Report
to/Rapport au :
The Shareholder of the Ottawa
Community Housing Corporation/
Councillor Steve Desroches, Chair, Ottawa Community
Housing Corporation Conseiller Steve Desroches, Président du conseil d’administration de la Société de logement
communautaire d’Ottawa
and / et
Jo-Anne Poirier, Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Community Housing
Corporation/présidente-directrice générale de la Société de logement
communautaire d’Ottawa
613-520-2271
Ref
N°:ACS2011-OCH-0002
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SUBJECT: |
OTTAWA
COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION ANNUAL
REPORT AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE SHAREHOLDER |
|
OBJET: |
RAPPORT ANNUEL ET ASSEMBLÉE GÉNÉRALE ANNUELLE DE LA
SOCIÉTÉ DE LOGEMENT COMMUNAUTAIRE D’OTTAWA |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Council approve:
1. That the 2010-2011 Ottawa Community
Housing Corporation (OCHC) Annual Report be received;
2. That the Audited Financial Statements
of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) for the year 2010 be received. (Attachment 1- Draft Financial Statements. Signed audited statements will be
distributed at the meeting);
3.
That the Update re: the 2008-2011 Ottawa
Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) Strategic Plan be received;
5. That Ernst and Young be appointed as
the Auditors of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) for the year 2011;
and
6. That the Mayor and the City Clerk be
authorized to sign a written resolution on behalf of the City of Ottawa as
Shareholder of OCHC setting out the resolutions approved by City Council.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Conseil
approuve :
1. que soit reçu le rapport annuel de 2010-2011 de la
Société de logement communautaire d'Ottawa (SLCO);
2. que
soient reçus les états financiers vérifiés de 2010 de la SLCO (pièce jointe 1,
ébauche des états financiers; les états vérifiés et signés seront déposés à la
réunion);
3. que soit reçue la mise à
jour de 2008-2011 du plan stratégique de la SLCO;
5. que la société Ernst and
Young soit désignée vérificatrice de la SLCO pour l'année 2011;
6. que le maire et
le greffier municipal soient autorisés à signer, au nom de la Ville d'Ottawa à
titre d'actionnaire de la SLCO, une résolution écrite énonçant les résolutions
approuvées par le Conseil municipal.
BACKGROUND
2010-2011 has been a period of considerable
achievements for Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC).
OCHC has continued to invest significantly in time and
resources to build upon the five pillars for developing “Healthy
Communities”. The five pillars include:
·
Building and maintaining
adequate, appropriate housing stock
·
Ensuring safety
and security
·
Fostering tenant
engagement and commitment
·
Nurturing
community partnerships
·
Enhancing
organizational capacity and effectiveness
This year’s Annual Report highlights achievements
related to providing the best possible service to all OCHC tenants, as well as
celebrating new initiatives and partnerships.
Recommendation 2
(Re: 2010 Financial Statements)
In accordance with section 11.01 of Ottawa Community
Housing Corporation By-Law No. 7, OCHC is required to present its audited
financial statements for information to its Shareholder. The 2010
audited financial statements will be submitted to the OCHC Board of Directors
for approval on May 6, 2011. The firm of
Ernst and Young are OCHC’s auditors. Ms.
Deanna Monaghan of Ernst and Young will attend the May 5, 2011 Finance and
Audit Committee meeting to respond to questions and comments.
The 2010
OCHC draft financial statements are appended to this report as Attachment 1.
Signed audited statements will be
distributed on May 11, 2011.
Recommendation 3
(Re: Strategic Plan Update)
A Strategic Plan (2008-2011) was completed and
approved by the Board in 2008. At that time, the Strategic Plan was circulated
to City Council for their information. The
key initiatives continue to be aligned with the direction provided by the
Shareholder, responding to concerns related to the condition of the housing
stock, maintenance standards, community safety and security, and the provision
of healthy communities.
The Strategic Plan for 2012-2015 will be developed with
the OCHC Board of Directors during the fall of 2011. This plan will subsequently be shared with
City Council.
The following sections describe the progress made in
the key areas identified within the Strategic Plan.
a.
Improve Maintenance and Utilization of Existing Housing
The Building Condition Assessment Study (BCA) was completed
in the fall 2008. It provided OCHC with a comprehensive assessment of the
entire housing portfolio. Housing units, mechanical systems, building
exteriors, and roofs were inspected. The
BCA Study estimated that the cost of deferred maintenance plus capital work
required in 2009 through 2013 would total $332 million (2008 dollars).
In 2009 and 2010, OCHC launched the largest Capital
Works Program ever undertaken by the Corporation, with capital projects valued
at $110 million (2010 dollars). This
program was made possible by a series of capital grants totalling $55.6 million
under various programs administered by the City of
In developing capital plans for the immediate future,
OCHC considers the specific requirements for one hundred and sixty-four
communities. This process continues to
be well informed by the BCA as well as consultation with OCHC tenants and
site-specific investigations. A rolling five
year Capital Plan is prepared each year.
The SHHRP funding has contributed many improvements in
OCHC communities. Specifically, Banff/Ledbury, Britannia Woods and Lebreton Flats communities
have been renewed, along with many other communities that have benefitted from significant
capital repairs (e.g. window/door replacements).
Based on deferred maintenance requirements and repairs
that are required in the five year period beginning 2011 through 2015, OCHC
will need an estimated $334 million
in capital funding (2010 dollars) over the next five years. The Corporation is currently reviewing longer
term capital requirements, funding requirements that consider grants and annual
contributions, and financing options.
A Long-Range Financial Strategy has been developed to
determine the funding requirements to sustain an appropriate capital program
that will preserve and ensure the housing portfolio remains stable for years to
come. In order to support the 2010
Capital Works Program, OCHC has utilized all grants received through the SHHRP,
all capital reserves, as well as applying for a loan under the Infrastructure
Ontario Program. In order to move
forward with further capital repairs, OCHC will require substantial and sustainable
funding from all levels of government. To assist this, OCHC has developed a Green
Plan to ensure the sustainability of its housing stock and to generate savings
to be reinvested in its housing portfolio.
To that end, a Green Fund has been established to manage grant funding
and to divert savings to offset maintenance costs. OCHC will also pursue private-public
partnerships to assist with redevelopment activities.
In 2006, the OCHC Call Centre was implemented on a
24/7 basis in order to respond more effectively to tenant requests for both
routine and emergency maintenance services.
The Call Centre also dispatches Community Safety Services. In 2008, a review of the Call Centre was
undertaken and many changes have been made to improve and enhance services to
our tenants, including the recruitment of a Manager specialized in Call Centre
management. Subsequently, the overall
performance of the Call Centre has been closely monitored and has shown very
positive results.
During 2010, an Emergency Management Plan was
developed including a governance structure and comprehensive training for all
OCHC staff. This Plan is ensuring
compliance with all relevant legislation.
A “Table Top” exercise is planned for 2011 to provide knowledge and
experience for OCHC staff.
Demand maintenance services have also been enhanced,
including a scheduling system that has been implemented to provide more
efficient, transparent and effective maintenance services. This has resulted in significant improvements
in the demand maintenance area. In
addition, customer service protocols have been developed in order to respond to
tenant feedback and establish response standards.
In addition, a Unit Assessment Program was launched in
order to systematically assess all OCHC units to determine repair requirements. This is leading to an intentional approach
being taken to ensure that all units are being assessed annually to inform
capital and maintenance repair requirements, as well as to address health and
safety issues, pest management and water conservation issues.
Collaborative efforts continued between senior staff
from OCHC and the City which resulted in the development of a new Operating
Agreement for the Corporation, specifically confirming the funding model for
the Public Housing Program and the Municipal Non-Profit program and providing
for an enhanced use of Rent Geared to Income (RGI) subsidies across a range of
housing programs. By early 2009, an
Operating Agreement was approved by both the OCHC Board of Directors and City
Council. This has assisted with funding
levels and the completion of a Long Range Financial Strategy has determined future
required funding. City staff are participating in this
financial planning exercise.
b. Develop New Housing Stock
Although there continues to be a well-documented
demand for additional affordable housing in the City of
OCHC remains interested in the development of new
affordable housing. As the Building
Condition Assessment study is implemented, site renewal and redevelopment
opportunities will be explored. To this
end, applications have been submitted under the Affordable Housing Program
(AHP) for redevelopment initiatives,
In July 2010, an opportunity to purchase thirty-one
units of housing was made available to OCHC.
Due to the competitive price and good condition of these units at
In addition, there are six units being redeveloped on
c. Development of Safe and Healthy
Communities
The Safer Communities Program, implemented in 2006,
has continued to provide a visible staff presence in OCHC communities, working
closely with the Ottawa Police Service and other community partners. Proactive strategies to address tenant safety
concerns are in place.
OCHC has received very positive feedback from tenants
about the assistance provided by the Community Safety Officers, which has
encouraged further tenant engagement through initiatives such as Neighbourhood
Watch and the OCHC Healthy Communities Initiative. The four areas of focus for the Healthy
Communities Initiative include safety and security, pride of place, a positive
social environment and engagement with the broader community.
OCHC also actively participates in the Community
Development Framework (CDF) at the City of
OCHC is currently reviewing its Community Safety
Services with a focus on how to further engage tenants and community partners. The emphasis continues to be on crime
prevention, effective enforcement as well as community development.
d. Increase Tenant Involvement/Empowerment
In 2007, the Shareholder approved an enhanced
governance structure to align Tenant Associations, District-Based Committees
and the Board of Directors. This
resulted in an elected Tenant representative sitting directly on the Board of
Directors as a full voting member of the Board.
This tenant representative is the Chair of the Tenant Advisory Group,
comprised of eight members who are also part of a District-Based Committee
structure. The District-Based Committees
bring together tenant leaders from across OCHC communities, including approximately
sixty Tenant Associations. Staff are currently exploring several other informal
structures to effectively engage tenants.
In the fall of 2010, the annual Tenant Forum was held
to promote dialogue between tenants and staff and for tenants to participate in
workshops to promote leadership capacity and continuous learning. This Tenant Forum also included tenant
volunteer recognition. This forum was
highly successful and received very positive feedback from tenants. In addition, the Chair of the Tenant Advisory
Group now chairs an annual tenant retreat.
Efforts are continuing to involve tenants, OCHC staff,
and community partners in the Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI). In 2010, a review was completed of the HCI
program. It was concluded that this is a
successful community development model for OCHC and should continue. Its flexible model allows for a tailored
approach to be taken with every community.
OCHC staff are also working
on an OCHC Partnership Framework to ensure effective partnerships for the
benefit of all tenants and communities.
This includes a review of all significant partnerships to ensure
effective service delivery and tenant engagement. The second annual OCH Partnership Forum was
held in December, 2010 to discuss segmented strategies to support youth,
seniors, new immigrants and other groups.
e. Enhance relationship with the
Shareholder and the Community-at-Large
Members of City Council continue to express their
support and commitment to all tenants housed in Ottawa Community Housing. There are four City Councillors who sit on the
OCHC Board as well as the Mayor as an Ex-Officio member.
Regular meetings also take place with City Councillors
whose wards include OCHC communities. These meetings have been well received by all
parties as it has ensured open lines of communication and timely resolution of
complaints and enquiries. OCHC staff also provide support to Councillors at tenant meetings.
f. Organizational Development
An overall organizational renewal exercise was
undertaken in mid 2008. This
reorganization and staffing plan was approved by the Board.
Under the direction of the CEO, five business areas
guide the work of the Corporation.
|
1. |
TENANT
SERVICES |
Frontline Tenant services (4 districts), property
management, 24/7 Call Centre, Community Safety Services |
|
2. |
ASSET
MANAGEMENT |
Capital planning and implementation, management of
the Green Plan |
|
3. |
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT |
Tenant engagement and work with community partners
for safe and healthy communities |
|
4. |
CORPORATE
SERVICES |
Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology,
and Purchasing |
|
5. |
ORGANIZATIONAL
EFFECTIVENESS |
Board Secretariat, Performance Management,
Organizational Renewal, Corporate Communications, Policy development and
Change Management |
The organizational renewal process was successfully
completed and a final Organizational Workplan was presented to the OCHC Board
in December 2010.
Ongoing organizational development includes Leadership
and Management training, succession planning and ongoing business process
reengineering.
In order to further develop organizational capacity,
additional tools are being developed through an Information Technology
Strategy. Further investments in
technology are planned to support the business areas of the Corporation.
The development of the Long Range Financial Strategy
is currently underway to help determine cost reduction and revenue generation
opportunities, as well as asset leveraging strategies. A review and development of the purchasing
program will determine further opportunities for savings and efficiencies.
Recommendation 4 (Re:
Reappointment of Community Members on the Board of Directors)
OCHC By-Law 7 section 3.09 permits directors to be reappointed at the
end of his or her term of office.
Community Members may be appointed to the OCHC Board of Directors for
terms of up to three (3) years, to a maximum of six (6) consecutive years. The process of reappointing and staggering
the terms of Community Board Directors provides continuity on the OCHC Board of
Directors.
Recommendation 5 (Re:
Appointment of Auditors)
Part XII
subsection 149 (1) of the Business Corporation’s Act, states as follows:
“ The Shareholders of a Corporation at their first
annual or special meeting shall appoint one or more auditors to hold office
until the close of the first or next annual meeting, as the case may be, and,
if the shareholders fail to do so, the directors shall forthwith make such
appointment or appointments”.
Given
that Ernst & Young are providing satisfactory service, and they are
familiar with the operation of the Corporation, and given that they are
auditors for the City of
Recommendation 6
(Signing Authority of Mayor and City Clerk)
That the Mayor and the
City Clerk be authorized to sign a written resolution on behalf of the City of
Ottawa as Shareholder of OCHC setting out the resolutions approved by City
Council.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1: 2010
Financial Statements of Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC)
Document:
2010-2011 Annual Review