What Being 'the Standard' Looks Like in Practice

When we decided as an organization to make our big, hairy audacious goal that NHA would set the standard for community housing, we agreed at a fundamental level that setting the standard was never going to be about achieving some fixed version of perfection. 

For NHA, being the standard in anything means continuing to listen, adapt and improve how residents experience their homes and communities. Our residents and their needs are not fixed, so neither are our responses. 

Sometimes being a leader and setting the standard means making a major building improvement, and sometimes it’s adding a button that makes a door easier to open.  We recognize that resident – or community - needs aren’t identical across buildings or communities, so improvement shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. 

How We Learn About Shifting Needs 

If you’ve been around for a minute, it should be no surprise to you that we keep in touch with our residents on a constant basis – both formally and informally. 

Informally, we have an “open door” policy meaning residents are encouraged to pop into the office, call and chat to any staff member, or come hang out in our community hub space during business hours. 

Formally, we host quarterly Community Advisory Group meetings for all residents, where we specifically aim to create two-way, transparent communication between residents and staff about what’s working, what isn’t, and what residents would like to see in their communities. 

We also gather feedback through resident surveys and other engagement opportunities, while our staff are continually paying attention to what they see and hear in the course of their everyday work. 

Sometimes a need is raised directly by a resident. Sometimes staff notice something that could work better. And sometimes circumstances change, creating a need that simply didn’t exist before. 

What Listening Looks Like in Practice 

What we learn from residents, staff and the changing circumstances around us helps shape where we focus our attention and resources. And because every resident and situation is different, the response can look very different from one building to the next, or from one year to the next. 

Sometimes, it means improving accessibility. 

That’s why we recently added a ramp and railing to the exterior of one of our buildings, after residents shared that this could be helpful. Additionally, we realized that while our most accessible buildings – Norfolk House and Riley Park Place – both have buttons to open the doors for folks with walkers and chairs, our very own front office door didn’t have the same access. So we made the change! 

Even these seemingly small physical barriers have a very real impact on our residents every day. And it’s not just because of what they face at NHA, but what they face out in the world. The very least we try to do is make home a place they can experience more ease, comfort, and access. 

Sometimes, it means responding to how residents actually live. 

Like the bike sheds we put up at 3 of our buildings this summer. This project took us a while to complete – we had a lot of concerns about how to keep people’s property safe. But ultimately, residents preferred to trust one another than keep hauling bikes in and out of their units and we couldn’t help but to want to align with that sentiment. 

This is especially relevant, because we want residents to use their bikes. It’s good for our city, our environment, their mental and physical health, and even for social outcomes. It was becoming increasingly obvious to NHA that bike sheds was one way we could “put our money where our mouth is” so to speak, and really support in a fairly small, but meaningful way, everything we talk about with residents on a regular basis. 

Sometimes, circumstances change. 

Rising summer temperatures and the new realities of climate change create challenges that perhaps weren't anticipated when our buildings were originally designed. Setting the standard means not shrugging and saying, well, that's the building we've got but actually stepping in to find solutions that work for us – and our residents. 

This summer we piloted a portable A/C program for residents most in need or at risk, as well as those in units that received the most direct sunlight.  

Even cooler...(sorry, we had to!) is the fact that THIS is a direct response to what residents shared as their concerns about our scaling strategy – that there would be less opportunity to improve their units and living situations.  

And sometimes, it means creating more opportunities for community. 

Something we’ve been doing steadily over years has been creating new and interesting ways for residents to engage with each other, with NHA, and with the broader community. Not everyone wants programming or events hosted by their local organization, but we aim to ensure that the opportunity to engage exists both right here at home and by creating relationships and partnerships outside of our buildings. That way, residents have access to a wide variety of experiences, programs, learning opportunities, and people in their neighbourhood and their city. 

NHA isn't only listening for complaints or maintenance requests – we're committed to our residents’ experience beyond the physical infrastructure, to what makes living life here better. 

Improvement Doesn’t Have to Be Big to Matter 

None of these changes, on their own, define what it means to set the standard for community housing. Together, though, they demonstrate something important about how we believe community housing should work. 

Improvement doesn't always have to mean a major renovation, a new building or a large-scale initiative. Sometimes it's creating somewhere safer to store a bike. Sometimes it's changing how we use a space because residents have told us they want something different from it. 

Setting the Standard Means Staying Responsive  

When we say we envision NHA setting the standard for community housing, we're not imagining an end goal or a finish line where we can finally say look, we did it! 

For us, setting the standard means staying responsive and paying attention. The needs of our residents, buildings and communities will continue to change, and what works today may not be what’s needed five or ten years from now. 

People change. Buildings age. Our climate changes. New ideas and opportunities emerge. And as we learn more about what helps people feel comfortable, connected and at home in their communities, it's our responsibility to respond. 

For us, that's what setting the standard looks like.