Toronto Community HousingINVESTMENT IN COMMUNITIES

ANNUALREVIEW

2003

Contents1 Who We Are 1 How We Came to Be 1 Housing Connections 2 CEO’s Message 3 Chair’s Message

4 Investing in Communities 5 The Community Management Plan 11 Opportune Times

How We Came to BeToronto Community Housing was formedJanuary 1, 2002 through the integrationof the former Metro Toronto HousingCorporation (MTHC) and the formerToronto Housing Company (THC). TorontoCommunity Housing is incorporated asa share capital corporation under theOntario Business Corporations Act, andthe City of Toronto is the sole shareholder.

Toronto Community Housing owns andmanages a $5-billion housing portfolioand operates at arm’s length fromthe City. All policy and operationaldecisions are made within the frameworkof the Social Housing Reform Act, aShareholder Direction, and applicablelegislation and regulations.

Toronto Community Housing hasalso established a subsidiary to overseethe redevelopment of Don Mount Court, a 232-unit development to be rebuilt asa mixed-income community.

HousingConnections Toronto Community Housing operatesa common waiting list system througha new subsidiary corporation,formed in 2003, called Access HousingConnections Incorporated (AHCI). Under a service agreement with theCity of Toronto, Housing Connectionscoordinates the waiting list forhouseholds eligible for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing in Torontoand provides service to 197 socialhousing providers who are mandatedto use this waiting list to fill unitvacancies. The waiting list hasmore than 73,143 households as of December 31, 2003.

Under another service agreementwith the City and the corporation, AHCIadministers rent supplement units inthe private rental market. Responsibilityfor a commercial rent supplementprogram was devolved to the City ofToronto from the province in 2001. Theprogram provides close to 2,800 rent-geared-to-income units, predominantlyin private rental buildings. An additional1,050 units are administered underthe New Tomorrow rent supplementprogram. In both programs, most ofthe households are selected fromthe common waiting list.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

Who We AreToronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) is the largest socialhousing provider in Canada, home to164,000 residents – about six percentofToronto’s population – in 58,500 unitswoven throughout the fabric of the City.

Owned by the City of Toronto, andoverseen by an independent 13-personboard, Toronto Community Housingprovides affordable rental housing forlow- and moderate-income households.The corporation owns and operates 351 high-rise and low-rise apartmentbuildings, as well as about 800 housesand duplexes.

Toronto Community Housing employs1,500 skilled and dedicated staff whoprovide services to tenants.

Residents include seniors, families withand without children, non-traditionalfamilies, refugees, recent immigrants andpeople with special needs. Tenants comefrom diverse backgrounds, cultures andraces; speak many different languages;have a broad range of religious andspiritual beliefs; represent all age groups;and have different abilities and differentsexual orientations.

The Toronto Community Housing wesee today is the result of a powerful mixof vision and strategy firmly anchoredin day-to-day pragmatism.

The formation of Toronto CommunityHousing afforded a rare opportunity tothink critically and imaginativelyabout how this corporation couldcontribute toToronto, both as aprovider of geared-to-income housingto 164,000 residents who could nototherwise afford it, and equally throughits significant presence in communitiesacross this city.

The inaugural board of TorontoCommunity Housing has seized thisopportunity. In just two years, we havechampioned an impressive agenda ofachievements that are highlighted in thisAnnual Review.

I want to acknowledge the contributionof David Zimmer, the first Chair ofToronto Community Housing. Davidresigned his position in October 2003following his election as a Member ofProvincial Parliament (MPP). To chairany board is a demanding task. To chaira fledgling board requires a specialsense of purpose and a single-mindeddedication. David demonstratedboth. His adamant belief that TorontoCommunity Housing could leverchange in neighbourhoods acrossToronto created the basis for thethoughtful, provocative deliberationsrequired to lead change. We wish himwell in his new role.

We reluctantly accepted the resignationsof founding board members Elaine Todresand Brad Duguid, a former councillor andnow MPP. We will miss their ideas andwisdom. Their contributions, like David’s,set this corporation on a course thatembraces creativity, compassion andexcellence in service.

This year, more than 500 tenants stoodfor election as Tenant Representative onone of 27 Tenant Councils, and more than12,000 tenants came out to vote. TheTenant Participation System is an integralpart of Toronto Community Housing’sgovernance structure. On behalf of theBoard of Directors, I want to thankeveryone who stepped forward to runin the election and to congratulate thosewho now sit in these positions. Yourwork strengthens our corporation.

We want to especially thank all staff fora year of incredible accomplishments.Their dedication and hard work inspiredconfidence that we are on the right trackand ready for the future.

From day one, our vision was clear.Toronto Community Housing has thepotential to drive positive change inneighbourhoods all across Toronto. Our experience over the past two yearsconfirms this. We are convinced that byworking with tenants, neighbours,agencies, other community partners andall levels of government, there can bemeaningful change in communities. We are determined to make a difference.

Nicholas Volk

Chair

Chair’s Message 2

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

Toronto Community Housing is partof the fabric of neighbourhoods allacrossToronto.

In some neighbourhoods, our presenceis one or two apartment buildings,townhouse complexes or homesamong many. In others, the TorontoCommunity Housing community is the neighbourhood.

This reality gives Toronto CommunityHousing a unique ability to take on aleading role in creating and sustainingsafe, vibrant and engaged communitiesacross Toronto. It is a role wewillingly accept.

In the two years since TorontoCommunity Housing was formed, wehave very deliberately reached out totenants, partners, neighbours and themany agencies who work with tenantsto talk about what makes communitieswork. In 2003, we experienced the firsttangible results of this engagement:

• Through an election process that sawan extraordinarily high voter turnout,we put a system of Tenant Councils inplace, ensuring tenants had the meansto participate in decisions that affecttheir lives;

• We carefully examined how we providesecurity in our communities andcreated a new Community Safety Unitable to work with communities torespond to their unique safety andsecurity concerns;

• We worked with communities in crisisto support community-led responses todifficult circumstances;

• We worked with tenants, neighboursand others to design a plan for theredevelopment of Don Mount Court;

• Through a comprehensive consultationprocess, an award-winning planfor the revitalization of Regent Parkwas developed.

This kind of response is true investmentin communities. We are there withresources and ideas to advancecommunity health, to work with tenantsto lever opportunities for transformativechange. We are there for the long term,ever mindful that we are stewards of thisvery large public investment.

We are able to increase our investment incommunities because of the innovativeapproaches we have taken in operationalareas, and the sometimes difficultdecisions we face when determiningpriorities and where to allocate resources.

This investment would not be possiblewithout the dedication and skill of staff,who have helped to chart a new coursefor publicly owned housing. To all TorontoCommunity Housing employees, I extenda great thanks – all of our communitiesbenefit from your efforts.

On behalf of the staff of TorontoCommunity Housing, I want to thank theBoard of Directors. Their leadership,vision and innovation has enabled thiscorporation to play a role in this City thatwould not otherwise have been possible.

Derek Ballantyne

Chief Executive Officer

CEO’s Message 3

ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

Publicly owned housing is an investment.It is an investment in infrastructure,but more importantly, an investmentin people and in the City of Toronto.

More than 164,000 people – about six percent of Toronto’s population – maketheir homes in the 58,500 apartments,houses and townhouses that TorontoCommunity Housing owns across the city.

Like other citizens of Toronto, TorontoCommunity Housing residents raisefamilies, work and strive to be activecontributors to their communities.They are seniors, youth, families andsingle people. They represent thesame diversity we see across Toronto.They value strong, healthy and safeneighbourhoods and they are proudto live in one of the most dynamic anddiverse cities in North America.

When Toronto Community Housing wasformed in 2002, the Board of Directorsrecognized that the business of socialhousing is much more than bricksand mortar. It is also about peopleand their ability to be full participants ina civil society.

Accepting this premise means dealingwith the full spectrum of challenges thatface us: a lack of social housing fundingby governments; an aging housing stockand growing need for re-investment, and;a rising need for more housing that isaffordable and accessible to low-incomeindividuals and families.

The corporation also faces the challengeof improving service to residents.

Equally, we face the test of thinkingdifferently about our role andresponsibility in communities.

In 2002, with input from more than5,000 stakeholders, we mapped outa three-year business plan, called theCommunity Management Plan (CMP).Its purpose: to identify and addresshead on the issues that face the newcorporation and, in the process, becomea leader in the field.

The Community Management Plansharply focuses our task. Seveninterrelated strategies create thedynamic framework required totransform the corporation. For the pasttwo years, staff, tenants, the Boardand many interested stakeholdershave worked within this framework.

As Toronto Community Housing entersits third year, much has changed. All threelevels of government recognize thatinvestment in housing for low-incomehouseholds is critical to the well-beingof cities and society generally.

The City of Toronto is a leader in thisrenaissance – a proponent of leveragingpublic investment in housing as away to build strong, inclusive, healthycommunities that are the foundation ofa vibrant and livable city for all citizens.

Toronto Community Housing is anessential part of this city-building. TheCommunity Management Plan fits handin glove with the new social agenda andwe embrace our responsibility to be partof the solution. As we look ahead, wecelebrate the successes we’ve achievedso far and look forward to the work weneed to do to ensure our communitiesare safe, healthy and vibrant places forthose who call Toronto CommunityHousing home.

Investing in Communities 4

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

The Community Management Plan consists

of seven strategies:

• Build a Community Model to deliver serviceslocally and to ensure local accountabilityto residents;

• Establish Healthy Communities so that residentsfeel safe and secure and are able to contributeto their own well-being;

• Create Financial Sustainability so that we canfund capital improvements and make investmentsin new affordable housing;

• Maintain and Improve the Physical Conditionof Buildings to a good state of repair so thatthey contribute to the health of our communities;

• Build More Affordable Housing that isfinancially viable;

• Create a Healthy Organization so that staff feelownership of the vision and work of the company;

• Establish Good Governance to ensure informedleadership and accountability in the pursuit ofour goals.

The Community Management Plan 5

ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

BUILDING A COMMUNITY MODEL

Close to 58,500 households have a direct stake in the day-to-dayoperation of Toronto Community Housing. Developing systems andstructures to enable resident participation has been a significantchallenge for the organization.

Tenant Representatives and local Tenant Councils are now in place togive a real voice to the interests and concerns of residents. This is notthe traditional model of consultation prior to management decisions. It isan opportunity for meaningful engagement in defining outcomes and theapproach to meeting them.

Bob Nykor is a tenant representative at Asquith Park in downtownToronto. A 12-year resident of this community, he has witnessed theshift to a more inclusive approach to Toronto Community Housingdecision-making.

“The concept of active tenant representation is an admirable one,”says Nykor. “It’s not perfect, but I believe it will work over time.”

Chief among his goals is the ability to draw Tenant Representatives intothe process of developing policy. “Feedback is important,” he says.“The more feedback we can provide the corporation, the more they’regoing to have to re-think some directions.”

~ Bob Nykor, Tenant

THE COMMUNITYMANAGEMENT PLANREPORT CARD

Build a Community Model

What is a community model? Andwhat does it mean to the peoplewho live in Toronto CommunityHousing communities?

Quite simply, it means accountability.It means Toronto Community Housingstaff working with residents and communitypartners – in the community –identifying priorities, participating inspending decisions, and sharingresponsibility for the community.It means community leadership.

The community model is a practicalresponse to a set of very practicalproblems. It enables a company of1,500 staff to be nimble and responsiveto local needs. It makes a large publicinstitution community-based. Itpreserves the benefits of being largeand adds those of being small.

During our consultations for theCommunity Management Plan, weheard from tenants that they wantedpeople on the ground to be able to makedecisions, have input into those decisionsand be included in their communities.

In 2003, Toronto Community Housingbegan the transition to a communitymodel.Twenty-seven geographicallybased Community Housing Units wereset up and staffed. The tools to supportthe new model were put in place. Budgetauthority was transferred to these units;clear performance standards set; workto align a shared services structure tomeet the needs of the new businessunits was begun.

Emblematic of the corporation’scommitment to the new way of doingbusiness is the Tenant ParticipationSystem. June 11, 2003 was election day at Toronto Community Housing and 389 Tenant Representatives were electedto sit on Tenant Councils. The TenantParticipation System codifies the role oftenants in the corporation’s governancestructure, ensuring that tenants have a formal means of participating in decision-making that affects them.

As this model evolves, TorontoCommunity Housing staff will work even more closely with residents andcommunity partners. Local businessplanning will respond to communitydetermined priorities, rangingfrom decisions about capital repairexpenditures to developmentof community safety plans.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

TALKING TO REGENT PARK RESIDENTS

The revitalization of Regent Park is more thanreplacing bricks and mortar. It’s about involvingan entire community in decisions about the future.

Canada’s oldest – and largest – publicly fundedhousing development is about to experiencea massive makeover that will affect thousands of households. Residents themselves have beenleaders in decision-making that will shape thelook and quality of life of the new, revitalizedRegent Park.

Sakina Khanam is one resident who is activelyinvolved in the process of asking her fellow residents what they want Regent Park to offer in the years ahead.

“Residents have been eager to participate,”says Khanam. “They talk about everything fromwhat it will be like during construction and re-development, to the services they wish tosee available afterwards.”

“We are such a multicultural community here,”she says. “It’s not an easy process and it will taketime, but the important thing is that everyone isinvited to take part in this re-development becauseit affects all of our lives.”

~ Sakina Khanam, Tenant

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Establish Healthy Communities

In 2003, Toronto Community Housingbegan to take a more systematic look at the issue of healthy communities.

We started by making sure all of ourpartners were in the conversation –tenants, service agencies, neighbourhoodassociations, emergency andenforcement agencies, TorontoCommunity Housing staff and others.

Then we found innovative ways to collecttheir thoughts, ideas and solutions:

• Tenant Representatives engaged locallywith staff and community partners todetermine key community priorities.

• In October, a landmark “open space”forum brought together over 340 TenantRepresentatives and staff for twodays of intense discussion. The result:identification of concerns commonto residents across the entire portfolioand an approach for moving aheadtogether to address them.

• The open space forum was followedup by the work of several tenant-staffworking groups, as well as a secondopen space meeting in March, 2004.

Out of these processes a definition ofa healthy community is emerging.Ultimately, stakeholders define a healthycommunity as one where residentshave a safe and affordable place tolive, buildings and properties are wellmanaged and maintained, there is accessto economic and social support services,and communities are inclusive andsupport and celebrate diversity.

Based on this input, we determinedseven outcomes that are fundamental toimproving the health of our communities:

• community safety• access to community resources• community engagement• equity and inclusion• quality housing• quality services• economic opportunity

Each of the 27 Community Housing Unitsis now developing specific indicators ofeach outcome, to determine baselines,set goals and measure performance onan annual basis.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

Creating the conditions for healthycommunities is a broad strategy,dependent on the combined efforts ofresidents, Toronto Community Housingand community partners. It is alsodependent on ensuring that specific ideaswith the potential to lever transformativechange are given life and support. Theserange from the simple act of creatingspace in which youth can meet, to thedevelopment of adult learning programs,to community gardening initiatives.

To support this change, TorontoCommunity Housing has re-allocated $1 million to be made available in2004 for social investment, as part of the corporate commitment to healthy communities.

Create Financial Sustainability

Toronto Community Housing set out witha three-year plan to reduce operatingcosts in order to direct savings to re-investment in repairs and buildingrenewal and to manage the cost ofinflation. We have met our budget targets,redirecting $9.5 million to additionalcapital spending and to other priorities.

The challenge, however, remainsformidable. In the past three years,Toronto Community Housing has hadone funding increase, and it was lessthan the rate of inflation. While this haslessened financial pressure on the CityofToronto as a primary housing funder,it creates a significant challengein maintaining Toronto CommunityHousing’s services.

The cost of utilities and taxes alone isrising faster than the rate of inflation.These cost pressures are real and willhave an impact on the corporation’sability to meet its financial targets unlessaddressed. The solution lies beyondkeeping tight control on spending andlooking for cost-savings in our day-to-dayoperations. The greatest savings can be achieved through reducing our utility costs.

Consequently, Toronto CommunityHousing has made a significantinvestment in reduced energy andwater consumption. With the financialparticipation of the Toronto AtmosphericFund and the Green Municipal InvestmentFund, Toronto Community Housing hasreplaced 7,705 high-energy consumptionappliances. In addition, more than32,339 low-flush toilets have beeninstalled. And, over $2.94 million wasinvested in building retrofits to reduceenergy consumption in the past year.

These energy savings have been leveredinto building improvements, makingsome headway on a very long list of re-investment needs.

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INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

The long-term satisfaction of residents who live in our communitiesis usually a good measure of how well a community deals with its day-to-day business activity.

It is for that reason that Vidoll Regisford is such a strong supporterof Toronto Community Housing’s move to a community-basedmanagement model. He is convinced that the focus on flexibility,accountability and putting the interests of local residents first willbe the key to its success.

“By moving to a community-based operation, you’re in a betterposition to provide the right services, and to provide them in a waythat makes the most sense in a particular community,” says Regisford,Community Housing Manager for communities in northwest Toronto.“For tenants, that has meant access to services that has becomemore fluid and seamless.”

By adopting a community-based model, Toronto Community Housinghas moved away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Flexible officehours, translation services to match local diversity, purchasingdecisions based on community needs and tenant-based decision-making are just some examples of what makes the new model work.

“We are changing the face of social housing in Toronto,” saysRegisford. “It’s all about community management that involvesfocusing on the ideas of our tenants, and collectively respondingto tenant needs.”

~ Vidoll Regisford, Community Housing Manager

COMMUNITY-BASED, PARTICIPATORYBUSINESS PLANNING

Every day, decisions are made that affectthe quality of life of thousands of residentsand their families.

Capital spending decisions havetraditionally focussed exclusively on the lifesafety, structural and building envelope.

While residents see the need for these,they also see a need for spending on itemsthat have a direct impact on the quality oflife in communities. These decisions arebest made by residents, who can determinethe priority of such investments.

Dave Johnstone, a retired resident of SouthSt. Jamestown, has participated incommunity-based, participatory budgetplanning and strongly endorses the practice.

“Tenants getting together and decidingwhat priorities should be is the waydecisions should be made,” says Johnstone.

The process begins at each TorontoCommunity Housing development whereideas on purchasing everything fromlobby furniture to creative playgroundsare discussed by tenants, TenantRepresentatives and staff. From there,priorities are tabled by TenantRepresentatives from each communityat the local Tenant Council, where thespending program is debated and agreedto by Tenant Representatives. Througha process of give and take, priorities aredetermined and spending allocations made.

“Tenants know that there are limits to whatcan be done but the fact they have a sayin it is what’s important,” Johnstone says.

~ Dave Johnstone,Tenant

Maintain and Improve the

Physical Condition of Buildings

With a capital repair backlog in the rangeof $120-$150 million inherited whenresponsibility for housing was transferredto municipalities, Toronto CommunityHousing faces serious challenges inmaintaining and improving the physicalcondition of its buildings. Tenants haverepeatedly identified the need forbuilding renewal as a key issue.

During 2003, the Board of Directorsapproved a real estate portfolio strategy,and implementation has begun. Thestrategy is a comprehensive long-termplan that identifies asset and financialstrategies, initiatives to bring our realestate portfolio to a good state of repairand actions to revitalize our communities.

The Board also approved a three-yearcapital plan based on a comprehensivemulti-source analysis of building needs.The capital plan provides for increasedcapital spending over the next three-yearperiod using operating savings andnew borrowings. It also introduces theconcept of a building renewal program toholistically address energy consumption,building conditions and the capitalrepair backlog for selected buildings.

The year also saw the continuation ofparticipatory decision-making ondiscretionary capital spending. TorontoCommunity Housing set aside $9 millionin each of 2002 and 2003 to be allocatedby tenants within their communitiesusing a participatory budget planningmodel. In 2004, tenants will allocateanother $9 million in this way.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

Re-Investing in Communities and

Building More Affordable Housing

Toronto Community Housingdemonstrated in 2003 our intentionto play a leadership role in theregeneration of Toronto communities.

In July 2003, City Council overwhelminglyapproved the award-winning revitalizationplan for Regent Park.

Key to this success was the involvementof residents and community stakeholdersevery step of the way – a model ofengagement that will shape our effortsin large-scale redevelopments in otherparts of the city, as well as smaller projects.

Redevelopment planning for Don MountCourt followed a similar model of broadcommunity engagement. In 2003,tenants, neighbours, community agenciesand others grappled with the questionof how to use the opportunity presented

by the site’s redevelopment to integratethe Don Mount Court communityinto the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Consistent with our understandingthat redevelopment is more thansimply buildings, we worked with thecommunity on creating local economicdevelopment strategies, starting aneighbourhood association and pilotinga project that encourages parents tobecome more involved in their children’sschools. This work continues in 2004,even as demolition, planning approvalsand work on the site proceeds.

Toronto Community Housing alsocelebrated the opening of the firstbuilding for low- and moderate-incomeresidents to be constructed by a Torontosocial housing provider since 1995. The building is located at NorthcliffeAvenue at Eglinton Avenue. It has 54 units, including some for residents withdisabilities who have a full-time caregiver.

In 2004, our work will focus on movingredevelopment at Regent Park andDon Mount Court forward.

Toronto Community Housing will alsoput forward a development programthat commits the corporation tobuilding 3,000 new units of housingfor low-income households over the next five years.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

CREATINGPARTNERSHIPSFOR SUCCESS

In the face of adversity, organizations must actboldly to achieve their goals.

That was the situation Toronto CommunityHousing and the City of Toronto faced in the mid-1990s when public funding for affordable housingdried up. But instead of waiting with uncertaintyfor senior levels of government to act, TorontoCommunity Housing and the City entered into apartnership that helped keep affordable housingalive in Toronto.

The successful result in 2003 was TorontoCommunity Housing’s first ‘geared-to-income’development, on Northcliffe Avenue, built inpartnership with the City’s Let’s Build program. The$7.6-million project came in on time and on budget.

Under Let’s Build, the City invites communityhousing proposals for development on landsowned by the municipality. Toronto CommunityHousing took advantage of this opportunity andthe result was construction of the 54-unitNorthcliffe development.

“Toronto Community Housing brought ‘benchstrength’ to the project. It has a well-earned,long-term commitment to public housing anda reputation for well-managed operations,”says Mark Guslits, special advisor to theLet’s Build program.

With the successful completion of Northcliffe,Toronto Community Housing and the City areagain actively looking at other sites inToronto where community housing developmentcan put down roots.

The Regent Park Revitalization Plan

received the Canadian Institute of

Planners Award for Planning

Excellence in 2003. The plan was

cited for taking into account the

physical, social and economic

aspects of community building and

for engaging the community in

extensive consultations throughout

its development.

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Create a Healthy Organization

Fundamental organizational change isonly possible when the employees arekeen to make a contribution and arecommitted to excellence.

At Toronto Community Housing, ourchallenge is to sustain a healthyorganization at a time of change in allparts of the corporation. What are ourvalues? How do we recognizecontributions? How do we promote safetyin the workplace? And how do we ensurestaff have the tools to succeed in a fast-paced, demanding environment?

The answer is simple: we adopt the sameapproach of broad stakeholderparticipation that has worked so well inother aspects of our work.

Toronto Community Housing pioneered aleading-edge, community-based trainingmodel in which front-line staff own theprocess of developing a training plan.They identify their training needs, presentthe business case and budget request tosenior management, and are accountablefor implementing the plan. This model hasbeen showcased in international humanresources conferences.

We have also achieved other successes:

• A group of managers and exempt staffworked throughout 2003 to developand implement a performancemanagement system that directly tiestheir remuneration to performance.The system puts equal emphasis on“capabilities” – how we do things – asit does on what we do, reinforcing thecorporation’s commitment to inclusion,innovation and cohesive thinking;

• Labour and exempt staff joinedforces to form Joint Health andSafety Committees that respondedto the corporation’s community-based structure;

• A team of managers, representativesfrom each union and exempt staffworked together for several monthsto create a Rewards and Recognitionprogram that reflects the shared valuesand aspirations of Toronto CommunityHousing employees. The programcelebrates the significant contributionsand years of service of staff.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

BUILDING A HEALTHY ORGANIZATION

Good staff morale is the steady heartbeat of every healthy organization.

That is why the Rewards & Recognition program at Toronto CommunityHousing has been met with the widespread support of management and labour. It honours the hard work of employees who understand that building stronger communities begins with achieving goals through teamwork.

“It’s about recognizing the contributions people make in this company,”says Kareima Baksh, labour relations assistant in the corporation’s humanresources division who chaired the committee developing the program.

The program aims to recognize staff contributions in different ways. At the corporate level, an award program is in place to honourachievements in service excellence, innovation, community leadership,humanitarianism, life-time work and corporate spirit.

For all 1,500 employees, an annual schedule of social events is in place,including a staff appreciation banquet, a service recognition breakfast, a summer BBQ and a year-end seasonal party.

For CUPE 416’s Michael Schofield, the program is a success. “As a unionsteward in the field, I believe this program raises morale and creates asupportive working atmosphere.”

~ Rewards & Recognition Committee

Establish Good Governance

Good governance is the cornerstoneof any successful enterprise. A well-governed organization is transparent,responsive and, above all, accountable.

In 2003, Toronto Community Housingrefined its governance model and tookit a few steps beyond the traditional. Witha corporate board providing strategicand policy direction on our overall goalsas an organization, the challenge wasto put in place a governance model thatdelegated decision-making to the local

level and created flexibility in the waywe deliver services, while ensuringfull accountability.

We accomplished this in two ways:

First, Community Housing Managerswere given control of their own budgetsso they could work with elected TenantRepresentatives to determine spendingpriorities for their communities.

Managers must now develop localbusiness plans that fit within their budgetenvelope and that meet the communityhealth goals for their areas. In addition,the plans must demonstrate the results of participatory budget decisions ona portion of the Community Housing Unit’s budget.

Accountability in any decentralizedorganization can be a challenge. AtToronto Community Housing, managersare held accountable for their results by a rigorous performance managementsystem that directly links theirperformance to compensation.

The second development in ourgovernance model was the creation ofself-governing subsidiaries based on aBoard-approved governance framework.In 2003, Integrated Housing Services Inc.,which provides maintenance and repair

services to Toronto Community Housingcommunities, was created. AccessHousing Connections Inc., whichmanages the city-wide waiting list forsocial housing, was also established.

Through the creation of thesesubsidiaries – independent organizationsthat support Toronto Community Housinggoals and objectives – we are able toattract expert resources and stakeholdersin the governance of these functions,while ensuring that the Toronto CommunityHousing Board of Directors retains ultimateaccountability for activities.

In a similar vein, Toronto CommunityHousing facilitated the transition of theAlexandra Park community to AtkinsonCo-operative Housing. The new co-ophas a long-term operating agreementthat transfers management of thecomplex to the co-op’s elected boardwhile ensuring accountability to TorontoCommunity Housing.

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INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

As Toronto Community Housing looks at the work ahead, we do so with optimism. Thereis strong City leadership in addressing the pressing need for more affordable housing inToronto. We have a new provincial government that has indicated an intention to re-enterthe housing business. We have a federal government charting a New Deal for Cities.

For the first time in many years, there is a new, cooperative spirit among the three levelsof government.

Toronto Community Housing is ready, willing and able to be part of this new paradigm.Through our work with residents and communities, we are uniquely positioned to be partof the regeneration of the City of Toronto. We have energy, ideas and resources. We arecommitted to being part of the solution.

Our contribution is to focus on initiatives that foster meaningful change within ourcommunities. We will invest in people. We will invest to create healthy communities. Wewill build partnerships. We will work with partners to create communities of opportunity.

And how will we know if we are successful? Our test is a simple one. Residents andother citizens of Toronto will tell us.

Opportune Times 13

ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

For the

first time

in many

years, there

is a new,

cooperative

spirit among

the three

levels of

government.

Nicholas Volk was appointed by Toronto City Council to the Board of Toronto CommunityHousing in October, 2001. He was named Acting Chair following the resignation ofDavid Zimmer in October 2003.

Mr. Volk has been very active in the not-for-profit housing sector for nearly 20 years.

He has worked with Habitat for Humanity since 1993. He has served on many of itscommittees and was Chair of the Board from February 1998 to November 2002. He is now a director on the Board of Habitat for Humanity Canada.

Mr. Volk is also the Ontario President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s. He isalso Vice-President of the Board, developer of the Society’s 164-unit affordable housingapartment building, and a director on the Society’s national Board.

Additionally, Mr. Volk is Vice-Chair of the Women’s Religious Neighbourhood Housingprogram, developing 84 affordable home ownership homes in east Toronto. He alsoserves on Toronto’s Alternative Housing and Services Committee, and the Homeless andSocially Isolated Persons Committee.

He is a former board member of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association andnow represents ONPHA on the Rooftops Foundation Canada Board of Directors. He is a member of the International Committee of the Canadian Housing and RenewalAssociation, advocating for social housing in developing countries.

Most recently, Mr. Volk is the recipient of the Governor General's Caring Canadian Awardfor being deeply committed to providing affordable housing for all members of society.

Mr. Volk is retired from a 23-year career at CBC in Real Estate Operations, PublicRelations and Management Training.

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INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

The Chair

2003 TCHC BOARD

Acting Chair Nicholas VolkDavid Zimmer, Chair

(resigned October 2003)

Directors:

• Sushil Bajpai• John Brewin• Olivia Chow

(City of Toronto Councillor)• Brad Duguid

(City of Toronto Councillor) (resigned October 2003)

• Paula Fletcher (City of Toronto Councillor) (appointed December 2003)

• Ivan Ing (appointed May 2003)

• Norm Kelly (City of Toronto Councillor)

• Vance Latchford• Giorgio Mammoliti

(City of Toronto Councillor)• Dr. John Metson• Penny Milton• Elaine Todres

(resigned December 2003)

BOARD COMMITTEES

Finance/Audit Committee

Dr. John Metson, ChairCouncillor Olivia ChowIvan IngCouncillor Giorgio MammolitiVance LatchfordElaine Todres

Communications Committee

Nicholas Volk, ChairPaula FletcherSushil BajpaiPenny MiltonBrad Duguid

Governance Committee

Elaine Todres, ChairPenny MiltonDr. John MetsonCouncillor Norm KellySushil BajpaiIvan IngVance Latchford

Human Relations Committee

John Brewin, ChairCouncillor Norm KellyCouncillor Giorgio MammolitiDr. John MetsonPenny Milton

Investment Committee

Ivan IngDr. John Metson

15

ANNUAL REVIEW 2003

DON MOUNT COURTDEVELOPMENTCORPORATION BOARD

• Dino Chiesa, Chair• John Brewin• Sayeh Lavasani• Sandra Levy• Cathie Macdonald• Ron Struys

Derek Ballantyne was named Chief Executive Officer of the new Toronto CommunityHousing Corporation on November 14, 2001.

He previously served as CEO of the Toronto Housing Company, from 1999 to 2001. Prior to that, he was General Manager, City Living, City of Ottawa Non-profit Housing.

Mr. Ballantyne was a long-time volunteer and board chair of a community-based non-profit housing cooperative in Ottawa; a founding board member of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, and; Chair of Raising the Roof, a national charitableorganization dedicated to finding solutions to homelessness.

He currently sits on the Board of the Social Housing Services Corporation, and hasworked on provincial housing working groups and committees in the design andimplementation of social housing programs.

He has a background in the public and private sectors and has worked as an independentconsultant in project management and delivery.

The Chief Executive Officer 16

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

THE EXECUTIVE

• Derek Ballantyne, Chief Executive Officer

• Harold Ball,Vice President, Human Resources

• Eileen Carroll, Vice President, Corporate Planning and Performance

• Gordon Chu, Vice President, Finance

• Doris Creighton, Vice President, Property Management

• Jennifer MacLean, Vice President, Corporate Communication

• Richard Owen, Vice President, Portfolio Strategy

• Rainer Soegtrop, Vice President, Shared Services

• Elora Nichols, Corporate Secretary

The Board,

management and

staff of Toronto

Community

Housing would

like to thank

the following

departed board

members for their

contributions

to the corporation.

We wish them

well in their new

endeavours:

• David Zimmer

• Brad Duguid

• Elaine Todres

931 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON M4W 2H2

Phone: 416-981-5500

www.torontohousing.ca