Multifaith Housing Initiative

Multifaith Housing Initiative

Initiative multiconfessionnelle

sur l’habitation

SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT

MAY 2008

SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT

MULTIFAITH HOUSING INITIATIVE (MHI)

May 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The President=s Report

Background to the Establishment of the Multifaith Housing Initiative

MHI Mission Statement and Goals

MHI Patrons

MHI Board of Directors

Nominees for Board of Directors: Biographies

Our Thanks

MHI Members Forum

Development and Communications

Membership and Multifaith Relations Committee

Property Management Committee

Residents Relations Committee

Finance Committee

Financing Housing

New Housing Projects

Proposed Affordable Housing Developments by Individual Faith Communities

What Can Faith Communities Do to Support Affordable Housing?

Major Faith Community Donors (May 2007 to April 2008)

What Can Individuals Do to Support MHI?

Major Individual Donors (May 2007 to April 2008)

Principal and Supporting Members 2007 and 2008

Audited Financial Statement: January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007

Minutes of the May 14, 2007 AGM

Multifaith Housing Initiative

336 - 99 Fifth Avenue

Ottawa ON K1S 5P5

613-730-4404

1. Construction Begins on Somerset Gardens /
2. Opening Ceremonies - June 2006

3. Tulipathon - September 2007 /
4. Tulipathon

5. Tulipathon /
6. Tulipathon

7. Somerset Gardens – March 2008

THE PRESIDENT=S REPORT

May 2008

MHI: Hearts, Hands and Heads

Welcome to the sixth annual general meeting of the Multifaith Housing Initiative. Thanks so much for being part of this grand experiment= of people of faith and others who are working to expand the availability of affordable, safe and sustainable home spaces for people of all backgrounds in the Ottawa area.

MHI is at an important crossroads. We have come this far because we have brought our hands, our hearts and our heads to this endeavour and in order to move forward, we=ll need to remember that all three components remain vital to our success.

Last year, Somerset Gardens was still being built and our plan to purchase 10 units as affordable rental housing was still somewhat theoretical. This year, considerable energy has been and continues to be directed at making that dream a reality.

I am very happy to report that 10 households are now settled into our units, but we are also well aware that MHI=s 10 units at Somerset Gardens and 5 at Kent House do little to address the need for affordable housing in Ottawa. We continue to investigate additional opportunities and, ideally, will purchase up to 20 additional units this year.

MHI has also been seeking to resolve the significant gap between what we are able to do as a fully volunteer-run organization and what we might do with the help of at least one full-time employee. An interim measure was to enlist the services of Peter Nicoll on a short-term contract. His help has been invaluable in preparing a business plan and website, as well as an application to the United Way. If that application is successful, we will have the funds required to hire an executive director.

Fundraising efforts also are underway, including the spring Tulipithon walk sponsored by the Ottawa Muslim Association and a benefit screening of the film Family Motel, which will take place in the fall, co-sponsored by the Alliance to End Homelessness, the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and Temple Israel Social Action Committee.

Meanwhile, some extremely dedicated volunteers have continued to devote many hours to the organization on such diverse tasks as filling out funding applications, building the website architecture, making repairs at Kent Street, assessing and attending to architectural, property management and social needs, promoting the organization to potential members, interviewing potential tenants, educating faith communities, participating in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation workshops to promote our model, and learning and reporting on our responsibilities as landlords and as the directors of a non-profit board.

It is rewarding indeed to be part of an organization that has drawn so many dedicated individuals to its mission. In particular though, there are four individuals I want to mention at this time. Brian Kinsley and Gay Richardson have devoted incredible amounts of time and energy to MHI and actually have been its backbone. Without their dedication and energy, it is unlikely that there would be an MHI today, so thanks very, very much to both Brian and Gay. Garth Bulmer is the third person I want to mention. Until Garth notified MHI about his retirement and his intention to

move to Montreal in the near future, some of us regarded him as APresident for Life of MHI@. For your many years as a very hands-on President who participated in numerous of the volunteer activities that I mentioned above, thanks so very much, Garth. The fourth person I will mention is Rubin Friedman, who along with Garth was a founding board member. Rubin=s contributions have been many, but in particular they involved communications and interfaith education. Unfortunately, he has indicated his intention to withdraw from further board involvement, but we hope that he will continue to participate at some level.

As I mentioned above, MHI is at a crossroads. It is becoming quite a different organization than it was even two years ago. From the outside, it might seem that the impact of moving from a one-building, 5-unit operation to a two-building, 15-unit operation would be minimal. Instead, it seems that we are confronting new challenges on an almost daily basis, including those having to do with liability and risk. This is not bad - we need to be aware of what it is we are embarking upon. Yet we also need to keep in mind that MHI is centrally about creating and sustaining home spaces, rather than simply about constructing new units. To do that, we=ll need to remind ourselves that the tasks ahead involve not simply our heads but also our hands and hearts.

Fran Klodawsky, President

BACKGROUND TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MULTIFAITH HOUSING INITIATIVE

In early 2000, the Social Justice Commission of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa realized that there was a great need for affordable housing in Ottawa. A committee was set up and began meeting with people who work with the homeless and with those providing emergency shelter. This committee became aware that there were other groups with a similar concern, and so the Interfaith Housing Committee (IHC) was established in 2000. Initially the committee comprised representatives from Christian churches and organizations focused on housing issues. In late 2001, Jewish participation was added, followed by Muslim participation in early 2002. During the course of 2002, the Multifaith Housing Initiative emerged as a new organization.

MHI received its letters patent on October 30, 2002. It is a federally registered non-profit organization. MHI was registered as a charitable organization effective January 1, 2003. In April 2003, charitable status was confirmed in Quebec. In October 2004 the letters patent were amended to allow the purchase of housing to be rented to low-income people, and Canada Revenue Agency approved this change early in 2005.

MHI MISSION STATEMENT AND GOALS

In January 2002, members of the Interfaith Housing Committee (IHC) agreed on a mission statement for the proposed work. In 2006, this statement was redrafted to reflect MHI=s role in owning housing and is as follows:

The mission of the Multifaith Housing Initiative is to provide and to promote affordable home space, to encourage harmonious relations amongst tenants of diverse backgrounds, and to mobilize the resources of faith communities and others for these purposes.

The goal of the Multifaith Housing Initiative is to help faith communities take action to provide affordable housing in inclusive, healthy neighbourhoods by:

encouraging each faith community to create its own housing committee and housing programs

providing training, resources and assistance to faith communities engaged in affordable housing initiatives

assisting faith communities to develop an intentional, empowering and sustaining relationship with those being housed

raising funds to support the provision of affordable housing solutions

establishing a resource centre to assist faith communities and the interested public to learn about the affordable housing crisis and to discover how they might help alleviate it

purchasing housing to rent to low-income people

MHI PATRONS

The Rev. Dr. Barton Beglo, Pastor, St. Peter=s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Rabbi Reuven Bulka, Congregation Machzikei Hadas

The Right Rev. John Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa (Anglican)

The Right Rev. Peter Coffin, retired Bishop of Ottawa (Anglican)

Rabbi Arnold Fine, Rabbi Emeritus, Agudath Israel Congregation

Rabbi Steven Garten, Temple Israel Ottawa

The Rev. Andrew Johnston, Minister, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Dr. Anne Squire, former Moderator of the United Church of Canada

Nityanand Varma, Past President on the Board of Vishva Shakti Durga Mandir

MHI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Members as of April 2008

Terms for the Board of Directors are two years. Terms for four board members, Rubin Friedman, Jean Goulet, Gay Richardson, and Nityanand Varma expire in May 2008 and Garth Bulmer will resign from the board in May 2008, when he moves to Montreal.

Fran Klodawsky: President

Nityanand Varma: Vice-President (term expires; is nominated for another two-year term)

Gay Richardson: Secretary (term expires; is nominated for another two-year term)

Don Melick: Treasurer

Garth Bulmer

Sue Evans

Rubin Friedman (term expires; will not continue on the Board)

Jean Goulet (term expires; is nominated for another two-year term)

Brian Kinsley

Phillip Sharp

Farook Tareen

The present board has representatives from four major faith traditions. To recognize its multifaith dimension, each year the board selects a location from a different faith tradition. It has met at Temple Israel, the Ottawa Central Mosque, Trinity Anglican Church, the Durga Temple in the Glebe and this past year at the Jewish Community Centre. In 2007-08, the Board of Directors met monthly on the second Tuesday of the month, except in August. On his retirement as Rector of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Garth Bulmer resigned as President effective December 31, 2007, but remained a board member. Fran Klodawsky and Nityanand Varma were subsequently elected by the board as President and Vice-President respectively.

NOMINEES FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

presented by the Nominating Committee comprising Garth Bulmer and Nityanand Varma

Safaa Fouda

Safaa Fouda came to Canada in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Cairo University and obtained a master's degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. Safaa spent most of her professional career in energy research and development in the areas of clean, renewable and alternative fuels. She retired from the department of Natural Resources Canada in 2005 and became more involved in community work with an interest in cross-cultural bridge building and peace building. She is involved in a Muslim-Christian interfaith dialogue group and an Arab-Jewish peace group. She is a member of the National Security Community Advisory Committee for the RCMP and the Ottawa Community Police Action Committee (COMPAC). Safaa teamed up with others to develop and offer cultural awareness sessions to RCMP officers. She offered information sessions about Islam to the Jewish community, the Christian community, government and non-government organizations and the school board. She co-facilitated a course called Islam and Christianity: History, Relations, Issues, and Perspectives at the Ottawa Lay School of Theology. She is also a volunteer board director at Human Concern International, a charitable organization that offers development and relief aids in the third world. Safaa is married and has two daughters and two grandchildren.

Jean Goulet

Sister Jean Goulet, csc, a sister of Holy Cross, was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley in Renfrew. Jean studied at the University of Ottawa, Boston College, and the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto. She has been a teacher in Ottawa Valley schools; Pastoral Assistant in Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island; Director of Religious Education and Coordinator of Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese of Ottawa; and Director of the Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Jean was the co-facilitator with Safaa Fouda of the Islam and Christianity course at the Ottawa Lay School of Theology. Jean is a founding member of MHI, chairs the MHI Members Forum and is a consultant to various educational institutions and groups. She has just completed a two-year term.

Gay Richardson

Gay Richardson graduated from Carleton University in Honours Math and began her working career as a teacher with CUSO in Nigeria. As a federal public servant for twenty five years, she worked in policy development in a number of departments, the last of which was Human Resources Development Canada. After retiring, she completed a Bachelor of Theology at Saint Paul University. She is active at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Elgin Street, chairing the church renovation committee until 2007. Gay is the liaison with Teron on the Somerset Gardens condominium development, which has been built on St John's parking lot, and she is working with St Margaret's Anglican Church on the proposed Anglican Inuit Centre. She is a founding member of MHI and has served on the board for the past five years as Secretary.

Sue Taylor

Sue Taylor=s first career was as a registered nurse with the VON in Toronto for 11 years, following which she served as a diaconal minister with the United Church of Canada. Sue came to Ottawa to serve as the Carlington Community Chaplain in one of Ottawa's largest areas of social housing, retiring from there after 15 years. Since retirement, Sue has been on the ministry staff of First United Church with a particular focus on pastoral care and outreach. MHI has been one of her interests for several years, both personally, and through the Ottawa Presbytery of the United Church and First United Church.

Nityanand Varma

Nitya Varma came to Canada from India in 1962. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with an M.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering in 1964 and an M.A.Sc. in Management Sciences in 1970. He retired as an executive with Bell Canada in 1996, after 30 years' experience in Canadian industry. After retirement from Bell, Nitya was appointed by the Queen to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and served on that board for two terms. He was also Senior Advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to help them privatize their telephone system. Nitya has been an active volunteer all his life, and his volunteer work has been recognized with awards from both the provincial and the federal governments. His previous volunteer experience includes: President of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO), Treasurer and then Vice-President of the Regional Cancer Society, President of the National Ethno-Cultural Business and Professional Association of Canada and Advisor to the Federal Business Development Bank=s Multicultural Committee.

Presently Nitya is President of the Indo-Canadian Community Centre, on the board of the Vishva Shakti Durga Mandir as Past President, a Trustee on the Hindu Temple of Ottawa, a member of the International Trained Workers and Professionals (ITWP) advisory committee at United Way, and advisor to the Kriya Yoga Institute in India and to the Yoga Fellowship Temple In Kitchener, ON. NItya is an MHI Patron.

Baldev Singh Vij

Baldev Vij has been living in Ottawa since 1974. He has been a real estate agent/broker since 1975, helping people achieve their dreams of owning homes and buying and selling real estate, both residential and commercial. Prior to coming to Canada, Baldev was the Local Chief of the Education Division, in the American Embassy, New Delhi, India. Presently, he represents the Sikh community on the Capital Region Interfaith Council (CRIC), Interfaith Ottawa, the South East Ontario Multifaith Council, and the All Party Parliamentary Interfaith Friendship Group. He is a Chaplain on call at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus.

Our Thanks

The board would like to thank the following faith communities and individuals who contributed to MHI goals:

All of our members, both principal and individual, for their continuing commitment to MHI.
Our major donors who contributed to both MHI=s operations and housing purchase (see list on pages 13 and 14).

The Ottawa Muslim Association for organizing the fundraising walk in support of MHI in September 2007 and this year=s walk on May 11, 2008.
Bells Corners United Church for its special fundraising activity in support of MHI during Lent 2008.
All those who have loaned money or have offered future loans to purchase housing.
Janet Bradley, Sybil Johnson-Abbott, Emma Blanchard of Borden Ladner Gervais for their legal advice related to the purchase of Somerset Gardens.
Jane Burke-Robertson for her legal advice related to charities.
Marjorie Melick for developing MHI=s new website.
Linda Chapman for serving as secretary for the MHI Members Forum and for her word processing expertise.
Carole Hubbard for her editing expertise.
Barbara Buote, Mortgage Intelligence, for her assistance and free services related to the purchase of Somerset Gardens.
Donna Meyer of CMHC for her ongoing support and promotion of MHI to other organizations across Canada.
Don Strange for bookkeeping.
Shahid Maqsood for auditing the MHI books.
Peter Nicoll for his work under contract as Director of Development.
Chairs and members of the MHI Committees.
St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church for meeting space for the MHI Members Forum.
All Saints Westboro for meeting space for the Membership and Multifaith Relations Committee.
The Durga Temple in the Glebe and the Jewish Community Centre for meeting space for the Board of Directors.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for meeting space for the 2008 Annual General Meeting and for covering the cost of security.
St John the Evangelist Anglican Church for extensive photocopying.

MHI MEMBERS FORUM