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MNPHA's Preliminary Conference Program is now available!
The Building Partnerships conference will include something for everyone: Board members, housing managers, maintenance managers, housing advocates, tenant/member associations, and anyone concerned about non-profit housing in Manitoba.
Sessions include:
- You're a Board Member! Now What? Board Basics provided by our partners at the Cooperative Housing Federation Canada
- Managing Through Disaster Planning for the worst and passing on the lessons learned
- Capital Projects Do's and Don'ts for new developments and renovations
- Inspiring Models of Affordable Housing in Smaller Communities
- And more...
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MNPHA's website now includes an updated list of our 2018/19 Members, and our 2018/19 Associate Members. You can use the lists to find out more about your colleagues in the sector; you can use the Associate Members list to find businesses and organizations who have experience and expertise working with the non-profit housing sector.
If you don't see your organization listed, you may not have paid your membership fee. Contact us to change any incorrect/missing information.
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Associate Members Newsletter Promotions
Associate members of MNPHA can advertise in our newsletter twice per year. The newsletter goes to employees and Board members of all MNPHA members, as well as those who have a general interest in non-profit housing.
If you have an update, new program, or advertisement you would like included in September's newsletter, contact Christina at [email protected] or 204-797-6746. Information must be submitted by the 1st of the month to be included in that month's newsletter.
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MNPHA is Meeting with Minister Stefanson
Due to the Cabinet shuffle, the MNPHA Board will re-schedule its meeting with The Minister of Families, now the Honourable Heather Stefanson. We look forward to the opportunity to share with her the economic and social value of non-profit housing providers in the province, hearing more about Manitoba's plans for its Bilateral Agreement for the National Housing Strategy, and our soon-to-be-released provincial Housing Strategy.
Do you have an issue or idea you would like us to raise in our meeting with Minister Stefanson? Contact Christina at [email protected] or 204-797-6746.
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The annual report for the 2017/18 year of MNPHA is now on our website. It includes a list of our accomplishments over the previous year. It also includes our reviewed financial statements for members.
MNPHA members are invited to join us for a Special Meeting to approve the reviewed financial statements on October 16, 8:15am at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. Because the meeting will be held in Brandon, our accountant from MYPD Accounting will only join to answer questions if members request this. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns and would like Mike Yosyk to attend the meeting. Additionally, if you are not planning to attend the conference, but do want to attend the meeting, please contact Christina at [email protected] or 204-797-6746.
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Announcing the Formation of Canadian Alliance of Non-Profit Housing Associations (CANPHA)
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A group of provincial non-profit housing associations and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) have come together to create a new Alliance, to be known as the Canadian Alliance of Non Profit Housing Associations (CANPHA). The creation of CANPHA will build on efforts already underway to better represent the interests of the non-profit housing sector in Canada, align positions and share resources amongst constituent members. As stated in its Mission Statement, the purpose of CANPHA will be to "provide a forum whereby issues of relevance specific to the non-profit housing sector in Canada can be identified, prioritized and addressed. As a forum, it will provide its constituent members with an opportunity to share information, discuss issues of relevance, coordinate and align messages on topics of national importance, and to undertake mutually-agreed upon projects or initiatives, particularly those that can leverage contributions and serve a collective need."
CANPHA will meet bimonthly in order to identify and prioritize activities. Governance and administration will rest collectively with its membership. The initial members of CANPHA include the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the BC Non Profit Housing Association, the Alberta Network of Public Housing Agencies, the Network of Non-Profit Housing Providers of Saskatchewan, the Manitoba Non Profit Housing Association, the Ontario Non Profit Housing Association, le Reseau quebecois des OSBL d'habitation, the New Brunswick Non Profit Housing Association, and the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
Watch for more information from the new CANPHA!
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Enabling Accessibility Fund: Young Canadians
Youth between the ages of 15-30 can apply to make a tangible difference in the lives of people with disabilities by addressing accessibility barriers in public spaces or workplaces within Canada.
The Enabling Accessibility Fund of Employment and Social Development Canada challenges young Canadians to:
- Identify accessibility barriers that people with disabilities face every day in your community
- Take charge and approach organizations in your community with existing accessibility barriers and encourage them to apply for funding under the EAF youth innovation component
- Assist an organization in developing and submitting a project proposal and
- Make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities
Applications are due September 21, 2018
Application information is available here
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MNPHA Spirit of Housing Awards
Nominations are Now Open!
The Spirit of Housing Awards celebrate our leaders' successes and achievements. MNPHA is launching its newest award,
Spirit of Community, to be presented at our Annual Conference in October. The awards further MNPHA's mission to build and support a strong, diverse non-profit housing sector.
Award Categories
New for 2018!
Spirit of Community Award
We will be launching this award at our conference in Brandon
- Honours an individual or organization whose significant support and committed partnership have contributed towards building a thriving, sustainable non-profit housing sector in Manitoba.
Spirit of Achievement Award
- Recognizes a tenant or tenants associated with an MNPHA housing provider member who made a meaningful contribution towards making their own non-profit a better place to live, the well being of their neighbourhood and fostered connections among tenants and others within their community.
Spirit of Service Award
- Honours an employee or volunteer that helped make their non-profit a better place to live and who serves as a model to employees and volunteers across Manitoba
Harry Lehotsky Spirit of Leadership Award
- Honours the memory of Harry Lehostky, a long time champion and advocate of housing. It is given to a person in our community whose energy and vision has contributed a lasting legacy to the cause of non-profit housing in Manitoba.
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End of Operating Agreement and Beyond: Manitoba Example
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Manitoba Example: Start Building a Rent Structure Early
A small rural non-profit housing provider was one of the first in Manitoba to reach the end of its Agreement. The Board considered the project to be in a relatively good financial position. They had a sufficient reserve fund and looked forward to paying off their mortgage. They began to address EOA about a year before their Agreement expired. They soon realized, however, that to register a more viable rent structure for the project at expiry, they would have needed to start adjusting their rental rates much earlier (in part so they could provide
tenants adequate notice). They had not realized that they would be registering rental rates with RTB once their Agreement ended, and they were not familiar with RTB rental rate policies and procedures. They were in danger of having their rates "locked in" at extremely low levels without much flexibility, which would place them in a financially precarious position following expiry.
The Board for the project especially noted challenges in adjusting internal processes as they moved to registering rental rates and reporting to RTB. Also, in building their rent structure, they encountered difficulty determining market rental rates for their area. CMHC does not publish market rates for rural areas, and the organization had to undertake a survey of similar style housing in area communities to establish rates.
Despite these challenges, the non-profit continues to provide rent discounts and has the most affordable rents in the community, including the same number of rent-geared-to-income units as they held before their agreement ended.
Want to learn more about registering your rents? The Residential Tenancies Branch will be participating in the Building Partnerships conference, at the trade show and in the End of Operating Agreement and Beyond interactive round table.
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Job Board
Have a position you are trying to fill in your organization? MNPHA is always accepting job postings for display on its website.
The Job Board is located under the Resources tab on the MNPHA website.
To have your position added to the board, send the pertinent information to:
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Are you on Facebook?
MNPHA is too.
Click
HERE to visit our page.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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