A parish can become a member of MHI which has the capacity to gather small contributions from faith communities and purchase housing in large projects such as ‘Odenak’ on LeBreton Flats. MHI became a partner with the builder ‘Dream Corporation’ which will ensure the creation of 130 affordable units in the two towers on LeBreton Flats. [The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa contributed a $75,000 donation for Indigenous housing in the project with funds from the sale of a church property.]

With a membership purchase of $100 per year, your parish would be able to vote on decisions made annually at MHI’s annual general meeting and thereby influence projects to be pursued.  Although $100 is a small sum, it is an indication of your parish’s wish to participate and contribute to the cause of providing affordable housing.

One long-term fundraising initiative of MHI is its annual Tulipathon. This three-kilometre walk in Commissioners Park (the location of the Tulip Festival next to Dow’s Lake) raises money to subsidize ‘affordable housing’ for some MHI tenants. Participation in this activity puts safe housing in reach for many low-income families and individuals.

This year’s Tulipathon will take place on May 24 at 3 pm.  Each parish is encouraged to create a team and gather supporters in their community of friends and family.  Whether parishes have members who are walking, fundraising, donating, or sharing information they and their parish are part of something bigger.  Action by your parish will help to move the mission forward, especially as housing challenges in Ottawa continue to grow.

For more information : https://www.multifaithhousing.ca/tulipathon

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Two separate projects with similar goals are well under way. The Rev. Graham Singh has issued The Winnipeg Declaration with the goal of deploying faith-owned land and buildings for the public good, ending homelessness being “a core imperative.”  At the same time, the Faith Network has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for its incorporation within the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH).

The result will be more resources for parishes with interest but also concerns about starting affordable housing projects. And with the Faith Network, it will offer an opportunity for parishes that have created housing to share their experience for the benefit of others.

Singh is the founder of Relèven and incumbent of St Jax, an Anglican bilingual parish and community hub in Montreal. Relèven works to restore or repurpose under-utilized churches into community hubs and affordable housing. It has partnered with Anglican churches in the dioceses of Huron and Qu’Appelle.

Singh says the Winnipeg Declaration is “a balloon we floated to over 200 national and regional faith leaders, bishops and the equivalent, to ask, is this a good idea?” referring to a plan to encourage a national faith declaration and generate resources in the cause of ending homelessness?

The analysis of about 50 responses favored broadening the purpose to include the wider social impact of land deployment, understanding that the land is not all going to be used for homelessness only.

Singh is convening roundtables in cities across Canada and launching a website that will invite “faith communities and partners” to add their names as signatories or witnesses to the Winnipeg Declaration.  The site was scheduled to open on May 1, 2026. He says a roundtable in Edmonton led to the city offering a grant program for churches that are going through transitions.

Singh says the invitation to sign on to the Declaration, not legally binding, is intended to generate interest and activity. In an Anglican context, it could be a bishop, a rector, an interested parishioner or all three.

Meanwhile, Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) reports that the Faith Network is coming together. “We have a steering committee, two great co-chairs, an MOU and terms of reference. Work on the toolkit is proceeding and the process for (hiring) a coordinator is about to begin.”

Singh’s Relèven and the Faith Network, Richter’s long-time aspiration for the Alliance, came together at the Alliance’s national conference last October in Montreal where the Faith Network was officially launched.

Singh floated the idea of a national faith declaration on ending homelessness, initially favourably received by Faith Network representatives. The two groups are in discussions about possible Relèven participation at the Alliance’s national conference in Winnipeg in November.

As the building process continues, the Faith Network will want to take into account the services already provided by Relèven, which offers a property strategy course and opportunities to work with Canada Mortgage and Housing’s Solutions Lab.

Garth Brown, co-chair of the its steering committee says the network plans to build a website that will include details of successfully completed projects, with a facility for interested parties to connect. “We’re trying to create a platform so that people don’t have to re-invent the wheel.”

Singh’s Winnipeg Declaration includes an undertaking to raise $5 million of “catalytic philanthropic investment” over three years. Funding is needed, he says, to help parishes overcome inevitable tensions that stand in the way of creating affordable housing.

He says the funding is needed to help create the conditions whereby the tensions can be managed well. “It does not happen for free.” He refers to the well-known NIMBY [not-in-my-backyard] factor — everyone is in favour of affordable housing as long as it’s not near their property.

“If you have a good community facilitator and you have good pre-development work for the site – the church, the neighbours, the community organizations —you can truly work together.”

He says he doesn’t “buy the phrase ‘surplus land’ easily.”  Before declaring land surplus, particularly before selling it to a for-profit developer, you should first determine whether it may be need by other partners — another church, a community organization — in the area.

*It’s The Winnipeg Declaration because Relèven has been working with several Winnipeg congregations, including All Saints Anglican, to create affordable housing.

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Since 2014 when the Diocese, under the leadership of Bishop John Chapman, set up what became the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Working Group, the City of Ottawa’s wait list for affordable housing has ballooned by almost 5,000 to 15,000 at the end of last year.

Appropriately then, nominees in the episcopal election were asked a question about their views on the diocesan ministry to people who are vulnerable.

The bishop-elect is a founding and continuing member of the working group that was rebranded as the Bishop’s Panel on Housing Justice (BPHJ) in 2024. In her written response to the question she offered two suggestions.

“We can connect in a deanery forum,’ she said, “to share, inspire and brainstorm opportunities and creative solutions to the challenges encountered as we minister to those in our local context.”

She also wanted to explore the creation of an advisory panel to raise awareness of the root causes of the increasing need in the diocese. This could lead to advocacy, with partners, to all levels of government for measures to address root causes and reduce the numbers in need.

At one of the pre-election forums, Moira Alie, chair of the Bishop’s Panel on Housing Justice, asked specifically about the prevailing urban and rural urban housing crisis. “What is your vision for the Diocese,” she said, “when it comes to affordable housing and housing justice?”

Alie said that while each candidate offered a unique vision for the Diocese’s path, it was “deeply encouraging to see a unanimous consensus: the Diocese has a fundamental, undeniable role to play in housing justice.”

Responding to Alie’s question, the Bishop-elect said housing justice is a core personal passion. She emphasized that the Diocese needs to stay active.

She highlighted that when the Diocese lacks expertise, it must proactively seek out experts. She pointed to the development of Hollyer House, (the Christ Church Bells Corners project that became a community hub with 35 affordable housing units) where she collaborated closely with experts to bridge the gap between vision and execution.

Ultimately, Otley argued that faith communities possess something unique, through their land and through volunteer networks. By mobilizing every parish, participating in advocacy and spreading awareness, she said she believes the Diocese can make a transformative impact on affordable housing.

She provided leadership at Christ Church Bells Corners as the parish decided to use available land for the creation of affordable housing.  For eight years, she was the chair of the Affordable Housing Action Group of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario.

In the written statement she saw brainstorming in deanery forums as way for every parish to be engaged, harking back to one of the goals of the original working group, the others being action, advocacy, learning and prayer.

Going forward, while the need has expanded, the Diocese is building on success that has come from the inspiration and dedication of parishes. The former working group established a campaign to create 125 new units with every parish engaged for the Diocese’s 125th anniversary in 2021.

With the opening of Hollyer House and Cornerstone Housing for Women’s Eccles Street residence 151 units were completed.

In 2024, then-Bishop (now Archbishop) Shane Parker renewed the working group’s mandate with the name change. Diocesan Synod endorsed new terms of reference that included providing advice to the Future Fund panel concerning grants related to affordable housing and homelessness and assisting parishes in reaching out to partners in their communities and working with them.

With construction under way on the Ellwood House extension at St. Thomas the Apostle Alta Vista and the Halton Street residence in Perth, led by St. James the Apostle, a further 50 units will likely be available by the end of the year. Both projects require fundraising that offers an opportunity for support.

With the exception of the Cornerstone residences, the efforts to create more affordable housing have been driven by parishes, with various forms of support from the Diocese such as seed money for feasibility work in Perth and fundraising for Hollyer House.

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The innovative project, initiated by St. James, is led by a volunteer team of community leaders who have been able to generate broad community support.

Claire Smith, the co-chair with St. James’s David Kroetsch of Community Housing Project Perth (CHIP) says more than $150,000 has been raised towards the goal of $300,000.

It represents the grassroots portion of the $4.5 million total cost. Major funding of $2.5 million came from Lanark County whose waiting list has grown to about 460, including 300 in Perth. The town provided the land.

Smith is confident the goal will be reached “one handshake at a time.” The Perth and District Community Foundation has contributed $25,000, earmarked for an “Alongside Program” intended to offer support for household management to the new tenants. She emphasizes “how grateful we are to all the changemakers” – the donors who have made construction possible. The project is on track to open late this year.

In December, the Rev. Robert Camara replaced founding co-chair the Rev. Canon Ken Davis as rector of St. James after he retired. Calling CHIP a great outreach project, Camara looks forward to working with the steering committee to see it to completion.

“Our involvement and support is one way that we live out our baptismal promises to respect the dignity of every human being and loving our neighbour as ourselves.”

While CHIP characterizes grassroots donors as Changemakers, it recognizes “the village behind the building” as follows:

The Craftsmen, the Saumure Group of Companies with experience in building other affordable housing, “on- site daily, putting local hands to work to create high-quality, lasting homes for our neighbours.”

The Stewards: Carebridge Community Support will operate the building, ensuring that future tenants have the stability and support they need to thrive. Carebridge housing director Alison Newson says the project will help respond to a local crisis in which seniors, single parents and residents with disabilities struggle to secure permanent homes.

The Pillars: The support of Lanark County and the Town of Perth “proving that local government is committed to solving the housing shortage.”

CHIP might have added a fifth component — their own diverse Leadership group. In addition to co-chairs Claire Smith and David Kroetsch:

Stewart MacNabb, former director of finance at Carebridge, who is CHIP’s financial advisor.

Mac Girouard, former director of operations at Carebridge, became CHIP’s social media advisor, running an active Facebook presence as well as other effective outreach.

Linda Chaim, CHIP’s secretary, representative of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), maintains strong relations with community partners.

Brian Perkin, former owner of the Perth radio station, who is in charge of communications.

The building at 63 Halton Street will offer a mix of rent geared to income (RGI) and affordable rental units. Affordable rent is set at 80 per cent of market rates. RGI rent is based on income and other eligibility factors. Tenants for RGI units will be selected from Lanark County Social Services’ wait list. Affordable rent placements will come from Carebridge’s own wait list.

The post Perth housing project advances with vital community leadership appeared first on Perspective.

Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee of the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia and Paul Keherly of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal joined faith network co-chair Garth Brown of the St. Vincent de Paul Society as panelists for an inaugural presentation at the Montreal conference.

Although the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness has been active for 13 years, the significant work of faith communities in addressing homelessness has not been recognized in the organization – until now.

Rather, it’s been an aspiration of the alliance’s chief executive officer Tim Richter. He secured funding for a network coordinator but felt unable to move forward without a faith-based steering committee. He asked me [writer of this article] as someone who has served on the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s Episcopal Panel on Housing Justice for years, to help gather an interfaith group of interested people, and over the last year the steering committee has come together.

“Faith communities have always played a central role in responding to homelessness,” Richter said. “The faith network will allow communities across the country to work together, share great ideas and become a powerful voice in tackling the structural issues that create homelessness.”

About 70 delegates from across Canada attended the inaugural session, and many joined the network. Some gave impromptu presentations of their projects and experiences.

Bishop Greenwood-Lee told Perspective that she underlined the challenges of actually creating suitable housing. She noted that the overwhelming majority of the 2,300 delegates are front-line responders to homelessness or those with lived experience.

“They’re not building the housing as such,” she said. “They have different problems than we do when we’re trying to build housing.”

She suggested the network might share best practices in overcoming regulatory and social barriers in creating housing.

Garth Brown contacted the Rev. Graham Singh, incumbent of St. Jax, a bilingual Anglican parish and community hub in Montreal but more particularly the founder and chief executive officer of Relèven. Relèven specializes in working with closed churches and in the re-use and development of religious property.

Singh made the case for a national declaration on the use of redundant religious property to help house homeless people. It might include a pledge to make a percentage of land available.

Singh is already consulting CEO Tim Richter and his own religious contacts in Winnipeg, site of next year’s conference, to put it on the agenda.

“That kind of vision could create all kinds of possibilities and opportunities,” Brown said.

(Singh’s Relèven is working with the Anglican dioceses of Huron and Qu’Appelle on the re-use of property).

Regulatory red tape has been a particular problem according to Greenwood-Lee.  A project at St. John’s in Duncan was held up for six weeks, awaiting one signature.

“Finally, someone came out and was aghast that they were the problem,” she said. “Any work we can do in coalition, especially across sectors, to get municipalities to work with the provinces and the feds to get projects done faster would be huge.”

The alliance’s national conferences provide an opportunity for an important dialogue that was a focus of Paul Keherly’s presentation.

Bringing his extensive experience in mentoring homeless people, he stressed the need to listen to their views before decisions are made so that housing works for them.

His views are similar to those of the Rev. Maggie Helwig, rector of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Anglican Church in Toronto, site of an encampment that has been forcibly removed, only to be re-settled:

“There is a reason people may find encampments a preferable way to live (as opposed to shelters or hotel rooms) — because they offer simple human community.  They are places where people look after each other.”

Another take-away for Keherly will be a recommendation that his own Diocese of Montreal survey individual parishes as well as other denominations and faiths. “Let’s find out what they are doing, or would like to do. Have they collaborated with other organizations? What are others doing? Can we collaborate? I’d like to see more done here.”

All of this is grist for mill of the steering committee in the coming weeks. The co-chair with Garth Brown is Laura Solberg, executive director of Kentro Christian Network. Members Amy Fisher, Salvation Army;  Fran Klodawsky, Multifaith Housing Initiative; Nuha Dwaikat-Shaer, assistant professor, social work at Wilfrid Laurier University; Dawn Campbell, Community Housing Transformation Centre; Jeff Wheeldon, municipal councillor, Brighton Ontario, chair, Brighton Homelessness Task Force; Amanda Doré, executive director, Centre de Jour St James/ St James Drop-in Centre, Montreal, Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee.

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Disappointment to be leaving before the 15-unit affordable housing project in central Perth that St. James initiated is completed but gratification in knowing all barriers have been overcome.

“I was hoping that by the time I reached retirement I would see people moving in,” he says. He retires on July 1, about the same time as the contractor, the Saumure Group, connects the property to utilities.  Construction is due to begin soon afterwards.

While he can’t imagine more roadblocks encountered over four years — Covid-19, repeated delays at  town hall, neighbourhood opposition — “thank God, the project is moving forward; that is gratifying,” he said.

The project arose out of St. James’s success in meeting the challenge of the Syrian refugee crisis back in 2015. Homes were found for four families and several adults.

Incredible as it may seem, that initiative drew criticism. Davis says he was asked, “Why can’t we do more to help people right here? There are lots of people who need our help.”

He and David Kroetsch, chair of St. James Outreach Committee, began putting together a small group with modest objectives: finding and renovating suitable housing, perhaps a “tiny home” like another in Lanark County.  The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa put up $10,000 in seed money.

Over time, it became clear that the nature of the project should change. Most significantly, the St. James group reached out beyond the parish to recruit a steering committee, Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP). And in 2022 CHIP partnered with Carebridge Community Support, a Lanark County non-profit with a successful track record in affordable housing and social service.

Davis has said that the partnership is what moved the project to the point of success. “Carebridge is incredibly keen and supportive.” But Carebridge says the project would not have happened without CHIP, that it’s the first time a community group, as opposed to a municipality, has initiated a project.

Claire Smith, co-chair of the CHIP fundraising campaign, credits Davis himself.  “He has been significant in spearheading the initiative and in keeping the momentum going.”

She hopes the work he has done at the municipal level will set a template for others to follow. “We’re hoping this goes beyond our small footprint. Ken has opened the door for responsible development for affordable housing for other organizations.’

Major financing for the project comes from a forgivable loan of $2.5 million from Lanark County, a $600,000 grant from Ontario Building Faster Fund and pending support from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Smith feels there is momentum for the campaign to raise $300,000, of which a little more than 10 per cent has been achieved. “We know there are some deep philanthropic pockets in Lanark County and we are reaching out to them.”

She adds: “I want to give kudos to the Anglican Church for the immense influence and support that the church has given right here on the ground. I think it’s amazing.”

Davis is taking steps to ensure continuity and commitment endure after he leaves to retire in the Kingston area.

One comes out of St. James refugee settlement experience, recognizing the benefits of having trained volunteer “along-siders” support first-time tenants when they move in.  An organizational meeting of volunteers with training staff from The Perth Table Community Food Centre is planned.

Bishop Shane Parker said he “will be encouraging Davis’s successor to continue the parish’s engagement with the project and to offer leadership.” He sees the project as an excellent example of a parish engaging with its wider community, which fits well into the priorities of the Diocese as a whole. Davis has provided for continuity by assuring the steering committee it can continue to meet at St. James.

In the future, Davis says, the general public won’t know that St. James had any role, never mind the key role, in housing 15 households. “We are not doing it to aggrandize St. James. We are doing it to glorify God and to help people find homes.”

Construction is expected to be completed within a year, with staggered occupancy throughout 2026.

Donations:  www.perthhousing.ca

The post The Rev. Canon Ken Davis retires after spearheading Perth housing project appeared first on Perspective.

After pandemic-related and unforeseen delays the project has successfully overcome a series of hurdles.

Negotiations with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and St. Thomas the Apostle parish for a long-term (55-year) lease have been completed. The lease has been approved by a special St. Thomas vestry meeting and the diocese and submitted to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

CMHC has to approve the lease as a condition for the mortgage funding for which Ellwood has applied. This will complete governmental support, with a shortfall to be covered by a capital fundraising campaign.

Earlier, Ellwood secured $9.5 million in capital funding, originally through CMHC’s Housing Accelerator Fund. However, the funds are administered by the city and the city decided to finance it from the Ontario Building Faster Fund as advertised on the “sign of progress.”

“The city has given us so much help, support and advice,” Janice Horton, president of the Ellwood board says. “It is really involved in this and other housing projects.”

The support includes additional $372,000 in pre-development funding, allowing for the completion of architectural drawings, finalization and submitting the application for a building permit.

Looking ahead, following demolition of the old rectory, existing utility connections will be upgraded as required by the site plan to correct deficiencies and expand services for the entire campus. It’s detailed work that will take months to complete, but it will be a visible sign of continuing progress.

The extension, intended to help meet ever-growing demand, will more than double the capacity of Ellwood House which has provided safe and affordable housing for seniors since 1987.

The post Ellwood House celebrates progress in housing expansion appeared first on Perspective.

As the diocese’s goal of creating 125 affordable housing units has been reached and surpassed, attention has turned to making sure that the tenants are successfully housed and supported.

Christ Church Bells Corners is moving ahead with a support system for Hollyer House. “Our focus is the dignity of the resident,” says Archdeacon Monique Stone.

And even before sod is turned on its 15-unit residence, Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP) led by St. James the Apostle is planning for a team of “navigators” with lived experience to work alongside new tenants who need a helping hand with running a household.

Christ Church Bells Corners (CCBC) whose 35-unit Hollyer House opened last year, has established a residents support fund with initial funding of $4,000. (As of March, 11 of Hollyer’s 35 units had been rented.)

The fund allows CCBC to purchase items for residents such as linens and dish towels. The fund can be used for anything that is needed by a resident that is best purchased new rather than used.

As well, the parish has a residents support coordinator, Cath Seguin, who has been involved in the Hollyer project from the beginning. She is available to contact or be contacted by new tenants who are in need of help. An initial “welcome package” is provided to residents as they move in.

Counselling for the most vulnerable – usually those relocating from Cornerstone Housing for Women’s emergency shelter and Chysalis House shelter — is available from the Support Services division of the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre located on the ground floor of Hollyer House.

Tenants who come from the City of Ottawa’s social housing wait list have the added benefit of the support of a social worker.

In Perth, St. James the Apostle volunteers are hoping to break ground on CHIP’s project this year. The Rev. Canon Ken Davis has met with staff at the Table Community Food Centre who employ a group of “navigators” with lived experience to help clients access needed services.

He says the idea of an “alongsider ministry” is the echo from a Syrian refugee sponsorship program of which St. James and the diocese were huge supporters.

“Each family had an amazing team helping with everything from banking, language, healthcare and childcare.”

Stephanie Corrin, social justice and advocacy coordinator of The Table’s community food centre and colleagues have agreed to train teams of two screened volunteer “alongsiders” for each of the planned 15 units. Recruiting and training will begin once construction is well under way. The coordinator of the teams — and probably some volunteers — will be from St. James.

Corrin says her office is willing to work with volunteers, share experience and expertise, and be prepared to address and assist with any individual concerns that arise for the CHIP residents.

The post Support helps make affordable housing into homes appeared first on Perspective.

The Ontario government has been sending cheques for $200 to eligible taxpayers to help defray rising housing and living costs. This follows the government’s abolition of the $121 annual fee for renewing licence plates.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) analyzed data from 47 municipalities and reported that the cost of cancelling the licence fee, $1.1 billion annually, happened to coincide with its estimated one-time cost (above current levels) of eliminating chronic homelessness. Chronic homelessness basically refers to being homeless for more than six months or experiencing a recurrence within three years.

The AMO findings gave rise to questions such as, would you be willing to forego the $121 (and/or the $200 cheque) to contribute to housing justice in Ontario?

The emergency shelter for Cornerstone, an Anglican Community Ministry, has been turning away 100 women every month because its 165-bed shelter is constantly full. Crosstalk reported last month that the shelter struggles against rising costs to meet the growing demand for its services.

In Perth, the Rev. Canon Ken Davis is appealing to residents who can afford it, to donate their $200 cheque to Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP).“It’s all about fundraising now,” he says, referring to CHIP’s 15-unit project in downtown Perth. More than 300 residents of the town are in need of affordable housing.  St. James the Apostle, Perth plays a leadership role in the community project.

The AMO report,  Municipalities Under Pressure: The Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis, found that the number of people experiencing “known” homelessness — those known to the homeless-serving system and largely including those in shelters, hotels, or in locations such as in tents or outdoor spaces — has gone up by 25 per cent since 2022.

The report found that refugees and asylum seekers who historically have not remained in shelters for prolonged periods are now increasingly staying in the system long enough to meet the threshold for chronic homelessness. Cornerstone has seen an increase of 340 per cent in one year in the number of newcomers to Canada coming to the shelter.

To learn more or donate to Cornerstone Housing for Women:

cornerstonewomen.ca

To learn more or donate to the Community Housing Initiative Perth project:

perthhousing.ca/

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