The Bishop’s Panel on Housing Justice (BPHJ)
The 2024 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, endorsed new terms of reference for the Homelessness and Affordable Housing Working Group as a well as a new name, the Bishop’s Panel on Housing Justice (BPHJ).
Supports the reduction of homelessness and the expansion of affordable housing within the geographical area served by the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa (ADO). The BPHJ is an episcopal panel that reports to the bishop.
The panel‘s original mandate arose from the 2013 Joint Assembly of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church committing the churches to learning, advocacy, action and prayer. The Synod of the Diocese of Ottawa in 2014 endorsed the joint resolution and asked Diocesan Council to look at ways of implementing a coordinated and collaborative approach to alleviating homelessness. Diocesan Council, in turn, set up the working group to be accountable to the Community Ministries Committee.
In 2024 parishes, working with the diocese and Community Ministries, achieved the success of the panel’s initial major campaign — to be instrumental in creating 125 new housing units to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the diocese in 2021. One hundred and fifty-seven units were created in Ottawa and Smiths Falls and additional 125 were in planning or construction by the end of 2024.
To engage parishes in action, advocacy, prayer and learning related to housing justice across ADO, and to offer support to housing-related that emerge from contextual mission in parishes or community ministries.
BPHJ will have a renewable three-year mandate reflecting the Diocesan Triennial planning cycle, starting in 2024 – 2026.
The BPHJ will regularly meet six times per year, or as needed. Meetings can be carried out in person or virtually. Membership of the panel including the chair will be appointed by the Bishop striving for representation from a range of housing justice interests; (e.g. urban, rural, youth, Indigenous, lived experience, seniors, etc.) The Director General of Community Ministries will provide senior staff support to the panel.
- Facilitate advocacy for affordable housing and the reduction of homelessness with elected officials at the federal, provincial and municipal in collaboration with coalitions, other faith communities and the Provincial and National Synods.
- Provide advice regarding the use of surplus/available property and new opportunities.
- Assist local parishes in identifying and engaging certain community groups (e.g. seniors, kids, Indigenous people) for housing and community assistance activities.
- Offer affordable housing development guidelines, including project-specific financial contributions, fundraising, and capacity checklists.
- Advise the Future Fund Panel and parishes seeking funds and other sources on contextual mission projects relating to affordable housing and homelessness.
- Crosstalk-Perspective articles for education and information on initiatives by parishes and community ministries.
- ADO website presence with one section of information for general public and another section of resources for parishes.
- Resources and speakers for Homelessness Sunday and advocacy.
status and outlook for the parish projects in development
As of December 2024
In 2024, Hollyer House at Christ Church Bells Corners opened 38 units. The campaign surpassed the $1 million mark.
Carebridge Community Support’s 28-unit Smiths Falls project, 44 Chambers Street, opened in May 2024. St. John the Evangelist parish donated $500,000 and helped build community support for the project.
The project began with 42 units at Cornerstone Housing for Women’s Princeton Avenue location. Hollyer House, Smiths Falls project and Cornerstone’s Eccles St. residence will add 115 units, exceeding the anniversary project’s objective.
The Ellwood House Extension, St James Perth, and Julian of Norwich projects continue.
Cornerstone 44 Eccles St opened 46 supportive affordable units in May 2024. Thirty percent are indigenous, and 12 are fully accessible.
St. Thomas the Apostle’s Ellwood House has completed its 38-unit extension planning. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation gave Ellwood $9.5 million in capital. Ellwood is discussing a long-term lease with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and St. Thomas the Apostle parish.
Julian of Norwich, Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), and the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa are planning The Anchor. It proposes redeveloping a 2.5-acre site at Merivale Road, Withrow, and Rossland Avenues for a 75-unit structure, community space, and gardens. Project funding is expected in 2025.
St. James the Apostle Perth’s Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP) project to build 15 affordable housing units has advanced. Carebridge Community Support owns and operates the residence after the town gave it land. Lanark County forgave $2.5 million. Fundraising for $300,000 is underway. St. James donated $31,000.
News and updates
Ontario rebates the cost of ending chronic homelessness
Two small windfalls for Ontario residents have created an opportunity for shelters such as Cornerstone Housing for Women and affordable housing projects to appeal for much-needed support.
The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa donated $75,000 to Indigenous housing Dream Lebreton
The Bishop of Ottawa, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Shane Parker, said the gift has been made to Multifaith Housing Initiative’s (MHI) component of the project, specifically to be applied to 30 units of Indigenous housing.
Growing need in urban and rural areas
All around the diocese, affordable housing is needed. Over 12,500 people from Ottawa are on the subsidized housing waiting list. The Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness says the need has escalated since City Council declared a housing emergency in January 2020. Up to 5,000 people require accommodation in rural areas of the diocese outside Ottawa.
The county of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry that includes Cornwall has more than 700 files registered on a wait list. There may be several individuals in a household represented by a single file. The county says not everyone wants to be on a wait list. For example, local homeless people consider it as a stigma. There are more than 1,313 on wait lists for the United Counties of Prescott and Russell; 1,300 in Renfrew County and 745 in Lanark County where wait time is up to eight years.
In the West Quebec area of the diocese, statistics on wait lists are not available.
A study by TDSCO (le Table de developpement social des Collines de l’Outaouais) found a serious lack of affordable and social housing, particularly for seniors and those living alone. TDSCO’s report concluded: “As a result of stagnation of public affordable housing and municipal actors’ lack of means to deal with unaffordability the responsibility seems to have fallen on citizen groups who are the only ones developing social housing projects.” Residents describe the need as desperate in Chelsea and Wakefield areas.
Our Working Group
The working group is made up of clergy and lay people who have expertise in various areas such as housing policy, homelessness, affordable housing, property and finance, and communications.
- Sue Garvey (Chair), retired executive director of Cornerstone Housing for Women.
- Moira Alie, Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa.
- Jim Davison, Real Estate Working Group.
- Terri-Lynn George, manager, Cornerstone Housing for Women, Princeton Avenue.
- The Rev. Canon Peter John Hobbs, Executive Director of Community Ministries.
- David Humphreys, Government Relations Advisory Panel and writer for Crosstalk.
- The Rev. Susan Lewis, Regional Dean of West Quebec.
- The Rev. Canon Kathryn Otley, rector, All Saints Westboro; delegate, Ontario Provincial Synod.
- Joyce Potter, retired senior executive, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and City of Ottawa Housing Branch.