Membership during a pandemic: how does it make a difference?

When Ontario declared a state of emergency on March 17 and closed non-essential businesses on March 24, many were concerned about the challenges the housing sector might face. Despite closures, job losses and economic downturn, many experts found members have turned to their associations to help them weather the difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it. 

ONPHA’s members have leaned on one another and the sector to help navigate the pandemic’s challenges. Engaging with members regularly offered us resources, tools, innovation and support to ensure the sector’s welfare. Community housing thrives when its membership is engaged.  

The sector has never been more active, despite the pandemic. Without a vibrant membership, ONPHA wouldn’t have the resources to produce tools to help the sector get wins, learn, and develop.  

Our strength as a sector stems from dedicated frontline staff, hardworking leaders and strong business models. When we come together, our work becomes easier. 

How an ONPHA membership impacts you 

Membership isn’t just a ticket to weekly information updates. ONPHA offers real, tangible value to members every day. Think you know what an ONPHA membership provides? Check out these ways our members can save, learn and grow with us. 

• More ways to save on capital projects, repairs, appliances and more. Some members save over 4 times their fees! 

• Access to over 200 resources and courses and webinars to get your staff trained and keep your business effective. 

• News you can use: updates from political leaders translated into clear action items for you and your business to keep you up to date. 

• Access the shared knowledge of nearly 700 providers through ONPHA’s upcoming ONPHA Exchange Program, where members can access the largest housing provider network in Canada. 

• Direct access to decision-makers through our advocacy efforts to ensure the sector has the funding it needs to support tenants.   

ONPHA ensures our members dictate how we operate. Your voice always has an impact as a member. 

We engaged with members to curate sessions at our 2019 Conference in Toronto. Over 1,000 attendees flocked to participate in training and lessons you requested.  

Where most housing organizations cancelled their professional gatherings this year, ONPHA is creating a completely online housing conference to ensure members can access the information they need to succeed during the pandemic. Growth, learning and innovation are critical to the sector: our Conference is ready for you. 

In partnership and consultation with our Indigenous Housing Providers, we’ve launched our Urban and Rural Indigenous Housing Plan. After its launch, the federal government announced a $75 million investment into off-reserve Indigenous organizations.  

ONPHA is now critical to the province’s economic recovery strategy. We have meetings regularly with senior decision-makers to ensure community housing plays a core role in the province’s post-pandemic recession planning.  

Our members can also access valuable personal protective equipment, among other things, through ONPHA Select – our group purchasing program. Need ways to protect your staff against the pandemic? Our team has you covered. 

Courses, like The New, Simplified World of RGI, sold out within hours. Our training is designed to prepare housing staff and board members to meet changing and complex demands in governing and managing high-quality, sustainable, tenant-focused housing. With flexible and affordable formats, you can look to ONPHA to further your learning and build staff capacity in a way that fits your schedule and budget. 

Over the past year, ONPHA has helped create the conditions for our members to succeed by communicating frequently: we know what you need and when you need it. ONPHA membership keeps you in the know, but it’s more than that.  

Membership with us helps your do your job. It strengthens your organization. It keeps the sector stronger – together. Join us: come along with what we’re building at ONPHA. 

What we’re doing to make membership easier 

2020 has seen its challenges; ones we are stronger facing together as a sector.  

You’ve worked hard over the past year since we introduced our new fee structure. We built up our team to help us provide you with the services you need, including increasing our member support capacity, enhancing our course offerings, and boosting our advocacy efforts.  

As the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in uncertainty in Ontario, our team responded quickly, providing members with resources, tools and support to help them maintain services through one of the biggest single challenges our sector, and our society has faced in decades. ONPHA is committed to adapting our offerings to our new reality, including hosting the 2020 ONPHA Conference virtually. 

As we look to the coming year, we hope you’ll continue on with us as we work to strengthen the sector. We can’t do it without you.  

Want to learn more? 

Membership matters, now more than ever. Renew or join today to see how your membership can make a difference in your community 

Our sector faces challenges: from government, from the pandemic, and from resources. But when we pull our vibrant membership together, we have the resources to produce tools to help the sector get wins, learn, and develop.  

Our strength as a sector stems from dedicated frontline staff, hardworking leaders and a strong business models. When we come together, our work becomes easier.  

Let’s do our jobs together.  

Join ONPHA today or renew your membership at membership@onpha.org.