IHMnews Volume 19, Spring 2004
INSTITUTE OF HOUSING MANAGEMENT
Canadian Publications Mail Agreement # 40739009
E N H A N C I N G T H E K N OW L E D G E A N D S K I L L S O F P RO PE R T Y M A N AG E M E N T P RO F E S S I O N A L S
Public Housing Communities Come Into Bloom
Inside Public Housing Communities Come Into Bloom ....................2 President’s Message ...........................................................3 President’s Commentary .....................................................3 Distance Education .............................................................5 A Change in the Way We Operate ......................................5 I Lived My Dream…New Housing Was There!!....................6 IHM Board of Directors .......................................................8
Cover Story
Public Housing Communities
Come Into Bloom
Historically, the public housing corporations have promoted garden contests among tenants to spirit community pride and beautification. As with any initiative it comes and goes like the seasons. The Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation has promoted garden contents in the past couple of years with great success. This past year the City of Kingston participated in “Communities in Bloom”. The City as Shareholder of Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation is encouraging the public housing corporation to participate in Communities in Bloom this year. I know that this incentive will not only take root but it will blossom. What is Communities in Bloom ? Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility, and beautification through community participation and the challenge of National competition.
Communities in Bloom promotes involvement and action by citizens of all ages, the
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municipality, local organizations and businesses. The program is meant to be community driven. The program strives to improve the tidiness, appearance, and visual appeal of Canada’s neighborhoods, parks, open spaces, and streetscapes through the imaginative use of flowers, plants, and trees. The importance of environmental initiatives, and the preservation of heritage and culture are improved through Communities in Bloom.
In 2003 Kingston as a first time participant in Communities in Bloom (in partnership with Oshawa – 2 time National Champions) competed at the National level, in the ‘Canadian Classic’ category, and won! The success Kingston experienced was primarily due to community pride, programs, and partnerships created and strengthened due in great part to the Communities in Bloom program.
Communities in Bloom is both a Provincial and National competition. Communities are judged on: tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, natural and architectural heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floor displays, turf and ground cover areas.
Kingston’s local competition is called ‘Kingston Blooms’. The Kingston Blooms competition was created in order to give direct access to the CIB Program to citizens of Kingston. It is believed that, lot by lot, house by house, garden by garden, the City of Kingston will improve its street appeal and create a greater awareness of civic pride through improved floral displays, tidiness, urban forestry, environmental awareness through this local friendly competition.
Objectives of the program are to: a. Increase awareness of the beautification program and its benefits to the environment, the community and the quality of its residents, b. Promote the development of ornamental horticulture, c. Encourage the promotion of tourism in participating municipalities, d. Create opportunities for citizen participation.
So too can your tenants! Wouldn’t it be wonderful for public housing tenant communities to compete across the province! For more information on Communities in Bloom contact bloom.fleurs@ sympatico.ca or ggrange@city.kingston.on.ca
IHM News
Editorial
President’s Message Greg Grange, B.A., A.I.H.M.
Moving from the Comfort Zone and Avoid the Six Mistakes!
As referenced in my New Years message, many of us are seduced by the lure of our comfort zone. This is a great place to be, warm and secure and surrounded by those who do not pose a threat. This place, whether at home or at work, may be comfortable, but if you focus in on the comfort zone you do not learn or develop yourself. You must ask yourself why you have positioned yourself here! Are you satisfied with the status quo or you simply don’t want to upset the apple cart? This place may not be the best place for you as it can lead to lack of motivation and productivity which leads to less than satisfactory performance. You must move forward in your personal growth by moving outside the comfort zone by stretching your limits. The stretch zone permits you to explore the mind and
pursue avenues of adventure. This exploration and adventure is good for the mind and soul by experimenting with things that are different. It may not be comfortable but it can be stimulating and challenge you physically and emotionally. If you stretch too far you will enter the panic zone and may need to retreat until you have reached a balance that is in alignment with your personal values. Try moving from your comfort zone in all areas of your daily life, into the stretch zone and back again. Your stretch will become more comfortable and your personal growth will be enriching and lead to greater success. To help you move forward here are six common mistakes we tend to make that you must avoid: 1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others,
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected, 3. Insisting that things are impossible because we cannot accomplish them, 4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences, 5. Neglecting the development and refinement of the mind by not acquiring the habit of reading and thinking, 6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do. The key to your personal growth and well being in all your endeavors is to step outside that comfort zone. Go ahead and give it a try! You won’t be alone! Yours truly, Greg Grange, B.A., A.I.H.M. President
President’s Commentary The Upside of Downsizing– Moving to Apartment Life Much has been said about moving from the family home to smaller accommodations of apartment living as we age in years.
Apartment living by square footage is certainly a huge adjustment but can be very functional.
Whether it is for financial reasons or the inability to physically maintain a home, downsizing later in life should have some appeal; less to clean, less to maintain, easier to heat or cool, and house plants seldom need weeding.
Perhaps more attention should be focused on interior design and ambience. Consideration should be given to functional built in wardrobes, storage cupboards, and kitchen design.
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Apartment living may require some time to adjust, but the immediate bonuses mean, no lawn to mow, no shoveling, and for those with stiffing joints, no more stairs to negotiate. Downsizing later in life should be a positive and rewarding experience. Greg Grange, IHM President
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IHM News
New Members & Graduates New Candidate Members Cathe Hoszowski Philip Kendall Katherine Campbell Max Malitsky Antoanela Culcearu Charlene Thornhill Marianna Molodkova Dave Sulpher Mike King Mary Sakellariou Maria Gulapa Catherine Debber New Accredited Members Tyrone Gangoo Mary Woodley Welcome Back to Accredited Member John Blackburn Property and Building Administration Course Graduates Paul Allen Tracey Groves Human Relations Course Graduates Desmond Blanchette Robert Cole Aura Epure Elaine Gill Catherine Gordon Predrag Milenkovic Natasha Miller Slavisa Rakic Zofia Rawski Luminita Somcutean Vasile Somcutean Lee Ann St. Jacques Nick Salaris Ernest Tsui Catharine Willis Joseph Wojdat Selina Wong Andrei Ziman Building Maintenance Course Graduates Julie Altmar Silviu Apostolide Sergiy Bardal Lorri Browne
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Joseph Catanzariti Mugur Chiru Christopher Comparelli William Gant Marjarita Heczko Ron Hendrix Adrian Kacidhja Claudia Kartick Jane Kim Koonmo Lui Anca Lucacescu Jose Magalhaes Shirley Molloy Cintra Narinesingh Andrew Payter Delia Pereira Dorina Ratiu Lauren Robbers Jake Searle Sergiy Shmatukha Carmen Tomsa Cristina Tudor Luisa Valerio Collette Valliear Strategic and Financial Course Graduates Lynn Alexander Silviu Apostolide Miroslaw Bilyj Andrew Chan Cristia Chirculescu Mugur Chiru Antoanela Culcearu Kylie Evans Lynda Gourlie Hrachia Harutunian Vadim Koyen Michael Lam Gorica Maric Roy Mullen Ivica Novicic Suzy Paula Jackie Quinn Wilma Rebick Emilio Ricciardi Henry To Ernest Tsui Alexandr Voronin Elzbieta Zarycka Pawel Zarycka
Personal Invitation to Attend this Year’s Conference!
Memorial Hall - City Hall
As President, I sincerely hope you are able to attend our conference in Kingston this April 27th to 30th. As professional Property Managers you know one of the key marketing tools in renting your units is location! location! location! This also holds true for conference location and facilities. The great City of Kingston speaks in itself of location! location! location! The Radisson, our conference facility on the shores of Lake Ontario, offers you panoramic views of a past era including such historical treasures as Old Fort Henry and City Hall. Council Chambers
This year is truly shaping up to be tops. I look forward to welcoming each and every one of you to this Great City of Kingston on the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario. For conference information please visit wwww.ihm-canada.com. Kindest Regards Greg Grange, IHM President
IHM News
IHM News
Distance Education A Change The Institute of Housing Management offers distance education courses to students throughout Ontario.
In recent years, the number of students taking these courses has increased greatly (as indicated on the charts below) and as a result the Institute requires current members in good standing to proctor exams and/or to volunteer as distance learning instructors. Acting as a Proctor would involve negotiating with the student a convenient time for them to write a three hour exam in a quiet place in your offices or facilities. The exam is an open book format and you would be responsible for providing the exam at start time and signing the exam as proctor at the end of the three hours. You would then return the documents to the Instructor directly for grading. Acting as a Distance Learning Instructor involves communicating with the student via email for an intermittent period of up to six months. During this time, the student would submit chapter reviews for you to mark based upon a template provided. You would also help the student set up a proctor for the final exam from a roster of proctors available through the IHM office. Finally, you would grade the exam and communi-
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cate a final mark back to the student as well as the IHM office.
in the Way We Operate…
This is a great opportunity to give back to the industry through the Institute and at the same time help to ensure a well-trained pool of individuals to fill the ever-growing need for Accredited Property Managers. If you think you might be interested please contact: Institute of Housing Management 2175 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 310, Toronto, Ontario M2J 1W8 or fax to (416) 491-1670.
In an effort to be improve efficiency and to provide a cost effective approach to our Board Meetings, the IHM Board of Directors have begun to hold Board Meetings via teleconferencing. IHM Board meetings are generally held five times per year and in the past have always been “in person” gatherings. Starting in 2004, Board meetings will now primarily be held via teleconferencing. The IHM Board is comprised of 8 Voting Board Members and 1 Candidate Representative who are physically located across Ontario – from Windsor through Kingston and as far north as Huntsville. It is believed that meetings via telephone will encourage increased attendance and participation at a reduced cost. In addition, it is hoped that this change will encourage more members to consider running for Board positions in the future. The IHM Board will continue to meet in person at least one time per year in addition to meeting at the April Conference.
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Feature
I Lived My Dream… New Housing Was There!! By Mary Garbes, AIHM
After a thirty-four year hiatus, I returned to Baffin Island to check out the housing situation. You see, having worked and lived in the beautiful north for two years, I enjoyed my engineering department job and also the people in our 1800 strong community. My professional and community involvement while I lived in Frobisher Bay (now known as Iqaluit) led me to return south for additional education – hoping that I could be a more effective northerner in the area of housing. I believed that more education would improve the opportunity for better housing and community development. There just wasn’t enough housing for everyone who needed it; and I felt that more local individuals needed to be involved in making this dream come true. Mid-May 2003 was the time of my visit and while visiting Iqaluit for ten days, I received an opportunity to experience all of the seasons weather-wise. Dusk at 11:30 p.m. and the sun rising at 3:00 a.m. Tem-
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peratures ranged from minus 17 to plus 7 degrees Celsius and therefore from blizzard and parka weather to shorts and tee shirts. The ice was still on Frobisher Bay, where dog teams and skidoos abounded; and I even managed to fall through a foot of barrier ice to add a little excitement to my trip. Here is some of the housing and related news that I found of my favourite northern community: • Population of Iqaluit now is 6,000 (2001 census information showed a 24.1% growth rate). • Research and consultation projects for housing in the north involve local communities and new housing has been built and is projected. • Housing is still at a premium in Iqaluit. • Majority of the homes are government rental (although there are a few homes that are owned. One small home sold for $275K and ‘in the south’ one might pay under $100K for the same home).
• Government programs continue to try to meet the needs of housing. • All three levels of government are involved in the housing business; and it would seem that the federal government is the best funding resource. • Houses are most often constructed from a prefab form, with the base being supported by steel poles that elevate the structure from the ground because of the harsh climatic conditions. • Housing units do not have attics, garages or basements and this limits the livable space in homes. Should you have a career opportunity in Nunavut, or just be looking for a new adventure, be sure to check if housing is available. Government agencies do rent homes from the federal government and subsequently rent them out to their staff; but the number of homes built is not great enough to meet the need. The average rent for a three-bedroom home is $3,000 per month.
IHM News
Feature
Iqaluit Housing Authority has 424 rentgeared-to-income homes. Maintenance costs are high and so are the arrears. Public housing has a waiting list of 106 households and an annual unit turnover of 17. Evictions for non-payment of rent do occur; but where, you might ask, would someone go if they were evicted in the north? Move in with someone else is the usual response because emergency housing is extremely minimal; and quite honestly people of the north take care of their neighbours, family and friends. Susan Spring, Manager of Iqaluit Housing Authority, welcomed me in for a chat during my visit to Iqaluit; and I was so appreciative of her time and the information that she shared. My friend Annie (Kilabuk) Mark, whom I trained to take over some of my duties in the engineering department, has family who work for the Iqaluit Housing Authority and she and her husband Thomasie live in one of the homes. What continues to impress me about the north is that the community is still cohesive enough to pull together. I was thrilled to find that respecting traditional culture has been shown through government processes that value input from the elders and youth. Although Inuktitut is the working language, English, French and Inuinnaqtun are also used. Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut, which boasts 26 communities. All communities are only accessible by air or sea, unless you are traveling across Baffin Island by skidoo or sleds pulled by dog teams. Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory was created on April 1, 1999. The territory’s name means “our land” in Inuktitut. The territory covers two million square kilometers, which is about twice the size of Ontario and onefifth the size of Canada. Inuit “the people”, represent 85% of the 29,000 Nunavut population; and with a median age of 22 years it’s population is the youngest in Canada. Young people are important to the future of Nunavut. Sixty per cent of Spring 2004
the households in Nunavut earn less than $50,000 annually and fifty-three per cent of total population lives in public housing, where the waiting list includes 1,000 families. Fortunately the Nunavut government structure represents all residents, Inuit and non-Inuit alike. Nunavut is committed to incorporating Inuit values and beliefs into a contemporary system of government. Examples of groups involved in Research and Consultation include the following: • Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), the national organization representing all Canadian Inuit with support from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and other groups have come up with some sound ideas. Here’s some familiar information…ITC “believes that an effort must be made to continue to work closely with Inuit, government and nongovernment, and private sector stakeholders to take a refreshed perspective on the Inuit housing situation and to carefully consider and explore new and innovative means of addressing the issue”. The joint report also identifies that the continued housing crisis “exacts an unacceptable toll on their health, society and economic development”. • National Housing Research Committee I was privileged to read a presentation that was given at a meeting in November 2003. The topic was Housing, Hidden Homelessness and Health in Nunavut. Although my plan to work in housing development and operational issues in the eastern Arctic did not come to fruition, I was amazed at how similar some of the housing issues are to ones faced by my colleagues in Ontario. In fact many of the issues of the north, with the exception of the effects of isolation and climate, are very similar to experiences in southern Ontario. Challenges in the north continue to include high costs for goods and services, high levels of unemployment, low education levels and below average annual incomes. Some examples of costs are:
• Milk $10.00 3 litre bag • Bread $3.00 to $4.00 • Lettuce $4.00 to $5.00 a head • Potatoes Chips $5.00/bag • Apples $5.78/kg • Flour $8.49 for 2.2/kg • Rubber Boots $70.00 (same boots $20 in Ontario) • Gas 93 cents/litre • Oil change for a car $75.00 A personal friend and former Oakville resident and former IHM member, Margaret Craigie worked with me at Halton Housing Authority and also worked within the Ontario Co-operative Housing sector. She is now a Property and Facilities Officer with the federal government in Canada’s newest territory of Nunavut. Margaret also worked for the NWT Housing Corporation in her first ‘northern experience’. Her work seems so exciting and stimulating. Margaret was encouraged to try the northern experience by her friend Sandra Turner, who is a well-respected housing and community advocate and currently a Corporate Representative with CMHC. Sandra realizes that “you have to know the issues at the local level and build trust, in order to fully understand the impact your work may have on an entire community”. I didn’t get to make a difference in the housing situation in the north, but I did become aware that many people have carried on the mission to ensure that northerners are involved in helping to identify their own needs and to work together as a community to address those needs. I applaud their work. Seeing the whole picture of a community and making a difference where you are and as well as you can is a commitment that all of us can do. My dream for housing continues…
Note: To learn more of Iqaluit or Nunavut, travel the web at www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca or www.gov.nu.ca and see the beauty for yourself.
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IHM 2004 Board of Directors IHM Administration Lynn Morrovat Administrator Nancy Trinh Administrative Assistant
PRESIDENT
DIRECTORS, CONT’D
Greg Grange, B.A., A.I.H.M. Mgr., Housing Division City of Kingston 216 Ontario Street Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3 Tel: (613) 546-4291 ext. 1265 Fax: (613) 546-3004 E-mail: ggrange@city.kingston.on.ca
Irwin Peters, A.I.H.M., Asc.T. Chair: Marketing Committee The Regional Municipality of Waterloo 385 Fairway Road South Suite #202 Kitchener, ON N2C 2N9 Tel: (519) 575-4801 Ext. 1215 Fax: (519) 893-8447 E-mail: pirwin@region.waterloo.on.ca
VICE-PRESIDENT Mary Pinto, A.I.H.M. Regional Municipality of Waterloo Planning, Housing & Community Services 150 Frederick Street, 8th Floor Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3 Tel: (519) 575-4789 Fax: (519) 743-6527 E-mail: pimary@region.waterloo.on.ca
SECRETARY Deborah Filice, A.I.H.M. The Regional Municipality of Halton 690 Dorval Drive, 7th Floor Oakville, ON L6K 3X9 Tel: (905) 825-6000 Ext. 4414 Fax: (905) 849-3568 E-mail: filiced@region.halton.on.ca
TREASURER William J. Corrigan, A.I.H.M. Williams and McDaniel Chair: Finance Committee 66 Macdonell Street, Suite 301 Guelph, ON N1H 2Z6 Tel: (705) 788-7690 Fax: (705) 788-0928 E-mail: billco@cogeco.ca
DIRECTORS Joan Cranmer, F.I.H.M. Lam Nova Co-Op Chair: Education Committee 5955 Glen Erin Drive, Unit 79 Mississauga, ON L5M 5N9 E-mail: dcranmer@cogeco.ca Tel: (905) 821-7622 Fax: (905) 821-1432
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IHM Office Tel: (416) 493-7382 Fax: (416) 491-1670 E-mail: ihm@taylorenterprises.com Website: www.ihm-canada.com
Vicki Pocock, A.I.H.M. Chair: Communications/Newsletter Windsor-Essex County Housing Corporation Glengarry Office 415 University Ave. E. Windsor, ON N9A 2Z3 Tel: (519) 254-1681 Ext. 217 Fax: (519) 258-7700 E-mail: vpocock@wechc.com Harry Popiluk, F.I.H.M. Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen Street North Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Ext.15 Fax: (905) 527-3181 E-mail: hpopiluk@vpch.com
CANDIDATE REPRESENTATIVE Lynn Alexander Property Manager The Regional Municipality of Durham Social Services Dept. – Housing Services Division 2 Simcoe St. South, 2nd Floor Oshawa, ON L1H 8C1 Tel: (905) 434-5011 Fax: (905) 434-1943 E-mail: Lynn.alexander@region.durham.on.ca
Publications Mail Agreement # 40739009 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to the Circulation Department – 2175 Sheppard Ave. East Suite #310, Toronto, Ont. M2J 1W8
Springfest 2004! The Institute of Housing Management is pleased to once again be a sponsor of a session at the upcoming Springfest 2004 taking place at the Metro Convention Centre on Wednesday March 31, 2004. This one day special event is exclusively for Property Managers, Building Owners, Developers, Facility Managers, Building Maintenance and Operations Staff. The session sponsored by IHM, entitled The Gathering Storm in the Multi-Unit Residential Market will take place from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. and will be presented by IHM member and past Board Member, John Blackburn and colleague, Chris Mullin, both currently with P & B Marketing. Full session details are available by calling the IHM office at (416) 493-7382 or by visiting our website at www.ihm-canada.com. While at the show, be sure to also stop by our booth in the Exhibit area to pick up information on IHM. Hope to see you there!
ACCOUNTANT/ BOOKKEEPER RGI ADMINISTRATION NewViews CIM/HMWORX RAY ALEXANDER • 15 years experience • reasonable rates • references (416) 419-0177 rayalex1@hotmail.com
IHM News