
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Following that, the OAHS group was introduced to other leaders and staff of FirstU, as well as to our campus partners. This group had an opportunity to hear about OAHS’ experience in affordable housing and their plans for building housing at FirstU, as well as being able to query OAHS in a variety of areas. OAHS then took a tour of River Parkway Childcare Centre and Unitarian House, meeting with staff and others at each location and fielding questions. To complete the day, members of the Board and CPC attended a dinner with the OAHS representatives.
We learned a great deal about OAHS through this multi-stage process. OAHS serves 11,000 people every day (both residents of buildings they manage and non-residents), and are preparing themselves to serve as many as 90,000 more across Ontario, including both indigenous and non-indigenous residents. Their governance model and mission is rooted in community. They provide a broad variety of programs to their residents and others. Their core business is property management, and they have 2600 units currently under their management. They have expanded supportive housing programs, and regularly partner with community organizations. They have 150 colleagues/employees, of which 80% are indigenous.
Their indigenous connections to Ottawa are impressive: they have relationships with the Inuit Children’s Centre, Wabinaw, Gignal, the Friendship Centre, Ontario Native Women’s and Minwashan. One of their most successful programs offered to residents is Homeward Bound, which focuses on helping mothers get education, employment and training so they can make a better life for their families.
From a financial perspective, OAHS has a significant asset base and a favourable ability to raise money for construction. They are driven to create as many deeply affordable units as possible (at least 10% of the units are rented at 25% of income). They also offer a support function that provides subsidies.
After the meetings, members of the CPC and the Board were asked to provide their comments about whether or not OAHS met the criteria for an affordable housing partner. The responses were unanimous in favour of entering into a relationship with OAHS. The CPC therefore made its recommendation to the Board to partner with the OAHS as our affordable housing partner. The Board subsequently accepted the recommendation. So, we are moving forward with OAHS as our affordable housing partner and several FirstU members within the Board and CPC intend to travel in the near future to Peterborough to view one of the OAHS facilities.
We learned a great deal about OAHS through this multi-stage process. OAHS serves 11,000 people every day (both residents of buildings they manage and non-residents), and are preparing themselves to serve as many as 90,000 more across Ontario, including both indigenous and non-indigenous residents. Their governance model and mission is rooted in community. They provide a broad variety of programs to their residents and others. Their core business is property management, and they have 2600 units currently under their management. They have expanded supportive housing programs, and regularly partner with community organizations. They have 150 colleagues/employees, of which 80% are indigenous.
Their indigenous connections to Ottawa are impressive: they have relationships with the Inuit Children’s Centre, Wabinaw, Gignal, the Friendship Centre, Ontario Native Women’s and Minwashan. One of their most successful programs offered to residents is Homeward Bound, which focuses on helping mothers get education, employment and training so they can make a better life for their families.
From a financial perspective, OAHS has a significant asset base and a favourable ability to raise money for construction. They are driven to create as many deeply affordable units as possible (at least 10% of the units are rented at 25% of income). They also offer a support function that provides subsidies.
After the meetings, members of the CPC and the Board were asked to provide their comments about whether or not OAHS met the criteria for an affordable housing partner. The responses were unanimous in favour of entering into a relationship with OAHS. The CPC therefore made its recommendation to the Board to partner with the OAHS as our affordable housing partner. The Board subsequently accepted the recommendation. So, we are moving forward with OAHS as our affordable housing partner and several FirstU members within the Board and CPC intend to travel in the near future to Peterborough to view one of the OAHS facilities.
Campus Development Meeting - March 27, 2021
On March 27, 2021, the Campus Planning Committee held a zoom meeting forr FirstU about how we and our partners (Unitarian House, River Parkway Children's Centre and Or Haneshamah) might move forward with developing our six acre property while achieving our goals of environmental protection, green space preservation, and providing for local community needs. Below you can watch Part One and Part Two of that meeting.
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Affordable Housing Presentations by CAHDCO
Use the buttons, below, to download PDF documents from CAHDCO - a non-profit real estate development corporation, and sister to Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, that develops affordable housing and social purpose real estate and provides consulting in the Ottawa area - to learn more about developing affordable housing in Ottawa and on the FirstU Campus in particular.
