ONPHA’s New Year’s resolutions
As we begin the New Year, the ONPHA team is focused on engaging with and serving our members as a full-service member organization and working with sector partners and all levels of government to advocate for the needs of the community housing sector
We’re excited to build on the work we did in 2020 and we’re using our experience and lessons learned to inform our strategies for 2021. We have a lot to accomplish this year and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to it. Read on to see ONPHA’s New Year’s resolutions.
Engaging with all levels of government to ensure community housing is part of economic recovery
Since the beginning of the pandemic, ONPHA has been advocating for increased supports for community housing providers and for the sector to be a major component of post-COVID economic recovery. With the wider distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon and the increasing sense that we will be returning to a kind of normalcy over the coming months, we must ensure that our recovery efforts address issues that our sector faced prior to, and made more obvious by the pandemic. This is the opportunity to ensure that community housing is placed at the top of the list of government priorities.
Continuing to engage with partners inside and outside the sector to strengthen our collective voices
In 2020, ONPHA hosted regular meetings with partner organizations including the Co-operative Housing Federation (CHF), Housing Services Corporation (HSC), the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO), the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA), Habitat for Humanity – Ontario Caucus, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). This group was initially brought together by ONPHA to respond to COVID-19-related priorities and continues to meet to improve collaboration in advocacy and improved service delivery. Our voices are stronger when we work together and we look forward to expanding our network, and our influence in 2021.
Expanding our online professional development opportunities
ONPHA has long provided virtual learning opportunities in the form of online courses and informational webinars. In 2020, we added virtual workshops to our list of offerings. Longer than a standard webinar, shorter than an in-depth online course, these workshops help housing providers make sense of complex issues and learn about new initiatives and best practices in a couple of hours.
We look forward to expanding our service offerings including more webinars, workshops and online courses on topics including governance, RGI simplification, business continuity planning, tenant supports, housing development, equity and inclusion, and much more. Watch our Professional Development page for updates.
Increase innovation in the sector by launching ONPHA’s Innovation Program
ONPHA’s Innovation program is a brand-new initiative that we’re excited to roll out in 2021. This program will include several innovation labs, sessions, and conference workshops on topics such as creating a culture of innovation, technology solutions for housing providers, financial sustainability, and more.
Subscribe to our mailing list to make sure you’re in the know about upcoming opportunities to participate.
Further growing the ONPHA Select group buying program to include new discounted products and professional services for members
Since relaunching our group buying program as ‘ONPHA Select’ in 2019, our Partnerships team has been working to bring ONPHA members more services and better deals. We brought on six new ONPHA Select partners in 2020, and we’re always working to add more. Our team listens to feedback and focuses on providing services requested by ONPHA members. Keep an eye out for new partners in 2021.
We’ll be working to engage with our members to help inform our strategies as we work towards these goals and others. This increased member engagement will take the form of surveys, interviews and workshops. We’re also planning to expand our regular ONPHA Exchange network calls to include all ONPHA members. We’re looking forward to learning from you in 2021; watch your email for chances to participate.
We’ve got a lot on our plate over the coming year, but we’re eager to expand our services and our advocacy efforts. Let’s work together to make this a banner year for Ontario’s community housing sector.
Questions about our upcoming educational offerings and engagement sessions? Contact us at member.support@onpha.org.
Not an ONPHA member? Contact us at membership@onpha.org to find out how you can benefit from our purchasing program, educational offerings, member support, and more.
