The post Celebrating CHC Partner Edgemont Community Association appeared first on Calgary Housing.

The Kiwanis Club of Calgary Chinook in collaboration with Calgary Housing Company and Two Wheel View held a bike and helmet giveaway at their Vista Heights Complex on April 21, 2021.

The partners believe it’s a great way to give back to the community, make every child feel special, while creating a way for them to get exercise and explore their community. The day was dry, sunny, and warm, with temperatures in the teens for volunteers and the Two Wheel View mechanics to set up the bike station.

Volunteer Joanne indicated, “It was wonderful to see the excitement of the kids”.  Over 13 bikes and 12 helmets were given away that day, in fact they returned the next day to provide a special bike to a teenager as they did not have a bike suited for her on the day of the event.

Darlene, the  Bike Co-ordinator of the event exclaimed, “when I went to drop the bike off, I was so happy to see a young  mom helping her child learn how to ride their bike with training wheels.  Darlene further exclaimed that the event drew interest from passerby’s who were inquisitive to what the event was about.

Special thanks to Calgary Neighborhoods, Daniel Kebede for securing the park behind the unit for the event.

Volunteers from the Bike Even.

The post Bike Event at Vista Heights appeared first on Calgary Housing.

The Board of Directors of Calgary Housing Company is seeking two citizen representatives to serve on the Board.

CHC seeks to develop a Board whose members possess and demonstrate a strategic combination of personal attributes, expertise, social capital, competencies and occupational backgrounds so that, collectively, it has access to a broad diversity of experiences, perspectives, knowledge, connections, and skills to carry out its governance, planning, stewardship and advocacy functions.

As a volunteer Board Director, you will be responsible for actively participating in effective governance of the CHC Board, working with administration to develop long-term strategic plans and providing governance oversight of the management of the business and affairs of the CHC.

As the successful candidate, you have a passion for CHC’s mandate, serving the community and bringing experience in one or more of the following areas: accounting; asset management; property development/ management; risk management; human services; working with vulnerable populations; and governance and/or the not-for-profit sector. Your experience includes serving on a non-profit, charitable, public sector or corporate board.

Based on the CHC Board’s most recent skills matrix review, preference for the two upcoming board appointments in June 2021 will be given to candidates demonstrating expertise in one or more of the following areas: financial accounting expertise (CPA designation required); investment management experience in real estate/infrastructure development; and strategic leadership experience in organizationally complex environments.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday, April 21.

For more information on this opportunity including how to apply, click here.

The post CHC Board of Directors Seeks Two Citizen Members to Join Board appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Calgary Housing Company (CHC) provides safe and affordable housing to meet the needs of low and moderate income Calgarians in need of non-market rental housing thereby creating communities where people can realize their full potential.

The CHC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary and is governed by a Board of Directors. CHC works in cooperation with the Government of Alberta and The City of Calgary.

With a budget of approximately $100M, CHC operates and manages nearly 10,000 housing units and impacts 25,000 citizens.  CHC meets tenant needs through varied programs, which include:

• Rent subsidies
• Near-market housing
• Affordable housing
• Deep subsidy housing

As a volunteer Board Member, you will be responsible for actively participating in effective governance of the CHC Board, working as a team member to establish the policies and the strategic direction of CHC, and working with administration to develop long-term strategic plans and provide governance oversight of the management of the business and affairs of the CHC.

As the successful candidate, you have a passion for CHC’s mandate, serving the community and bringing experience in one or more of the following areas; property development/management, accounting, risk management, human services, working with vulnerable populations, governance, and/or the not-for-profit sector. Your experience includes serving on a community, public sector or corporate board. Direct experience of living or having lived in affordable housing would be an asset.

Now fulfill your passion for Calgary and your desire to make a difference in the lives of those needing affordable housing by serving the CHC as a Board Member. Please forward your resume in confidence to careers@altopartners.ca by April 6, 2018. For further information, please contact Shauna Louie or Emily Henders at 587-353-9800.

The post CHC accepting applications to Board of Directors appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Three years ago the principal of the local elementary school in Edgemont came to the community association with a problem. Kids were arriving at school hungry and it was impacting their ability to focus and learn. Edgemont Community Association member Barb Elms says a desire to help led to a partnership with Calgary Housing Company (CHC) that is improving lives and continuing to grow.

“We wanted to do something and it had to have the greatest impact and reach the most children possible,” says Elms. “Too many kids were going to class hungry and we felt it was something we could help address.”

Elms worked with CHC and Calgary Neighbourhoods to create a breakfast club for hungry students. CHC, which manages more than 80 provincially-owned community housing units in Edgemont, hosts the breakfast club in a resource centre within the community. Tenant demographics in Edgemont include newcomers to Canada, single parent families and people living with a disability.

The club offers breakfast to children each Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

“Partnering with CHC reduced the stigma of the program with participants and led to greater participation. Fewer kids would come when it was being offered through the school,” Elms says.

Now running for three years, an average of about 40 students participate each week.

“What is happening in Edgemont is definitely a shining example of what can be accomplished through community association support,” says CHC Tenant Liaison Suzanne White. “The work is breaking down negative stereotypes about affordable housing, bringing the community together and providing tenants with greater connectivity to the community.”

Employees of a local bank have jumped on board, making breakfast and meeting tenants once a month. Donations also come in from a variety of other local businesses. Elms says it was clear a few months into the program that is was successful because mothers started coming with their children.

As the breakfast club grew, more parents started to arrive with their children. It presented an opportunity to learn more about what other challenges tenants were having adjusting to a new community and, in some cases, a new country.

“We started to learn more about the needs people had,” she says. “It was very clear that trained educators offering English tutoring in addition to what they are learning at school would be a huge value.”

A reading group was added. As many as 10 children now meet with two or three tutors every Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Volunteers, including a professional librarian and lawyer, help children learn to read.

More recently, the community association created a lending library to increase book sharing among tenants and other neighbours. A space for tenants to garden was also created two years ago growing lettuce, tomato, zucchini and other vegetables.

Elms says they continue to look for other ways to expand, seeking opportunities to provide structured play programs in 2017 and pursuing funds for mental health counselling for those in need.

“It has been very satisfying,” says Elms. “We are able to watch children grow, gain confidence and reach their potential.”

The post Desire to Help Brings Edgemont Community Together appeared first on Calgary Housing.