Healthy communities are created when community members come together to solve local issues and make their neighbourhood a better place to live. At OCH, our communities benefit from a strong partnership between staff, tenants, and community agencies. OCH has changed the roles of some staff members so they can better engage tenants and build the partnerships needed to support healthy communities and successful tenancies.

OCH sees a healthy community as a place where tenants are able to meet and enjoy social events with their neighbours, feel safe in their homes, take pride in where they live, and are able to be involved in the decisions that affect both them and their neighbours.

 
"A united effort over the past decade has allowed us to grow and offer better services to our tenants. The commitment from tenants, partners and OCH staff to work together to build healthier communities is a reflection on how partnerships can be powerful and beneficial to all of our tenants."
Steve Clay, Community Development Manager 

In order to involve tenants in the decision-making, OCH helps support the formation  of tenant groups such as Tenant Associations (TA),Tenant Circles, Social Committees, and other tenant-led initiatives aimed at creating healthy and more active communities.

Within each Tenant Service Centre, the Community Development team is led by a Community Development Manager (CDM) who is supported by Tenant Community Workers (TCWs). These staff members work with tenants, other OCH departments and partner agencies to bring positive changes to communities. They do this by supporting tenant groups, helping partner agencies bring helpful services into OCH communities, gathering tenant feedback on important topics, managing the Community Capital Fund, and many more activities that help tenants feel at home in their communities.

Whether it is organizing a fundraising event for a new playground, helping tenants plan a social event, or solving a local issue, OCH’s aim is to have all of its partners working together for a common goal.

• Healthy Communities Initiative
• Engaging Youth