In case you missed it: April 23, 2020
In this week’s In Case You Missed It, we’ll go over the top 3 key updates over the past few weeks to keep you in the know and help your businesses run smoothly. Since our last In Case You Missed It, ONPHA has some major updates. We worked to grant member access to PPE, shared resources for remote meetings and learned about expanding access to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
1. ONPHA advocates for members’ access to PPE
On April 17, ONPHA partnered with BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association (MNPHA), Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation (RQOH) and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association to petition the government to offer more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for housing providers.
Items like gloves, masks and gowns are critical to protect frontline healthcare workers like nurses and doctors, but provider staff often deal with vulnerable tenants one-on-one. Ensuring staff and tenants are safe and healthy is critical to providers’ mandates.
The letter requests all levels of government allocate PPE to housing providers when it becomes available. Housing providers and support staff offer essential services to tenants: this letter urges politicians to act and protect our most vulnerable.
While petitioning the government to act, ONPHA is also working on building partnerships with other sources to bring PPE to our members.
To learn more about this initiative, you can read the letter or contact ONPHA today at member.support@onpha.org.
2. Resources for remote meetings
Managing your business during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. Maintaining connections to staff, holding AGMs and hosting regular board meetings can stretch resources and make life difficult during an already difficult time.
We also know this is a challenging time to manage human resources – staff and volunteers, finances and fundraising, and ensuring critical services are still offered to those who need them.
On March 31st, the Province announced an Emergency Order giving businesses and not-for-profit corporations the ability to hold virtual meetings. It also extended the statutory timeframe for these organizations to hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs). You can read our full update on what your responsibilities are under the new rules on our COVID-19 update page here.
We’ve heard members’ concerns: we know you need help setting up remote calls, getting resources prepared and ensuring meetings run smoothly. That’s why ONPHA has offered tools to help.
Check out these resources from the Ontario Non-Profit Network to keep your teams connected while working remotely. As always, you can reach out to us at member.support@onpha.org if you need support.
Hosting an AGM or meeting remotely?
- Virtual AGM Facilitation Guide
- Changing a Physical Event to a Virtual Conference
- Virtual Meeting checklist
3. Form Filing Regulations for Non-Profits
On April 16, the Federal Government announced two major expansions to its funding to support small businesses. It plans to:
- Expand the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to businesses that paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019. This new range will replace the previous one of between $50,000 and $1 million, and will help address the challenges faced by small businesses to cover non-deferrable operating costs.
- Introduce the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. The program will seek to provide loans, including forgivable loans, to commercial property owners who in turn will lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the months of April (retroactive), May, and June. Program implementation details will arrive soon.
You can review the full announcement here. Stay tuned for new transfers for essential workers soon. If you have any questions about applying to the CERB, contact member.support@onpha.org today.
Staying informed is critical as the COVID-19 pandemic develops. ONPHA has the resources you need to stay informed and run your business smoothly during the crisis.
Visit onpha.on.ca/covid19 today to get up-to-the-minute community housing stories, practical webinars to help navigate the crisis and tools to help you keep your tenants happy, healthy and safe.
ONPHA is here to help. If you have any questions or want to know more about what we’re doing to keep the sector strong, contact us today at member.support@onpha.org.
