Page 3 - Balance | CHC Annual Report 2020

2020

Message from the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation (CHC)
Chair of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

2020 began with excitement for CHC's first planned new The CHC Board of Directors, Executive Management Team,
building in thirty years, new funds available through the Managers, and all frontline staff adapted and refocused our
National Housing Strategy, and more partners in the making. ways of doing our "everyday jobs." Our priority remained
On March 11, 2020, that all came to a thundering stop. The keeping over 12,000 residents, staff, contractors and visitors
World Health Organization announced we were in the grips of to our buildings safe.
a worldwide pandemic named COVID-19.
Our teams and our residents showed spirit.
“Management
We had plans to deal with a pandemic if one Once the plans were in place and adjustments
were to occur. However, we had never dealt with process is such were made, it took a lot of energy to reorganize
one before. Most of the world had never dealt that, in theory, we our daily activities. And we were not just doing
with one that was as far-reaching as COVID-19. should allocate these changes in the workplace – we went
four parts of home and did the same things all over again,
We needed to trust science, government leaders planning to one but with our families.
and the local public health officials at The part action.
Windsor Essex County Health Unit. We learned to Our residents proved to be the most resilient.
adapt and pivot our plans with the changing They trusted and followed the rules. They kept
nature of the pandemic. Information was The management up their spirit as they dealt with long periods of
coming in from around the world. We were process is such being alone and isolated. Yet, when our teams
ordering cleaning, disinfecting, and PPE supplies, that, in practice, called to do wellness checks, over 85% of
masks for staff and residents, and seeking mask the theory never people had adapted their activities and were
donations for our residents. 'good' and not in need of anything.
happens.”

We reached out to all government levels, We looked and listened, even when we would
agencies, and partners to improve and hear talk of another surge, or we celebrated a
strengthen our communities. We worked together to share decrease in local case counts. Still, this spirit in our teams
resources. brought forward new ideas. We shared our company
resources with housing corporations across the province, the
nation, and around the world. We took the best of these
And, for many parts of the year, we needed to stop.
practices and made them work in our business.

Yet, we could never entirely stop because our buildings are
homes, and we needed to keep everyone safe.

Our message is not complete without thanking our partners for their
expertise, knowledge, and flexibility to reach our 2020 goals.

The City of Windsor Housing Services Department, Mayor Drew Dilkens and Council, The Ministry of Municipal Affairs
and Housing, National Housing Strategy and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Thank you to our Board Members who attended board meetings and sub-committee meetings in the virtual new reality.

Our Executive Management Team, the CHC Pandemic Team and The Management Transition Team worked tirelessly to
bring a sense of calm and reassurance to staff and residents.

Our sincerest thanks to our frontline staff who maintained contact with our residents and our maintenance and custodial
staff who kept our buildings clean, disinfected and safe.

Last summer, we were dealing with changes and anticipating many unknowns. This summer, we trust that we will know
more and use that trust to build our spirit back up to not just return to normal. We will build to be better.

Someone told us that "The stars can only be seen at night," we say the stars of CHC shone brightly every day during 2020
and gave us hope for a bright 2021 and beyond.

Marina Clemens, Chair of the Board
Jim Steele, Chief Executive Officer 3 3