Click on the presenter's names within each individual session description to access the PowerPoint presentations. Note: where sessions have no links, PowerPoints are unavailable. Presentations are saved in PDF format.
Monday, November 21, 1.5 Hour Sessions
M1 – M10
11 am – 12:30 pm
M1: The Business of Non-Profits – Build Your Long-Term Sustainability
Non-profit organizations are no different than for-profit or corporate organizations when it comes to the need to ensure their long-term sustainability. Organizations need to know who their target client groups are, why they are providing the services that they offer, what their core competency is, and how they can leverage these components to achieve their overall vision and mission. For each of these elements, organizations should be looking at their key success factors and competitive advantages, and then creating strategies that will capitalize on these. This session will consider how non-profit agencies can remain sustainable and viable in an ever-changing economic environment. Non-profits need to know what they are passionate about, what they do best, and what drives their resource engines. This workshop will consider these very important factors as foundational underpinnings for the longevity of any non-profit.
Presenters: Gerry Dyble, Executive Director, Hope and Area Transition Society; and Anne Graboski, Uncommon Solutions Consulting and Training.
This session is sponsored by Vancity Credit Union.
M2: Strategies for New Housing and Redevelopment
This presentation will look at a range of innovative models to bring new forms of equity to housing, or to leverage existing equity, for the purposes of development and redevelopment. Among the options we will consider are life leases, staircase mortgages, co-housing, portfolio leveraging, and other emerging tools. Shared equity, for example, provides middle- and low-income people access to the housing market. Shared equity (a.k.a. staircase) mortgages allow buyers to hold a portion of equity in their home (25, 50 or 75%) while the remaining equity is owned by a not-for-profit housing society, developer, or other entity. In the area of seniors’ housing, life leases are gaining traction in Manitoba and Ontario. This workshop will consider options for application in BC. In the community living field, providers are experimenting with co-housing and other creative options to build long-term, secure community. Participants in this session will learn how to:
- use and leverage existing equity;
- find other sources of equity; and
- access creative financing tools.
Panelists: Andy Broderick, Vice President, Community Investment Department, Vancity Credit Union; Catherine Ludgate, Manager, Community Investment Department, Vancity Credit Union; and Jim Woodward, Community Development Liaison, BCNPHA (Moderator).
This session is sponsored by Vancity Credit Union.
M3: A New Look at Rental Housing – Opportunities for Non-Profits
The shortage of affordable housing along the housing continuum is a pressing issue in many BC communities. While non-profit housing societies have traditionally focused on developing rental housing for the lowest income households with senior government funding programs, this is changing. With operating agreement expiry and little new senior government funding for social housing, non-profits are seeking opportunities to develop rental housing for a variety of income levels. This may mean purchasing existing rental buildings, developing new buildings with a mix of market and/or non-market rental, or incorporating market units in traditional non-market buildings. This workshop will provide attendees with several innovative examples of how non-profits can achieve greater financial viability using a mixed approach. This session will highlight the role of the non-profit housing sector in expanding the supply of rental housing. It will also feature the work of the Metro Vancouver Rental Housing Supply Coalition.
Panelists: Kaye Melliship, Executive Director, Greater Victoria Housing Society; Dennis Carr, Assistant Director of Social Infrastructure, City of Vancouver; Maureen Enser, Metro Vancouver Rental Supply Coalition Co-Chair and Executive Director, Urban Development Institute; and Margaret Eberle, Acting Research Director, BCNPHA (Moderator).
This session is sponsored by TL Housing Solutions.
M4: Tenant Engagement on Sustainability and Energy Conservation – Moving from Theory to Practice
In October 2010, BC Housing started a pilot project implementing a tenant-engagement strategy on sustainability and energy efficiency in several public housing buildings. Based on community development principles, the strategy includes such frameworks as community-based social marketing (CBSM) and appreciative inquiry. The program goals have been to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as to increase tenant satisfaction and foster a sense of community. Ultimately, this pilot project aims to create a toolkit of resources that can be used by housing providers across the sector. This session will benefit housing providers and community organizations interested in incorporating tenant-engagement practices into their operations. Attendees will:
- understand the success factors and key lessons learned from the BC Housing pilot project;
- understand how to apply a CBSM model to tenant engagement on energy conservation within a social housing context; and
- receive information related to the toolkit and resources developed as part of this pilot program.
Panelists: Jennifer Sanguinetti, Director, Smart Buildings and Energy Management, BC Housing; Bill MacKinnon, Project Technologist, Smart Buildings and Energy Management, BC Housing; Pamela Reddy Speck, Community Developer, BC Housing; and Magdalena Szpala, Sustainability Planning and Reporting Manager, BC Housing.
This session is sponsored by FortisBC.
M5: Voices of Youth Homelessness
The number of homeless youth in BC and across Canada is growing. Homeless youth are distinct from the adult homeless population, both in their experiences of homelessness and in the resources they have, and thus face a different set of challenges in finding and securing housing. This panel discussion will explore first-hand experiences of youth homelessness, consider the youth perspective on the need for housing and services in BC, and look at housing and service models that are working well in supporting this population. Members of the Youth Action Squad, a team of youth aged 19-26 who have experienced homelessness, will present on their experiences with housing and services for homeless and at-risk youth. Two youth housing and services providers will also provide an overview of their approaches.
Presenters: Natasha Van Borek, Team Leader, Youth Action Squad; Michelle Fortin, Executive Director, Watari Youth, Family, and Community Services; and John Harvey, Director of Programs, Covenant House Vancouver.
This session is sponsored by Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.
M6: Getting the Best Value for Your Money
Whether you are coordinating routine or recurring repairs and maintenance or you are undergoing a major building-system repair, organization and best practices will save you time and money. In this workshop, you will:
- learn how to effectively coordinate day-to-day maintenance;
- be able to select the best company to complete the job;
- understand what is required to go through the larger maintenance projects; and
- know what resources and organizations are available to you.
Doing it right the first time will save you money. Organizing the work professionally will ensure that time and money are used in the most efficient manner. Larger jobs should be coordinated by the professionals trained in the particular area; we’ll explore when to use a professional consultant, how to choose one, and what outcomes you need to achieve.
Presenter: John Waldo, JTC Consulting.
M7: Overcoming Barriers to Supporting People with Mental Illness and Addiction Issues in Housing
Securing and maintaining housing for people with mental illness and addiction issues can be complex and often difficult. How does one deal with the discrimination and community fear that arises when housing for this population is introduced to a neighbourhood? How, as landlords, do we provide safe and secure housing for people with mental illness and addiction issues within a mixed-use building? This panel will provide facts on these issues, and will discuss several innovative and effective types of support programs that are being offered as part of, or as adjuncts to, non-profit housing.
Panelists: Dana Hill, Administrator of Housing Services, CMHA – EK; Mark Smith, Executive Director, RainCity Housing and Support Society; Tracy Schonfeld, Coast Mental Health; and Catharine Hume, Site Coordinator, Vancouver At Home/Chez-Soi Project, Mental Health Commission of Canada (Moderator).
M8: Building Maintenance and Loss Control
Aviva Loss Control Specialist John Reid will lead this session on loss control and the importance of building maintenance for building owners. Full of colourful examples and real life situations, this session will be of value to anyone involved in the maintenance and management of residential and commercial buildings. John and Donna will provide valuable information with respect to structuring a risk-management maintenance program to minimize and mitigate losses from water damage.
Presenters: Donna Cheeseman, AVP, Commercial Lines Branch Manager, Aviva Canada; and John Reid, Senior Loss Control Representative, Aviva Insurance Company of Canada.
This session is sponsored by Aviva Canada.
M9: New Tools to Manage Capital Plans and Prioritize Investments
Maintaining and sustaining non-profit housing is a goal for every non-profit society. With an aging building infrastructure we need new tools and technology to help us stay on top of the ever-growing capital needs of our developments. Developing the right kind of questions while collecting on-site condition data is vital when establishing priorities and developing capital investment strategies. This session will showcase some new hand-held tools and technology to help societies develop data, create capital plans, and prioritize investment decisions. Presenter Tim Dettlaff will assist societies to sustain their current assets more effectively through sharing a variety of useful resources.
Presenter: Tim Dettlaff P.Eng., Senior Vice President, Ameresco.
This session is sponsored by Ameresco Canada.
M10: The New Operational Review Process
Join staff from BC Housing and the non-profit sector for a presentation on the new operational review process that focuses on the approach that BC Housing and non-profits are engaged in and outcomes they expect. The new process has been in place since April 1, 2011, thanks to the collaborative work of BC Housing, BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), and the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHFBC). While there will likely be ongoing refinements to the process as a result of issues identified by our post-implementation working group, our joint efforts are aimed at creating a process that works better for housing providers and ultimately improves the lives of people who live in social housing.
Presenter: Ann Howard, Director, Non-Profit Housing Services, BC Housing; and Ray Saucy, COO – Chaplaincy and Seniors’ Living Communities, Baptist Housing.
This session is sponsored by BC Housing.