About Us
Here at Cumberland Housing Corporation, we strive to provide affordable rental housing to those in need and to help create sustainability in our communities.
To achieve this goal, The Corporation works with several agencies including the City of Ottawa Housing Branch and The Social Housing Registry of Ottawa.(The Registry). We are members of Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) and the Ottawa Social Housing Network (OSHN).
Together, we are working towards building a stronger social housing sector and influencing government housing polices in the hopes that we can help more people find an affordable residence where they feel safe, comfortable and happy to call home.
The Corporation operates on a not-for-profit basis. This means that rental income and government subsidies are no more than what is required to cover our operating costs. These costs include maintenance, administration, insurance, utilities, property taxes, and the mortgage.
The Corporation also sets aside a designated amount each year into a Capital Reserve Fund to assist in covering the cost of future major replacements, such as the re-paving of roads, replacing roofs, windows, siding, and household appliances when due according to a Life Cycle Replacement Plan.
As a registered charity, the Corporation is open to receiving charitable donations for which a tax receipt is issued. Individuals may also designate their United Way Contributions to the Corporation.
Strategic Plan
The Board of Directors functions straregically to ensure that a financially viable portfolio is always maintained, with a view to seizing and maximizing the development of suitable new properties so as to expand our housing provider mandate
Mandate
A Private Not For Profit Housing Corporation mandated to provide and operate housing acommodation exclusively for: Families of Persons, Senior Citizens, or Disabled Persons, Primarily of modest or low income. The Corporation is a Registered Charity.
Mission Statement
Provincial Occupatinal Health and Safety Act of Ontario BSI 18001(4.2). Corporate health and safety standard. The program as applied protects our residents, employees, contractors and all visitors to our properties. It is committed to maintaining a standard of excellence in all facets of the operations. It includes measures for protecting against violence in the workplace. It provides and maintains a healthy and safe workplace it strives to maintain a low incidence of occupational injuries and illness. It provides an established high standard health and safety culture, for the prevention of injuries or occupational diseases.
Our Properties
We have TWO categories of units:
- Subsidized Housing: Our Charlemagne Gate and Residence Hervé Joly units are subsidized and are subject to the requirements of the Housing Services Act (HSA).
Among the units in the communities we maintain a target ratio of 60% with subsidized rent and 40% with market rent.
Individual units are not designated Market or Subsidy but are rented based on maintaining the 60/40% target ratio.
- Affordable Housing: Our Coburn Heights and the West Wing units fall under the new category of Affordable Housing. They are not governed by the HSA, but rather by an agreement signed with the City of Ottawa that requires units to be maintained as affordable for a set period of time.
Rents are established as Average Market Rent (AMR) and Below Market Tent (BMR). Coburn Heights units are 60% BMR and 40% AMR. The West wing is 100% BMR.
Coburn Heights units are not individually designated AMR or BMR but are rented based on maintaining the 60/40% target ratio.
Based on the minimal allowable rates, The Corporation’s Board of Directors sets the Market, AMR and BMR rents annually to be effective on January 1st. Subsidized rent is determined based on HSA formulas.
The Corporation does not normally require last month’s rent upon occupancy.
Unlike others, all Tenant Agreements are only 60 days in length. We have many long-term tenants, however if a tenant wishes to improve their standard of living by moving on, we will not hold them back with a long-term lease agreement.
We have a strict occupancy standard that provides a single bedroom for each occupant. Under-housing (2 to a bedroom) is not permitted by any tenant under any circumstance. Market tenants may be over-housed by one bedroom if requested.
If the unit is rented at time of vacancy, the new tenant can choose their paint colors from an approved pallet of 15 colors, otherwise soft neutral pastels are chosen by the Corporation.
Depending on lifestyle, tenants can count on paying $100-$150 per month for utilities in addition to their rent.
Over time, Corporate and tenant funded upgrades are such that no two units are exactly the same: some have no carpet; some have walk-in closets; some have new floors; some bathrooms have been renovated; some have finished basements; some have central air and most have new back decks. All units have new windows. Exterior doors are being gradually replaced on an annual cycle.
With written pre-approval tenants may, at their expense, upgrade their units.
The Corporation cuts the grass and removes snow from the roads and sidewalks. Tenants clean their walkways and carports. Many tenants hire contractors. (The Corporate contractor’s are not available for tenant contracts)
At Charlemagne Gate the Board hosts an annual free Family BBQ. At Residence Hervé Joly (including the West Wing) the Board hosts a free annual Family BBQ and a Christmas Dinner.
Our properties have increased security with CCTV coverage (not monitored).
Rental Application
MARKET UNITS
The Application Form for our Market units is available on our website at the Application Form tab.
Rental Applications (properly completed and accepted), are only kept for 3-months unless renewed by the applicant (phone call or email). If not renewed, it is assumed the applicant is no longer interested and the application is destroyed.
Market Vacant units are allocated by the Property Manager based on the Corporate wait list. The 3-month wait list is prioritized by date of application and applicant availability.
SUBSIDY OR BMR UNIT
Applicants requesting a subsidized or BMR unit must apply through The Registry. The Registry application forms are found on their website. There is a link to their website on our website.
When a subsidized or BMR unit becomes available, the Corporation requests the priority wait list from the Registry. The vacancy is filled from the wait list priorities established by City of Ottawa policies.
Who does what to whom?
Board of Directors : The operation and management of the Corporation is vested in a wholly independent Board of Directors, all of whom are duly appointed as provided in the approved incorporation documents. All directors volunteer their time to be on the Board and receive no form of remuneration. The Board sets the budget, makes and approves all policies and is responsible for all legal contracts. All tenants may attend Board meetings, except when confidential matters are being discussed. Tenants wishing to address the Board must apply in writing, through the Property Manager, with any supporting documentation.
Property Manager : (The legal authorized agent of the Board of Directors, who has authority to bind the Corporation). A contract employee who oversees the day-to-day operation of all assets, including tenant relations, management of the budget, coordination and supervision of all contracts, and direct liaison with all government agencies. The PM handles all correspondence, calculates rent-geared-to-income, processes all applications for housing including internal transfers, and reports to the Board of Directors. Maintenance Superintendent : A contract employee who reports directly to the Property Manager. The Superintendent supervises other contract employees and together they perform emergency, regular, and preventative maintenance.
Service Manager : The Ministry of Housing for the Province of Ontario has delegated the responsibility for administering the “Housing Services Act” (HSA) to an agency known as the Service Manager. The Service Manager for the Corporation is the City of Ottawa Housing Branch. Being a diverse province, the HSA, allows the Service Manager to make decisions that address local conditions. Many of the local regulations affect ALL residents. Other regulations require the Corporation to make decisions that affect their individual properties.
Rental Communities
Click the following houses to get more information on a specific location.
