Strengthening People, Places and Our Foundation Contents
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Community Management Plan 2010-2012 strengthening People, Places and Our Foundation Contents Setting Direction 1 Message from the Chair and the Chief Executive Officer 2 About Toronto Community Housing 4 Financial Summary 9 Strategic Focus Areas 10 CMP At-A-Glance 11 Strengthening People 12 Outcomes: Successful Tenancies 13 Economic Development 16 Empowered Tenants 17 Strengthening Places 20 Outcomes: Well-Maintained Buildings 21 Valuable Community Spaces 23 Enhanced Community Safety 24 Sound Investments in Real Estate Assets 26 Strengthening Our Foundation 30 Outcomes: Improved Customer Service 31 Healthy Workplaces 33 Financial Discipline 35 Managed Risk and Effective Governance 36 Better Communications 37 Moving Forward 39 Our Communities 40 Organizational Chart 41 FSC logo to go here Setting Direction our vision Toronto Community Housing believes social housing is an essential part of building a great city. We believe neighbourhoods thrive when a mix of people from different backgrounds live together in a place they can call home. Youth in the Dundas/Mabelle neighbourhood Our vision is to contribute to a city where quality, affordable housing organized the planting of 1,000 tulip bulbs in is available in vibrant neighbourhoods, where residents are proud of their community garden. the place where they live, and where people feel connected to each other and their community. our mission We provide affordable housing, connect tenants to services and opportunities, and work together to build healthy communities. our values Respect – We respect people as individuals and create environments that foster mutual appreciation, compassion and service. Integrity – We are fair, just and transparent, and our behaviour is consistent with our values. Inclusion – We believe in social justice and benefit from including and considering all people and perspectives. Collaboration – We recognize that everyone’s contribution has value and that we can achieve more when we work together. Excellence – We enjoy our work and always expect the best of ourselves and those around us. Toronto Community Housing – Community Management Plan 2010-2012 1 Message from the Chair and the Chief Executive Officer very three years, Toronto Community t Involve and engage tenants on issues that We encourage you to read the Community E Housing brings together residents, affect their lives Management Plan 2010-2012 in the staff and the community to generate following pages. As always, the involvement t Connect tenants to the civic community, ideas and priorities for our strategic plan. In social services and opportunities that of our staff, tenants and stakeholders October 2009, more than 1,000 people took assist in building healthy communities remains invaluable, both in shaping the part in a total of 10 consultation meetings plan and carrying it out. over four days. Their comments and input t Create partnerships that advance have helped us to identify three priority areas community development that we will address over the next three years: t Build organizational capacity to deliver strengthening people, strengthening places our mandate and ensuring there is a strong foundation in We will review the plan each year to make place for good business practices. sure we are meeting our objectives, This Community Management Plan 2010- responding to new issues and taking 2012 is our roadmap for the next three years. advantage of new opportunities. These It builds on our vision, mission and values, reviews will help us to evaluate our and is our commitment to the tenants and performance and report on our achievements. communities we serve. The plan sets out the This year’s plan is fully informed through framework for our strategy and priorities, consultations with key stakeholders, and it and how we will achieve them. reflects the choices we have jointly made. Informing the priorities set out in this plan The plan is more focused than in previous are the following key commitments to our years. It reflects our commitment to focusing David Mitchell Keiko Nakamura tenants and the people of Toronto: our activities and efforts where they will have Chair Chief Executive Officer the greatest impact—and we fully intend to t Provide quality housing in a good state of repair see it through. This approach will strengthen our ability to deliver the services that tenants t Increase equitable and inclusive life need and which the people of Toronto count opportunities for tenants on us to provide. 2 Toronto Community Housing – Community Management Plan 2010-2012 Townhouses in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. community consultations and internal meetings A series of consultations were held across the city in the fall of 2009. After a presentation from the CEO, the participants broke into small discussion groups that included a mix of staff, tenants and community partners. They shared their opinions about what our top priorities should be for the next few years. This feedback was used to build the plan. Toronto Community Housing – Community Management Plan 2010-2012 3 transition to their new country. Many new particularly at times of crisis. We support About Toronto Torontonians now call Toronto Community these tenants by improving our ability to Housing home. connect them to the services they need. We Community Housing At the same time, for many tenants Toronto work closely with tenants, stakeholders, may be home, but personal circumstances community organizations, service agencies Who We Are have had an impact on their ability to retain and our government partners to help tenants and maintain their housing. Many tenants meet their personal challenges and remain Toronto Community Housing is the largest wrestle with life’s challenges and may housed, wherever possible. social housing provider in Canada and, become vulnerable to losing their housing, after New York City, the second largest in North America. We play a key role in providing homes to many of Toronto’s most racialized, economically disadvantaged and marginalized residents. At the same time, the people and families who live in our homes represent hope and possibility for the city, and have the ability and skills to contribute significantly to its growth. We are home to 164,000 tenants, in 58,500 households—about six per cent of Toronto’s population. Tenants reflect the city’s diversity, which includes age, education, language, sexual orientation, mental and physical abilities, religion, ethnicity and race, as well as an increasing diversity in lifestyles and values. Social housing remains a core asset in the City of Toronto. As Toronto grows, it becomes home to the hopes and aspirations of thousands of new Canadians—each facing our portfolio unique challenges and opportunities as they Toronto Community Housing’s social housing portfolio includes 58,500 units in over 2,240 high, medium and low-rise apartment buildings, and houses within 366 communities across the city. 4 Toronto Community Housing – Community Management Plan 2010-2012 How We Work We are proud to have been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2009 Toronto Community Housing is more than and 2010. We are committed to ensuring the a landlord. For many tenants, our housing continued health, well-being, participation provides stability and the promise of hope, and development of all staff. This is vital to and a safe and secure place to live. the delivery of quality services to tenants. We operate as a business, meeting the In 2008, we restructured 27 Community financial expectations and obligations of Housing Units into 13 Operating Units to a landlord. Consistently delivering good- better serve the needs of tenants. Offices quality social housing and customer service in the new structure house a community- to tenants is central to what we do. We also focused delivery team that includes a carry a social and community mandate Staff at the Central Sherbourne Operating Unit serves Manager, Community Housing Supervisors, neighbourhoods in downtown Toronto. to build strong neighbourhoods and a Community Health Manager, Health and sustainable communities. We do that Community Safety Promotion Officers, by going beyond our role as landlord, acting Tenant Services Coordinators and a Customer social fabric. As a social housing landlord, as an agent of social change – be it as a Service Facilitator. These employees work we provide tenants with a home and a place catalyst for new opportunities, a convener as integrated teams at the building level to to connect. We also build relationships of collective wisdom, or as a participant address tenant concerns and ensure that our with our partner agencies to assist tenants working to build a stronger Toronto. actions are responsive, reasonable, timely to take the next steps toward employment The expectation that we will act as a and fair. and education and find their way through compassionate landlord is also at the challenging situations. Partners also help core of what we do. Our partnerships are critical to achieving our vision of a prosperous, inclusive Toronto, tenants gain access to the information or Our 1,400 employees serve the needs of and they are a critical thread in our city’s social services they need. tenants on a daily basis and continue to be our greatest asset. We work hard to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities and cultures found partnerships for accessibility in our city. Our employee policies and Our research partnership with the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) will move Toronto Community Housing closer to a future in which all tenants practices are consistent with our values of and staff, including those with disabilities, are able to fully participate respect, integrity, inclusion, collaboration in all aspects of community life. OCAD students are engaging in applied and excellence. design research projects to recommend modifications to existing buildings, as well as future developments to improve building accessibility. Using an aging Toronto Community Housing building as a case study, the first project focuses on how people navigate in and around the building.