Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety September 2014 Annual President s Reprt
1 The Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety President s Annual Reprt t the Cmmunity September, 2014 The Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety (EICHS) cntinues t demnstrate itself as a strng leader in the develpment and management f affrdable husing in the City f Edmntn. During this past fiscal year, we celebrated 30 years f success prviding affrdable hmes t families and individuals experiencing pverty in the inner city. SUCCESS ACHIEVING OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: The Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety cntinuusly strives t have successful missin utcmes. We define these as the brad bjectives that guide ur effrts and upn hw we measure ur verall success as an rganizatin. In rder t best achieve this, the Bard f Directrs set sme strategic pririties this past year. The majr pririties included: 1. Cntinuing t develp affrdable husing thrugh cllabratin and partnerships. 2. Assuring the rganizatin has sufficient resurces t effectively manage ur buildings, and prvide apprpriate supprts t tenants ver the shrt and lng term.
2 1. Cntinuing t develp affrdable husing thrugh cllabratin and partnerships. Strategic Affiliatin with Intermet Husing Sciety f Edmntn: Intermet s Millburne Mews Twnhmes. Millburne Mews is a mixed incme husing prject, with sme families receiving a rent-geared-t-incme subsidy. During fiscal 2013-2014, The Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety (EICHS) cmpleted the prcess f becming fully affiliated with the Intermet Husing Sciety f Edmntn. The Intermet Husing Sciety f Edmntn is a nn-prfit husing rganizatin, serving t meet the husing needs f lw incme families in Edmntn. Intermet has a histry extending ver 30 years, and has an excellent reputatin with key stakehlders, particularly CMHC. The prperties under its management are in excellent cnditin, and the rganizatin is financially sund - generating strng psitive cash flw that can leverage new husing develpment while cntinuing t maintain sufficient cash in the replacement reserves fr future capital upgrades. Much f the early cnversatin between the tw rganizatins was predicated n a cmmn understanding f the increasing need fr affrdable husing in ur cmmunity. Frm there, it became evident early n that there were pririties that the tw rganizatins shared in cmmn, including lng term sustainability, renewal, and grwth. We emerged with a visin f becming affiliated charities with shared gals, knwing that we wuld find synergy, efficiencies, and increased pprtunities in relatin t develping mre affrdable husing in the inner city, and, thrughut the city f Edmntn. In terms f gvernance and peratinal structure, the tw rganizatins nw share the same bard f directrs, executive directr, administrative supprt and ffice building.
3 Westmunt Presbyterian Church Site Redevelpment: 16 new twnhmes, with a fcus n prviding hmes and supprts fr families wh are new t Canada. The site will als see a new church building that cmbines wrship space, a day care, and cmmunity space fr tenant supprt and ther cmmunity activities With an underlying cmmitment t scial justice, the cngregatin f the Westmunt Presbyterian Church (lcated in the cmmunity f Nrth Glenra) apprached The Edmntn Inner City Husing Sciety t explre the pssibility f using its church lands t leverage new affrdable husing and supprts fr families. With the shared understanding that affrdable husing fr new Canadian and refugee families was a pririty in the cmmunity, we sn asked The Edmntn Mennnite Centre fr Newcmers (EMCN) if they wuld be interested in participating in this exciting initiative. All parties are wrking thrugh memranda f understanding, anticipating starting cnstructin in spring 2015. EICHS has been invlved in the initial visining f this prject and has brught tgether several key partners that will make this prject a success. EICHS is prviding the wrking capital that is needed in the pre-cnstructin phase f the prject, in rder t mve things frward. Our intent is t have Intermet, with its prven prperty management expertise, and experience prviding mixed incme affrdable husing fr families, mve frward in partnership with the Edmntn Mennnite Centre fr Newcmers (EMCN), and the Westmunt Presbyterian Church, in rder t create an exemplary example f cmmunity renewal thrugh affrdable husing. New families will help ensure the lcal schl remains pen, and we hpe that ver time, sme f these families will eventually be able t buy their wn hmes in the cmmunity, as senirs sell their hmes and dwnsize. Cmmunity cnsultatin has been in prcess, and things are prceeding well, in advance f btaining a develpment permit and financing. Special thanks t ur key partners Peter Amerngen and his hme building firm Habitat Studi fr their in-kind cntributins regarding design, cmmunity engagement, and budgeting. As well, EICHS appreciates the cmmitment f the leadership f the Westmunt Presbyterian Church, and the Edmntn Mennnite Centre fr Newcmers.
4 Ambrse Place Prviding a hme and culturally sensitive supprt fr hmeless abriginal persns During this past fiscal year, EICHS partnered with Niginan Husing Ventures, in rder t cmplete the cnstructin and becme a managing partner f Ambrse Place. Ambrse Place is scheduled t pen in Nvember 2014, and is lcated in the cmmunity f McCauley. Permanent Supprtive Husing like Ambrse Place has recently been identified as a tp pririty in the 10 year plan t end hmelessness. Ambrse Place was riginally cnceived by a grup f abriginal wmen wh did nt want t see any mre abriginal peple die n the streets f Edmntn. They frmed an abriginal-based charity called Niginan Husing Ventures in rder t further achieve their gal. EICHS is truly privileged t be part f an initiative that is meeting ne f the highest husing pririties fr vulnerable peple in ur cmmunity. Strategic Pririty #2: Assuring the rganizatin has sufficient resurces t effectively manage ur buildings, and prvide apprpriate supprts t tenants: Financial Resurces: Our Operating Sustainability Fund is nw fully funded accrding t bard plicy, and n anticipatin f having t tap int the fund in the upcming year. Reserve funds cntinue t increase at a faster pace than the csts f planned capital expenditures in the next 5 years. Fund raising and dnatins cntinue t g int the Husing Develpment Fund, and nt fr administratin. Substantial increase in unencumbered husing develpment funds. Received a grant frm the Edmntn Cmmunity Fundatin in rder t create fund develpment expertise in the rganizatin, including a fund develpment plan, related plicies and best practices. Supprtive Management:
5 We cntinue t partner with husing first prviders in rder t wrk twards ending hmelessness by the end f the decade. This past fiscal year we are prud t state that we have an ccupancy rate f 97.5%, which includes prviding husing fr hard t huse clients in husing first prgrams. We have abut 37 clients in husing first prgrams, and 24 have graduated their prgrams and are ding well in ur husing. We had 41 mve-uts, but 25% f thse were internal transfers in rder t enhance cmmunity in ur buildings, r prvide a mre apprpriate unit fr a family r tenant. Our evictin rate is at.5 f 1%, and ur bad debt due t arrears, r damage is less than 1% f expenditures. Our casual labr prgram prvided part time wrk fr ver 20 tenants. EICHS COMMUNITY LIAISON Earlier this past fiscal year, St. Alphnsus Parish, and EICHS c-spnsred a summer BBQ, inviting all residents in the Eastwd Cmmunity. As well, in partnership with St. Alphnsus, we have a cmmunity kitchen up and running fr ur tenants. The Dwntwn Rtary Club cntinues t c-spnsr Christmas Dinner and Summer BBQ at Rtary Millennium Huse. We held ur first annual yard sale and had nearly 20 tenants vlunteer at the event.
6 Our first tenant satisfactin survey was sent ut t tenants, and we btained very psitive results. Future surveys will encurage mre families t participate. We nw have a benchmark that we can use n a g frward basis, hping f curse t have even better results in the future. Belw is a snapsht f ur survey results: I wuld recmmend EICHS t thers. EICHS shuld prvide mre supprt t tenants. I believe that EICHS des a gd jb supprting tenants. I believe the rent I pay is affrdable and fair. If EICHS had units in ther neighburhds, I wuld be interested in mving. The neighburhd has, and is clse t amenities, shpping, and public I like the neighburhd I live in. Disagree Neutral Agree I feel that I have gd neighburs. With EICHS, I believe that I have a permanent hme. My experience with EICHS has helped me feel that I am part f a cmmunity. My husing experience with EICHS has helped me increase my quality f life. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Emerging Issues and Lking Frward:
7 The cancellatin f new affrdable husing grants frm the prvince, cmbined with increased migratin int Edmntn, lw vacancy rates, rising rents, and increasing shelter usage by the hmeless is creating a perfect strm that will lead t increased hmelessness and placing mre families and individuals int severe husing insecurity. Ntwithstanding, we are cmmitted t achieving success with ur strategic pririties. We have psitined the rganizatin t capitalize quickly n pprtunities as they arise, in anticipatin f the Prvince and the City stepping back int funding mre affrdable husing in ur city. Fr example, the Canadian Hmebuilders Assciatin Edmntn Chapter Charitable Fundatin recently cmmitted at least $200,000 twards ur next Prject, and we have tied up a parcel f land and are preparing t mve frward with the develpment f a new prject. APPRECIATION f the STAFF and BOARD: I wuld like t extend thanks t entire EICHS Staff in their tireless effrts in helping the Sciety reach ur missin. On behalf f the entire bard f directrs I wuld als like t extend my gratitude t Kanchana Fernand and Nathan Gamrth wh bth recently cncluded tw terms as directrs. The Bard has been active n a number f frnts this year, including plicy develpment, and planning future grwth pprtunities. The Bard members fr fiscal 2013-2014 have been: Cecilia Blasetti (President) Kanchana Fernand (Secretary) Pamela Langan (Directr) Mike Mrin (Directr) Anne Stevensn (Directr) Dennis Freeman (Vice President) Nathan Gamrth (Treasurer) Jhn Walker (Directr) Gary Strangway (Directr) Marta Caufield (Directr) Respectfully Submitted September 30, 2014 Cecilia Blasetti (President)