Page 3 - Aspire to acheive - Inspire to succeed | CHC Annual Report 2019

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Message from the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation (CHC)
Chair of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

It is exciting to look back at these last twelve months We implemented our CHC Energy and Water Management
because it contains significant elements that Windsor Essex Policy that commits CHC to a 25% reduction in electricity and
Community Housing Corporation (CHC) will be building on water consumption by 2030 and a 20% reduction in GHGs by
for the rest of this decade and onward. All of us at CHC; the 2028 and 25% by 2030. The Raymond Desmarais Manor is a
board and staff will aspire to be a more pro-active local substantial retrofit, comprised of many moving parts
housing corporation, and we will do this by working planned with the CHC policy as the guiding direction. It has
diligently with our many partners within the City of Windsor, been an impressive lead into the transformation of building
County of Essex, provincial and federal governments. science into action.

In 2019, we saw a significant increase in the number of Our work with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
applicants for social housing and affordable housing in through the Housing Repair and Renewal Stream will
Windsor and Essex County. The Central Housing Registry – rejuvenate our commitments to Accessibility and Energy
Windsor Essex County (CHR) processed about 250 new
applications each month. Through the Ministry of Municipal Management.
Affairs and Housing (MMAH) commitment to regulatory
amendments under the Housing Services Act, 2011(HSA) in CHC is sincerely grateful to our many partners like
three distinct areas; simplifying rent-geared-to-income CommUnity Partnership, Life after Fifty, The Windsor Essex
(RGI) rules, improving waiting lists and creating safer County Health Unit and Feed Windsor. We have strengthened
communities we will hopefully see positive changes that our partnership into the future with, Hiatus House and
will assist in reducing the waiting list within the city and Community Living Windsor for the services and programs
county beginning in 2020. they currently offer to our residents, and the support they will
provide onsite in the new 3100 Meadowbrook Lane building.
We are thankful to both the city and county for prioritizing
funds for affordable housing in their 2020 budgets. The In June, CHC sponsored a Passive House Forum in the hope of
construction of 3100 Meadowbrook Lane will be underway inspiring local architects, contractors, developers and
in earnest in 2020, with the foundations laid by Windsor city engineers to think about how the Passive House building
council, the province and the federal government through standard could benefit our community.
the National Housing Strategy Co-Investment Fund
(NHCF) in 2019.

Finally, we always like to look past bricks and mortar, and we will be celebrating one of
th
our best customer service initiatives ever - the 45 year of operating Summer
Recreation programs within our neighbourhoods. Thousands of children have
attended our summer day camps, and many have gone on to post-secondary
education finding jobs in fields including education and social work.

2019 was undoubtedly a year of change, and of letting go of old ways of developing
new affordable housing within our region. CHC continues to define ourselves as an
innovative housing provider, willing to look at all built forms while challenging
ourselves to think outside the box when retrofitting and converting buildings.

We appreciated all three levels of government and The City of Windsor Housing and
Children's Services department for their continued support both through funding
and encouragement for our many endeavours, goals and realized aspirations.

Marina Clemens, Chair of the Board
Jim Steele, Chief Executive Officer

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