ONPHA Blog

When a 92-year-old is discharged from hospital after a fall, excited to go home, and the only bathroom in his house is up 14 stairs, whose problem is that? The hospital’s? The housing provider’s? His own? At the 2025 ONPHA Conference, a… Read more of the article: Why we can no longer separate housing from health

For Ontario’s community housing providers, procurement has never been simple, but the past year has introduced a new level of complexity. We’ve heard from ONPHA members that they are navigating rising costs, shifting supplier dynamics, and new procurement requirements, all while working within fixed budgets and responding to… Read more of the article: Ontario housing procurement: Trends, risks, and practical solutions 

As the government prepares its next set of housing investments through Ontario’s 2026 Budget, ONPHA has shared recommendations that highlight a clear message: Ontario’s community housing sector is ready to help build, protect, and operate more affordable homes, and with the right supports and partnerships, we… Read more of the article: Ontario’s 2026 Budget: Community Housing Is Ready to Deliver 

Imagine building every car in the world as a G-Wagon. You’d end up with a lot of people walking to work. In many ways, that’s what Ontario’s housing system is doing today: producing housing at a price point many tenants cannot afford. That analogy, from Andrew McKenzie, Director… Read more of the article: Why Community Housing is Ontario’s Social Infrastructure Engine

How three seniors transformed food insecurity into a model of tenant-led care Seniors Supporting Seniors in Community Housing In a London and Middlesex Community Housing (LMHC) building, half the tenants now rely on a food bank run entirely by the people living there. It’s called… Read more of the article: When Neighbours Become Lifelines 

Meet Deqa Nur, a Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) tenant who transformed her neighbours’ struggles into an initiative that reshaped her community. Strengthening community from the ground up How can you strengthen the community when you have no formal authority, no organizational budget,… Read more of the article: How One Tenant’s Vision Created Lasting Community Impact 

“We don’t need more police in encampments; we need more Winnie Peters.” This testimonial from Bruce Davis at Public Progress captures the impact of Winnie Peters’ 25 years in community housing. In a city where Indigenous people make up just 3.4% of… Read more of the article: How Winnie Peters Built Kingston’s Model for Indigenous Housing 

When affordable housing units disappear faster than they can be built, it takes a changemaker willing to turn the tides. Krystal Valencia didn’t wait for the system to catch up to the crisis. In just over a year, she built an innovative solution that addresses one of the sector’s… Read more of the article: Racing the Market: How a young leader is rescuing affordable housing at private-sector speed  

Housing is essential. But it’s only the beginning. What happens when housing support goes beyond walls and doors? When a woman and her children flee violence, finding safe housing is only the first step. The real challenge is everything that follows: healing from trauma, reclaiming independence, and… Read more of the article: Beyond Housing: How a provider uses trauma-informed models to support healing

Reinventing capital planning for sustainable, 100-year homes When ONPHA member, Circle Community LandTrust, took ownership of over 600 single-family homes across Toronto in 2022, they faced a familiar choice: make the urgent fixes and get units rented quickly, or pause and ask a bigger question. Read more of the article: Rethinking rent-ready: How a housing provider is building affordable housing for the next century