1 Have Your Say A Strategy to Engage Tenants and Build Resilient Neighbourhoods
Heading Text CHH MISSION We provide affordable h o u s i n g that is safe, well-maintained, cost-effective and supports the d i v e r s e needs of our many communities A strategy that puts tenants at the centre is something the board wholeheartedly endorses. Tenants are the reason we are here. Board of Directors: CityHousing Hamilton Mr. Scott Duvall (Ward 7) Mr. Jason Farr (Ward 2) Mr. Lloyd Ferguson (Ward 12) Mr. Tom Jackson (Ward 6) Brian McHattie President, CityHousing Hamilton Mr. Peter Schafft, Vice President Mr. Chris McLaughlin Ms. Patricia Reid Mr. Alan Walker
A Message from the CEO and the Manager of Tenant Engagement recommended strategy makes an important connection between engaging tenants and building resilient neighbourhoods a key focus area of the City of Hamilton s strategic plan. The full report is available on our website at www.cityhousinghamilton.com. Tenants are at the centre Of what we do at CHH. That is why last year, with the enthusiastic support of our Board of Directors, we embarked on a comprehensive process to develop a strategy to engage tenants in helping to make CityHousing Hamilton the best place to live. Over a period of about five months, tenants and other stakeholders were invited to provide input to the process we called Have Your Say. The input took a number of forms: conversation cafes, on-line surveys, written surveys, focus groups and presentations. We have now concluded the strategy development process and have received the final report from the consultants. The The strategy has been endorsed by the Board of Directors at a meeting in January 2012 and was presented at an open meeting of tenants in February. We want to keep up the momentum and will be communicating regularly with tenants as we roll out the strategy over the coming months. We want to thank everyone most sincerely who participated in the strategy development process. We could not have done it without the generosity of tenants and community service providers and the hard work of our CHH staff team. Sincerely, Brenda Osborne, CEO Kate Mannen, Manager
Contents 1...Introduction 2...What we did 3...What we learned 6...The Strategy 8...A Definition 9...Tenants at the Centre 10...Outcomes 12...Measuring Success 14...What s Next 15...Acknowledgments
Introduction 1 Why Tenant? Engagement Tenant engagement is a concept that has been gaining ground across Canada and around the world in recent years. More and more, housing providers are recognizing the benefits of actively and meaningfully involving tenants in the work of planning, monitoring and contributing to the quality of life in the buildings in which they live. The reasons for and benefits flowing from active tenant engagement are becoming increasingly recognized. A large body of experience is building which will continue to influence the CHH Tenant Engagement Strategy going forward. Specific desired outcomes for the strategy at CHH are described in greater detail in the Proposed Strategy section. Tenant engagement has been happening at CHH, but not as part of a coordinated, system-wide effort. At this point, in response to emerging best practice in the field of social housing and in order to come into line with the new directions emerging from the Housing Services Act 2011, CityHousing Hamilton wishes to make tenant engagement a coordinated, informed, consistent and measurable activity in which everyone plays a role and is working toward common goals. The City of Hamilton as part of its strategic plan has identified resilient neighbourhoods as a key strategic priority and created a special office of Neighbourhood Development reporting to the City Manager to lead this effort. CHH properties exist within city neighbourhoods, many of the same neighbourhoods the City wishes to strengthen. There is an obvious connection, then, between the City s strategic plan and CityHousing Hamilton s tenant engagement activities. Proactive and well-executed tenant engagement will increase the success of the City s neighbourhood development strategy.
2 2 Heading What we Text did The Process The goal of this project was to design and deliver a Tenant Engagement Strategy that would enable CHH stakeholders to be effectively involved in working together to improve tenants physical and social living environments. In light of the size of the CHH business (7,000 units and over 13,000 residents), and the acknowledged diversity and complexity of the CHH tenant population, the proposed approach and methodology were designed to be both accessible and efficient, providing the most reliable information, gathered in an inclusive and barrier-free manner, while maximizing efficiencies wherever possible. CHH staff and community service providers are important voices at the CHH table, so these groups were also consulted regarding the design of the strategy. More than 150 CityHousing Hamilton tenants participated in seven conversation cafes. CHH tentants also completed over 200 tentant surveys. Fifty-seven CityHousing Hamilton staff took part in a focus group and staff survey, while approximately thirty service providers participated in two focus groups. A review of the literature produced current leading-edge research, frameworks, plans and strategies, policies, and resources and tools related to the tenant engagement process. If we create the right process, bring people together, and moderate properly, we ll get great results... We need tenant teams that work together.
What We Learned 3 3 tenants Maintenance and Property Safety and Security Relations with CHH Tenant Teams Key Issues would like the strategy to address Space and Support for Children and Youth Tenant Relations / Build Community We want to feel safe and secure in our units, our building and our neighbourhood.
4 4 What we learned facilitates What Tenant Engagement Create a Positive Environment Access Have our voices heard Resources: Financial / Human / Educational Clear communications Address discrepancies between buildings/complexes Respect for different cultural groups, diverse needs Share the success stories Follow-up is most important of all!? Honesty and respect should be most important in all organizational groups. The trust must be there or else it will fail.
5 5 Some givens that inform the work: The main driver of tenant satisfaction is repairs and maintenance. Tenants may be motivated to become involved if CHH demonstrates a commitment to improving the physical condition of the building or complex where the tenants live. Give me the tools so I can be instrumental and give me a sounding board so my voice can be heard. Pyramid of Participation There are different levels of engagement only a small percentage of tenants will become actively involved. INFLUENCE Boards/Panels SKILLS/CONFIDENCE Everyone does not have to be actively involved for tenant engagement to work. Different activities will be attractive to different groups some people will be comfortable with formal activities while others will prefer informal ones. Special strategies will be needed to overcome barriers experienced by some groups: seniors, ethno-racial and linguistic groups, people with disabilities, youth, gender. Different Levels Tenants Many Methods Landlord Image copyright TPAS Cymru 2009
6 6 The Strategy proposedstrategic Approach Based on the learnings of the conversation cafes, the tenant surveys, the staff focus groups, staff surveys and service provider consultations, the following strategic approach for the engagement of tenants within CityHousing Hamilton has been developed. The recommended approach is not only a reflection of what was heard from tenants, staff and service providers who are all part of the CHH picture, but is also informed by a thorough review of tenant engagement activities in other jurisdictions from a wide variety of articles and websites. The recommended strategy will be phased in over five years. Each phase builds on the previous one and the previous phase continues as a foundational layer; thus, each layer extends the strategy towards its desired goal of engaged, involved tenants building resilient neighbourhoods. Within each phase are discrete components with actions and leaders.
7 7 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CEO Stakeholder Reference Group Phase I Tenant as Customer Phase II Tenant as Partner Phase III Activities Address building issues Cross-department training and planning Maintain tenant connections Goals Restore confidence and build trust with tenants Shift in thinking among CHH staff and increased collaboration between departments in putting tenants at the centre Retain current levels of tenant involvement and communicate CHH accountability for the strategy Activities Three Pilots Create Tenant Working groups Train Tenants, Staff & Partners Connect to City Strategic Plan Goals Use three selected pilots to experiment with ways for CHH and its tenants to work together Activities Share Results of Pilots Develop CHH-Wide Themes Formal Structures Reference Group Morphs Into Tenant Council Community Mapping (Relate to Other City Initiatives and Service Providers) Goals Apply the learnings from the pilots into the structures that will support ongoing tenant participation City-wide Tenant Engagement model leading to more resilient neighbourhoods Phase III: Resilient Neighbourhoods Phase II: Participation by Tenants Phase I: Preparation / Readiness effective consistent communication
8 8 A Definition A Working Definition Tenant engagement is the process by which tenants become involved in the activities and influence the decisions that affect their quality of life at CityHousing Hamilton. Tenant engagement includes preparing and equipping tenants and staff to participate, and involving tenants in monitoring and evaluating the quality of their participation.
9 Heading Roles and Text Responsibilities: Tenants at the Centre 9 CHH Board vision standards policies CHH Staff service connection advocacy TENANTS dignity respect diversity influence CHH Management leadership capacity building accountability Community Service Providers partnership common goals community development
10 10 Outcomes The gardens are a delight thank you.
11 11 positive outcomes are possible when tenant engagement is rooted in the local reality, embraced as the way to do business and implemented in a measured and considered way. Desired outcomes for a tenant engagement strategy for CityHousing Hamilton are: Successful tenancy / Better occupancy Resilient neighbourhoods Enhanced tenant relations Experience of equity More efficient service provision More effective service delivery Better integration of community services into CHH Return on Investment Stewardship of assets Moving on to private housing possibly home ownership
12 12 Measuring Success The strategy is an iterative process, a journey of tenants and housing provider together. While time frames have been provided, it is important to recognize that depending on the success of each phase, the timing of the next phase could be affected. Meeting exact timelines is less important than the forward motion and the sense of all concerned that progress towards the goal is being made. Setting benchmarks and making them known to everyone will be important to keep everyone engaged and motivated. Participation helps both tenants as well as the housing organization they are involved with. [It] can play a part in building community capital and social inclusion. -Dr. Tony Gilmour
13 13 We need to speak up together for our children, to grow up in a healthy place so they are not falling over broken bottles and playing on shopping carts and mat- tresses. We need to come together to do this. It is really important.
14 14 What s Next? What s next? The strategy has been endorsed by the Board of Directors of CityHousing Hamilton. Staff of CHH are now incorporating the strategy into their 2012-2014 workplans. The full report is posted on our website and copies of this summary will be printed and widely distributed. We ask tenants to read and discuss the strategy with your neighbours; to stay informed of the progress of implementation; and most importantly to participate in the strategy in whatever way best matches your interests. Updates will be posted regularly on the CHH website. There will also be a Have Your Say corner in the tenant newsletter. And you are always welcome to call Theresa at Ext 6679 for the latest information about the strategy. The creation of the Tenant Reference Group will be a top priority between March and June 2012. A facilitated meeting to help define the membership and selection criteria for the Tenant Reference Group will be convened on May 12 th. Announcement of the Tenant Reference Group is planned for the Picnic in the Park in July. We will be developing training plans for staff and tenants in the coming months too. This is a great first step in the right direction. Stay tuned for topics of interest to you.
Acknowledgments 15 15 CityHousing Hamilton Project Team Brenda Osborne, CEO CityHousing Hamilton Kate Mannen, Manager, Tenant Engagement & Support Services Theresa Phair, Community Development Coordinator Laura Woodcox, Community Relations Worker Jeff du Manoir, Technical Support Mike Acciaroli, Technical Support Consulting Team Susan Goodman Catherine Pead Rachael Berney Sean Coughlin Kate Feightner Suzanne Gibson Diane Marino Monica Quinlan Contact us at Web address: www.cityhousinghamilton.com/tenantengagement Email: tenantengagement@hamilton.ca Kate Mannen Manager, Tenant Engagement & Support Services CityHousing Hamilton 55 Hess Street S, 23rd Floor Hamilton, ON L8N 4E5 905-523-8496 Ext 7317 kate.mannen@hamilton.ca Theresa Phair Community Development Coordinator CityHousing Hamilton theresa.phair@hamilton.ca 905-523-8496 Ext 6679
16 The material in this publication is taken from the Have Your Say Final Report available at the CHH Website www.cityhousinghamilton.com Unless otherwise noted, all quotations are from Tenant Survey responses. Housing [is] A Verb (with apologies to John F.C. Turner) 2012 CityHousing Hamilton