More than 1,000 delegates gathered at our annual conference and trade show in Ottawa for three days of networking with peers, meeting suppliers and vendors, and learning about the challenges ahead in the non-profit housing sector.

Last year’s conference theme, Making an Impact, encompassed the transformative work we know housing providers do every day. By creating and maintaining affordable homes, our members make a positive impact in the lives of low- and middle-income Ontarians across the province.

Minister Ted McMeekin, head of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, welcomed conference delegates and spoke to the challenges and opportunities housing providers face. Author and entrepreneur Sunjay Nath kick-started the conference with his keynote presentation at the opening plenary, where he inspired our delegates to increase their performance and results by following the 10-80-10 principle. This framework encourages individuals and teams to focus their energy and efforts on the highest yielding activities – this way, the greatest impact can be made.

Delegates then had the opportunity to attend our one-day trade show, where exhibitors showcased the latest in products and services to help housing providers with their property management, maintenance, and administrative needs. ONPHA arranged more than 80 workshops, which included programming for rural non-profits, Aboriginal housing providers, and supportive and seniors’ housing organizations, as well as sessions for board members, tenants, and policy makers.

Workshop highlights included the rapid-fire session ‘20 great ideas,’ which invited delegates to share innovations, solutions, and top tips for success; ‘The Bill of Rights for tenants in supportive housing,’ a Dream Team project that will help improve the lives of supportive housing tenants; and ‘Small shop fundraising,’ which shared techniques providers can use to bolster limited resources.

Some delegates also took part in our tour offerings, which included a visit to Beaver Barracks, where Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation is promoting green lifestyles and ensuring ongoing environmental sustainability in its operations.

Call for Submissions
The 2015 ONPHA Conference & Trade Show will take place in Toronto, from Oct 16 to 18. If you have a session idea, or if there’s a topic you’d like to share or hear about, we want to hear from you! Please contact the conference team at conference@onpha.org or call 1-800-297-6660 ext 126.

ONPHA Awards
We would like to congratulate our 2014 ONPHA Awards winners:

• CityHousing Hamilton took home the Award for Excellence for their tenant engagement strategy
• WoodGreen Community Services were recognized for their “celebrity single moms” campaign with the ONPHA Innovation Award
• Brian Smith (WoodGreen Community Services) was honoured for his contributions to the non-profit housing sector with the Sybil Frenette Outstanding Leadership Award
• Howard Breen, The Residents of 130 Centerpointe, John Shields and the Doll Workshop (Irene Hayward, Pauline Stanley and Gordana Markov) were all awarded the Tenant Achievement Recognition Award for helping make their non-profit housing communities better places to live

Staff and volunteers who retired from the non-profit housing sector after 20 or more years were also recognized for their dedication with the Lifetime of Service Recognition Award.

Do you want to nominate a leading sector professional, volunteer, tenant or organization for the 2015 awards? Check www.onpha.on.ca/awards for updates on the upcoming nomination period, as well as to watch the 2014 award winner videos.

We’d like to thank the generous sponsors who have sponsored ONPHA’s Awards:

• The Award for Excellence is sponsored by Prentice, Yates and Clark Chartered Accountants.
• The Sybil Frenette Outstanding Leadership Award is sponsored by Yardi Systems.
• The ONPHA Innovation Award and Tenant Achievement Recognition Awards are sponsored by Enbridge Gas Distribution.
• The Lifetime of Servce Recognition Award is sponsored by Morneau Shepell Ltd. and Green Shield Canada.

More ONPHA Conference and Trade Show photos are available on our Facebook page.