8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Morning Plenary

Morning Keynote: Sandy Hudson with Stephanie Allen

SANDY HUDSON is the founder of Black Lives Matter in Canada, sits on the BLM Global Network Strategy Table, is Vice-Chair of the Black Legal Action Centre and is the Editor-in-Residence of Kalamazoo College’s Praxis Center for Social Justice.

STEPHANIE ALLEN is Associate Vice-President, Strategic Business Operations and Performance with BC Housing. She is a founding member of the Hogan’s Alley Society, is on the interim board of the Federation of Black Canadians, and serves on Vancouver’s Poverty Action Committee.

Keynote presentation sponsored by: 
Category
Open to All
When
12/4/2020 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

Breakout Sessions 1

F01: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: JEDI

Social change is happening. Will you lead or lag? Join the discussion with Stephanie Allen, BC Housing, and a non-profit housing provider on what justice, equity, diversity and inclusion could really look like. Hear and share ideas on how to integrate J.E.D.I principles into your organization, from oversight and hiring practices to delivery and performance indicators.

Presenters: Stephanie Allen, BC Housing;  Erica-Nicole Griffin, Monday Morning Consultants;  Jamie Joanou, Monday Morning Consultants;  Gabrielle Peters

Sponsored by:
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

F02: Pits & Peaks of Developing Housing in Rural Communities

Developing affordable, place-appropriate housing in remote and rural communities brings about many challenges and opportunities. Join this interactive panel discussion of experienced development consultants, elected officials and non-profit housing organizations that have recently gone through this process! The session will cover everything from municipal processes to NIMBY-ism, community involvement, getting trades and materials to site and climate issues. Participants will walk away with practical steps on how to get started in the process and a summary of practical do’s and don’ts.

Presenters: Julieanne Martin, CitySpaces Consulting Ltd.;  Scott Harrison, Town of Qualicum Beach;  Tim Payne, Halcyon Assisted Living Society

Sponsored by: 
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

F03: Listening to Youth Voices in Program Development

Homelessness, inequality and poverty are real experiences for Canadian youth, but these youth are rarely heard from in the literature focused on program development connected to the housing sector. This session features stories of youth who influenced support programs and provides research findings about youth perspectives on unemployment, homelessness, and supports. The session will provide participants with an appreciation of the value of listening to youth perspectives to support programs; attendees will also learn practical tips on how to incorporate youth voices in their programs.

Presenter: Sean Easton, Zero Ceiling Society of Canada;  Elizabeth Childs, Royal Roads University;  Jo Axe, Royal Roads University;  Kathleen Manion, Royal Roads University;  Dakota Williams, Zero Ceiling Society of Canada

Sponsored by: 
Category
Operations
When
12/4/2020 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

F04: A Call to Action: Creating Inclusive Housing

Innovative housing models often develop when connections are made, synergies are discovered and partnerships are created. The spark – that initial connection – can lead to exciting housing projects with the potential to change people’s lives. This workshop explores the move from connection to action, with an example of how a partnership developed from a previous Housing Central conference, and discussion about how we engage and connect people to create more affordable and inclusive housing.

Presenters: Jo-Anne Gauthier, BC People First Society;  Karla Verschoor, Inclusion BC;  Michelle Iversen, Co-operative Housing Federation of BC;  Dawn Dunlop, CMHA - Shuswap/Revelstoke Branch;  Ross Chilton, Community Living BC

 Sponsored by:
Category
Operations
When
12/4/2020 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

F05: Breaking Barriers: Newcomers and Energy Efficiency

Moving to a new country is not an adventure many of us embark on. While newcomers spend the majority of their income on housing, utility costs are next. With the majority of newcomers being unfamiliar with the Canadian climate, utility costs could be a tremendous financial burden due to lack of accessible information. Empower Me will go in depth about energy poverty and systemic barriers in housing, along with our impact through collaborative partnerships in multicultural communities.

Presenter: Yasmin Abraham, Empower Me

Sponsored by: 
Category
Asset Management
When
12/4/2020 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

Afternoon Plenary

Afternoon Keynote: Megaphone Panel


MEGAPHONE SPEAKERS BUREAU features individuals with lived experience of drug use and overdose prevention, offering candid reflections on what it’s like to navigate the world as a drug user.

Keynote presentation sponsored by: 
When
12/4/2020 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

Breakout Sessions 2

F06: Leveraging Assets for Smaller Housing Providers

The community housing sector is uniquely positioned to be the delivery agent of choice for all affordable housing in Canada. In order to shore the sector up for that opportunity, this workshop will explore some strategic considerations, including ways to address disaggregation in the sector, organizational development for optimal stewardship of community-owned assets, and an overview of the broader array of financial tools that are available. Vancity and their community partners will cover the following topics in this virtual interactive session: 

1. Overview of Social Purpose Real Estate & Real Estate Development Process
2. Assessing Your Development Readiness
3. Sharing an analytical framework for strategic real estate development plans on portfolios of properties.

Presenters: Tamara White, Housing & Community Planning Solutions;  Kira Gerwing, Vancity;  Irene Gannitsos, Vancity

Sponsored by: 
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

F07: Indigenous lens: An inclusive approach for everyone

Learn how to tweak standard approaches in your workplace and human resources practices to support employees of all cultures, genders, and abilities. See examples of how traditional Indigenous teachings and cultural values can be utilized to better support all employees and enhance customer service and stakeholder relationships.

Presenters: Charla Huber, M'akola Housing;  Kevin Albers, M'akola Housing Society

Sponsored by: 
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

F08: Housing Accessibility: Developing Strong Communities

Due to unforeseen circumstances we are not able to offer this session today. Please select one of our other sessions this afternoon.


Join community organizer Sarah Jama for an insightful discussion on accessibility in housing. Sarah’s lived experiences have fostered interests and a passion for: community engagement, disability justice, and activism. Sarah will explore what accessibility means, as well as the process of developing accessible non-profit housing and organizational policies - including consultation, resident engagement and staff engagement. Learn from Sarah’s expertise and experience, and how this can translate into stronger, inclusive organizations and communities.

Presenter: Sarah Jama, Disability Justice Network of Ontario

Sponsored by:  
Category
Operations
When
12/4/2020 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

F09: Maximize Incentives by Electrifying Your Buildings

A major shift is taking place in the building sector. Government incentives and legislated carbon targets are creating an attractive environment for fuel switching from fossil fuels to electricity, known as electrification or decarbonization. Join Impact Engineering and learn how to maximize incentives for building upgrades by shifting to electric systems. Case studies of actual retrofit projects will be presented to demonstrate typical challenges and their solutions while showcasing other benefits of electrification.

Presenter: Steve Fetterly, Impact Engineering

Sponsored by: 
Category
Asset Management
When
12/4/2020 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

F10: Future of Existing Building Policy

The Province has committed to adopting new requirements for existing buildings by 2024, given that 70% of today’s buildings will still exist in 2030 and will need to be energy efficient, as well as resilient to climate and seismic risks. The BC Building Code is intended for new construction and does not adequately address existing buildings. Sector leaders will learn about the Province’s plan to develop new existing buildings policy and will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Presenters: Nicole Vukosavljevic, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing;  Zachary May, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing;  Kylie Sandham, Greater Victoria Housing Society
Category
Asset Management
When
12/4/2020 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM

2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Breakout Sessions 3

F11: Media Relations, Stigma and Public Engagement

How do you know if your housing project will be publicly opposed? What steps can you take to improve community acceptance? Learn proactive approaches to telling your story, mobilizing community supporters, and building public support for your housing project. This interactive workshop will provide tools and guidelines to assist housing organizations and elected officials to better understand and mitigate potential contentious issues, distinguish valid concerns from stigma, and to plan for successful integration with the community.

Presenters: Laura Mathews, BC Housing;  Roberta Randall, BC Housing

Sponsored by: 
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

F12: Municipal Tools to Secure Affordable Housing

Building affordable housing is costly, but there are solutions for local governments to encourage non-profit housing development. This session is an opportunity for non-profits developing housing, municipal representatives and other housing stakeholders to learn about the suite of tools available to encourage non-profit housing development. From Housing Agreements to Inclusionary Housing and other incentives, a panel of planners, non-profits and municipal staff will discuss best practices and what has worked well in their jurisdictions.

Presenter: Jessica Hayes, Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation;  Spencer Andres, CitySpaces Consulting Ltd.;  Kathleen Higgins, Young Anderson Bannisters and Solicitors

 Sponsored by:
Category
Leadership
When
12/4/2020 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

F13: Supporting Indigenous Tenants

This session is for anyone working in operations and looking to gain some understanding about supporting Indigenous tenants. Learn from Indigenous staff who work with Indigenous tenants, highlighting cultural sensitivities, differences in family compositions, and a historical understanding of Indigenous people in British Columbia. This session will also address conflict resolution methods that incorporate Indigenous ways of communicating. 

Presenters: Doug Pepper, M'akola Housing Society;  Brandon Labbey-Krejci, M'akola Housing Society;  Alita Tocher, M'akola Housing Society

Sponsored by: 
Category
Operations
When
12/4/2020 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

F14: Health in Housing

Many housing non-profits serve tenants who are in need of health supports. This session will bring together experts from the health and housing sectors to discuss current trends, best practices and new opportunities about how to better deliver health supports in the non-profit housing sector. Panelists will also reflect on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the critical need for housing and supports as key determinants of health. 

Presenters: Catharine Hume, RainCity Housing and Support Society;  Dominic Flanagan, BC Housing;  Darrell Burnham, Coast Mental Health;
Bernie Pauly, University of Victoria;  Rachel Plamondon, RainCity Housing and Support Society;  Caitlin Etherington, Vancouver Coastal Health

Sponsored by: 
Category
Operations
When
12/4/2020 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

F15: Design Guidelines for Women's Housing

Is your society considering constructing a new building or renovating an existing building for women (with or without children) experiencing violence? Join us to learn about BC Housing's Design Guidelines for Women's Safe Homes, Transition Houses, Second Stage Housing and Long-Term Rental Housing. We will explore how to create safe spaces that promote self-determination and reduce barriers.

Presenter: Sadia Afrin, BC Housing

Sponsored by: 
Category
Asset Management
When
12/4/2020 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

CHF BC Session