Ottawa Community Housing is honoured to have been named one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers for the third straight year. OCH is passionate about supporting its employees as they help to nurture healthy, safe and inclusive communities for tenants.

“We are proud because we make a difference every day. We are once again honoured to be named one of the region’s top employers. Ottawa Community Housing is an exceptional place to work because of our talented staff and their commitment to providing excellent service,” said Stéphane Giguère CEO of OCH.

Now in its 15^th year, the National Capital Region’s Top Employers is a special designation that recognizes industry leaders throughout the National Capital Region that offer exceptional workplaces.

Employers are evaluated based on eight criteria: physical workspace; work atmosphere and social, health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.

OCHC employees provide support and services to approximately 32,000 tenants. The management team works tirelessly to provide its staff with an environment where they can work, grow, learn and share their passion for helping others. The values of collaboration, accountability, respect, and excellence are at the core of everything OCHC does.

“Our staff are leaders in their field and have received recognition for their work outside OCHC. We have also been recognized for our board and committee governance for the last three years. We strive towards the future, by continually trying to improve what we do and learning when we can excel and when we can do better,” said Giguère.

OCH employees, and the programs they spearhead, have been recognized by many.

Four of our 24/7 Call Centre staff were awarded for their excellence in customer service by the Ottawa Regional Contact Centre Association.

“As Chair of Ottawa Community Housing’s Board of Directors, I continue to be proud of the organization’s work to foster a team environment and provide the best experience to our tenants. It is an honour to be named a top employer of the National Capital Region. This distinction recognizes OCHC as a great place to work,” said Councillor Mathieu Fleury.

The OCH team has launched many innovative programs and is dedicated to providing tenants with meaningful opportunities to succeed and create brighter futures.

“Staff are truly proud to work at Ottawa Community Housing Corporation. We work as if it is our own community and continually try to improve what we do,” said Giguère.

Next phase already in planning

Shovels will be in the ground for the construction of new affordable homes at 811 Gladstone Avenue this fall.

This is the first phase of the Rochester Heights redevelopment. The planned design for the community will include a six-storey apartment building with 108 homes, as well as 32 townhomes along Balsam Street.

The redevelopment replaces 26 townhomes that were at the end of their life. This means an increase of 114 affordable homes in this community. All the tenants who lived there before have all been successfully moved to other homes.

The project was made possible thanks to the support of the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada. The project is expected to cost $40 million.

Demolition work has also begun across the street from 811 Gladstone, in preparation for the beginning of work on the second phase of the redevelopment.