Changes to housing management on hold
The vice-chair of Niagara Region’s social housing program says it’s not clear what sweeping changes recommended for the governance of Niagara Regional Housing are supposed to accomplish.
Regional councillors will wait until September before making a decision on revamping NRH management, voting Thursday to defer staff recommendations in support of a report by consultant Ernst & Young Global Ltd.
The recommendations within that report call for the adoption of a hybrid governance model for the organization, allowing NRH to continue managing its real estate operations while Niagara’s community services division would take over management of the organization’s programs.
NRH vice-chair James Hyatt told regional councillors he has yet to determine the reason behind the recommended changes.
“I cannot find a clear explanation of what the problem is that we’re attempting to solve,” Hyatt said during last week’s general committee meeting. “Normally, you start out with a statement of the problem … I don’t see that in that report.”
“I think we would all benefit
from an understanding of exactly what problem we’re trying to solve.”
But during a two-hour presentation on the report, Niagara social services commissioner Adrienne Jugley said the consultant identified concerns about public perception regarding
NRH governance.
For instance, she said the NRH board includes some affordable housing providers who are then involved in decision-making about priorities and strategic planning for the organization.
“I’m not suggesting for a moment that any decisions of Niagara Regional Housing have been inappropriate, the concern is the risk of perception,” she said.
But Kelly Morphew, representing one of the 66 social housing providers that works with NRH, advocated for the status quo, pointing out that the report does not provide budget savings, explain why the changes it recommends are required, or include input from housing providers.
She said the report also fails to address the wait list situation, that can be as long as 16 years for a bachelor apartment in Niagara Falls.
“Nowhere in the report does it identify how to reduce the waitlist. From our perspective the only way to reduce the waitlist is to build more units,” she said.
In contrast, NRH chair Henry D’Angela recently announced a plan that would add a dozen new affordable homes on Roach Street in Welland, replacing four existing units that were in need of extensive and expensive repairs — while also announcing the appointment of Donna Woiceshyn as the organization’s new chief executive officer.
In an interview, Monday, D’Angela said it’s the third time Niagara Region is reviewing the organization’s governance in the 12 years he has been involved.
“It’s the same review, over and over,” the Thorold regional councillor said.
D’Angela said some of Niagara’s housing programs “are being pushed around from a political standpoint.”
“Right now, they’re supposed to be driven by need in the different communities — not based on politics in their different communities,” he said.
Asked if the hybrid model would hinder NRH efforts to continue adding more housing units, Hyatt said he can’t predict the impact of a hybrid governance model but “I do know that what we’re doing now works.”
“The last couple of builds that we’ve done have been very effective,” he said.
“I don’t know what would happen if we added another layer of decision-making to that.”