Housing Research Community News from the NHRC
Here are the latest updates at NHRC.
Montreal 2010 Registration
Montreal 2010 - Spring Session of the National Housing Research Committee
The next meeting of the NHRC Working Groups will be held April 26th and 27th, 2010 at the Loews Hotel Vogue in Montreal. NHRC Working Group meeting registration is now open:
Register Now
Complete and send the registration form by fax to 1-800-245-9274, or call 1-800-668-2642.
Hotel Rooms
A block of rooms has been set aside for NHRC members at $175.00 plus taxes per night. These rooms will be held until April 2nd. Reservations can be made directly with the Loews Hotel Vogue at voguereservations@loewshotels.com or by calling 1-800-465-6654. Please quote the National Housing Research Committee when making your reservation.
2010 CMHC Housing Awards Program
The 2010 CMHC Housing Awards Program, under the theme Best Practices in Affordable Housing: Recognizing Leadership from the Private Sector, was launched on November 24, 2009.
If you have made a significant contribution to housing affordability in Canada through a private sector-led initiative, download the Guidelines and Application Form today!
Call for articles - Spring 2010 NHRC Newsletter
You are invited to submit an article, or information for articles, to be considered for publication in the Spring 2010 NHRC Newsletter.
Download submission information
The NHRC Newsletter offers you an opportunity to share information about housing research with members of the NHRC and other interested people in organizations across the country. The approximately 1 500 people who will receive the newsletter have a keen interest in hearing about your project.
Your information may be submitted as a rough draft. The NHRC Secretariat will hire a writer to produce the articles based upon initial information you provide and a brief telephone interview. A high-quality drawing, photograph or chart to accompany your article is also welcome. If you are drafting an article, please ensure that it be less than 500 words.
Normal Intake Period: November 9, 2009 - January 20, 2010.
Do not miss this opportunity to share your housing research with a national audience; this publication will be a valuable resource for everyone wishing to stay abreast of news in the Canadian housing research community.
We look forward to considering your story for inclusion in the spring 2010 issue of the NHRC Newsletter.
Housing Research Matters - Episode 1 - Claude Roy
Past and future housing careers Episode 1: Claude Roy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tejCnjKhRjw
Claude Roy completed his classical studies at Collège Mont-Saint-Louis in Montréal and then obtained a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in urban planning from the Université de Montréal.
He has been working in the housing sector for some 40 years, including nearly 35 years for the Government of Quebec at the Société d'habitation du Québec.
He implemented new rental and selection regulations for social housing and successfully worked for the recognition of community action in housing and, more particularly, in social housing.
A native of Montréal, father of three and grandfather of four, he has been involved over the years at various levels in the Montréal community, within his neighbourhood of origin Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and at the overall community level. For the past several years, he has been on the board of directors of the Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montréal, as secretary of this important corporation, and was also on the board of directors and president of the Centre Dernier Recours Montréal until it closed in 1992.
Addressing homelessness and mental health issues within his organization, he supported work and research in this area and increased the number of partnerships with the community, academic and public sectors, in order to implement new solutions meeting the housing needs of people with these issues. He coordinated the government action plan in Quebec to mark the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH) in 1987.
He was one of the key players involved in the recognition of community support in social housing, which was concretely implemented in 2007 with the adoption of the framework for community support in social housing, a document that resulted from a joint effort with the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Quebec
Ministry of Health and Social Services). This intervention came with a recurring sum of $5M.
In addition to collaborating on major homelessness and mental health initiatives, Mr. Roy is currently working on establishing a partnership in the area of employability development with the Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (Quebec Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity).
Professionally, he has been a member of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) since 1985, was on the board of directors of this organization for over 12 years and chairs its International Committee. In 1989, he was one of the initiators of the tripartite meetings (Canada-United States-Great Britain) sponsored by the CHRA
in collaboration with the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials(NAHRO) from the United States and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)from Great Britain. He also sits on the NAHRO International Committee.
NOW House Project completed in Ottawa
"It demonstrates that a house doesn't have to be new to be efficient,"
says David McKendry, Hydro Ottawa's director of conservation.
Maria Cook of the Ottawa Citizen has a story about the NOW House Project, a $90,000 non-profit housing retrofit model that reduces energy consumption by 80%.
Read the Ottawa Citizen story: "Energy Star"
Energy Retrofits for Houses Conference
October 28-29, 2009 Toronto, Ontario You will want to attend Energy Retrofits for Houses to gain insight into retrofit products, programs, technologies, best practices, and strategies that will enable you to achieve major energy savings. The event will include a one day exposition which will showcase energy related products and technologies to complement the discussions that will take place during the two day conference.
CMHC and NRCan - EQuilibriumTM Communities Demonstration Information Session June 16, 2009
This meeting has conluded. Please watch this space for announcements regarding new presentations.
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CMHC and NRCan invites you to attend this online presentation.
Date: Tuesday June 16, 2009 Time: 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time (New York), question period to follow. Meeting Number: http://cmhc-schl.na4.acrobat.com/eq_communities/ Meeting Password: (This meeting does not require a password.) Please click the link below to see more information, or to join the presentation.
Minister Finley Announces Recipients of CMHC Housing Research Grants
OTTAWA, April 29, 2009 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), today awarded 17 Canadian researchers grants of up to $25,000 each under CMHC’s External Research Program.
“The External Research Program is an excellent way to encourage researchers to conduct relevant, high-quality and innovative housing research projects that address the housing needs of Canadians and contribute to improving the sustainability of housing in Canada.” said Minister Finley. “Our Government applauds the individuals who have been selected and their dedication to ensuring that our housing system and technologies meet the needs of future generations.”
This year’s grants, which total approximately $375,000, encourage researchers working in universities, private consulting firms, housing-related professions and the housing industry to conduct research on housing issues. Research produced under the program is available through CMHC’s Canadian Housing Information Centre (CHIC).
A national committee of housing experts, that includes experienced researchers and practitioners in academic institutions and housing-related professions, selects grant recipients on the basis of the quality of their proposals. Under the program, researchers submit their proposed projects in the fall, and they are reviewed in February.
Launched in 1980, the External Research Program has provided more than 655 grants for research on a number of topics such as energy efficiency, sustainability, and assessing the housing conditions and needs of at-risk populations.
CMHC has been Canada's national housing agency for more than 60 years. CMHC is committed to helping Canadians access a wide choice of quality, affordable homes, while making vibrant, healthy communities and cities a reality across the country.
Results of a wide range of housing research sponsored by CMHC may be obtained by calling 1-800-668-2642.
For further information, please contact:
|
Michelle Bakos |
Kristen Scheel |
Backgrounder
2009 ERP Grant Recipients
| Name | Title of Project |
| Etches, Vera | Role of Public Health Inspectors in Maintaining Housing in Northern and Rural Communities |
| Fuller, Paddy | An Analysis of Housing Affordability — Update to 2006 |
| Fung, Alan S. | Least Cost Analysis for Canadian New Housing |
| Gilbert, Richard | Location and Gasoline Price as Cofactors in Home Prices |
| Herbert, Yuill | Estimating the Greenhouse Gas Implications of Land-use Patterns: A Methodology for Local Governments |
| Johnson, Harry Markham | Survey of Characteristics in Homes with Elevated Radon Levels |
| Karava, Panagiota | Design Wind-loads for Residential Photovoltaic Systems |
| King, Malcolm | Assessment of Indoor Air Pollution in Aboriginal Housing and Its Impact on Respiratory Health of Aboriginal Communities |
| Knoefel, Frank | Feasibility of Smart Voice Technology to Improve Support in Affordable Seniors' Housing |
| Mattock, Christopher | Investigation of the Performance and Use of Vacuum Insulated Panels in New and Existing Wood Frame Construction |
| Spurr, Peter Tremaine | The Potential of Replotting to Improve the Sustainability of Cities in Western Canada |
| Sylvestre, John | Using Photovoice to Evaluate the Implementation of Supportive Housing in Ottawa |
| Thompson, Jane | Community Environmental (Carbon Footprint) Reduction Project |
| Trocme, Michel | A Citizen's Guide to Density: Understanding Residential Densities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe |
| Vézina, Aline | Le processus de certification des résidences pour personnes âgées au Québec : facteurs facilitateurs et contraignants |
| Wallace, Bruce | Next Steps: Evaluating Transitional Housing for the Homeless |
| Wood, Robert Arnold | Radon Mitigation Methods in a Cold Climate |
National Housing Research Committee (NHRC) — Live Web Casts
Join us by participating in these free real-time National Housing Research Committee sessions. Please register in advance. If you are unable to participate, you can view the video archives at a later date.
May 4 — Homelessness Working Group
8:30 Welcome and Introductions by the Co-chairs
8:45 Immigrants and Homelessness — At Risk in Canada's Outer Suburbs by Valerie Preston and Robert Murdie, York University
9:25 The Street Health Report 2007 by Erika Khandor, Street Health, Toronto
10:15 From Hostels to Homes: Ontario's Experience with the Housing First Approach by Thu Nguyen, Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
10:50 Recent research which concerns discharge planning from psychiatric hospitals by Cheryl Forchuk, University of Western Ontario
May 4 — Sustainable Housing and Communities Working Group
1:00 Welcome and Introductions by the Co-chairs
1:10 Now House™ Type Retrofits in Windsor by Jim Steele, Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation
1:40 Toronto Housing Green Plan Initiatives by Keir Brownstone, Toronto Community Housing
2:10 Toronto Tower Renewal Initiative by Eleanor McAteer, City of Toronto
May 5 — Housing Data Working Group
8:30 Welcome and Introductions by the Co-chairs
8:45 Core Housing Need, 2006 Census, by Roger Lewis, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
9:25 Housing Performance Measures by John Sawyer, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
10:15 Living Downtown Survey by Tom Ostler, City of Toronto
10:50 Strong Neighbourhoods: Human Services Placed-based Planning at the City of Toronto by Harvey Low, City of Toronto
May 5 — Distinct Needs Working Group
1:00 Welcome and Introductions by the Co-chairs
1:15 Social Housing Wait Lists and the One-Person Household in Ontario by Suzanne Swanton, University of Waterloo
1:45 Panel Topic: Societal Outcomes of Affordable, Adequate Housing by Jim Dunn, Ed Starr and Margaret Condon
3:20 The Continuing Care Research project, a partnership of Veterans' Affairs Canada and the Government of Ontario by Dr. Margaret MacAdam
CMHC - Housing Studies Achievement Award - Apply now
CMHC's Housing Studies Achievement Award, offered every two years, recognizes and rewards academic work — theses or major research papers/projects (at a master's or doctoral level) — that represent significant contributions to the understanding and advancement of housing in Canada.
Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. local Ottawa time on May 8, 2009.
Up to six (6) awards of $10,000 CAN available every two years (with no more than three (3) at the doctoral level).
Eligibility
Canadian Master's or Doctoral students studying anywhere in the world are eligible. Students applying for this award will be asked to send to CMHC a summary of their thesis or major research paper/project (at a master's or doctoral level) dealing with housing in any discipline. The thesis/major research paper at a master’s or doctoral level must be the completion piece for the degree and have been completed and accepted by the School of Graduate Studies (or the equivalent office) at the applicant's university between April 30, 2006 and April 30, 2009.
Guidelines and Application Form
The Guidelines and Application Form have been made available here for viewing and downloading as an Adobe Acrobat PDF, with the application form available separately as an Adobe Acrobat PDF (fillable form) for those who wish to prepare applications. Please note Adobe Acrobat Reader version 8 is required.
These documents are available in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF). To read the Adobe Acrobat file, you will need the free Adobe Reader available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
2009 Guidelines
Application Form
Judging for Entries
Eligible applications will be considered at the meeting of an independent external Selection Committee. The Committee, appointed by CMHC, is comprised of experts in housing research.
Awards Dinner
Successful applicants will be sponsored by CMHC to attend an awards dinner in Ottawa in November 2009, where each winner will receive $10,000. Winners will provide to CMHC two copies of their thesis or major research paper/project, to be deposited in the CMHC Canadian Housing Information Centre in Ottawa and the summaries will be posted on the CMHC website.
For more information, please contact:
Project Officer, Responsive Programs
Policy and Research
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
700 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P7
Telephone: 613-748-2526
Fax: 613-748-2402
Email: hsaa@cmhc.ca
