WHAT WE HEARD DURING THE TENANT TALKS MEETINGS
- Jump to…
- December 8th, 2022
- September 15th, 2022
I AM A TENANT 
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Tenant Talks
For Me, With Me
What is Tenant Talks?
At Tenant Talks, we understand the importance of amplifying your voice. That’s why we adopted the slogan “For me, with me” – to emphasize our commitment to working collaboratively with you.
We believe that by working together, we can create stronger and more vibrant communities. As part of this effort, we will be actively seeking your feedback. Through various channels, we will gather insights into what matters most to you as tenants and how we can better serve you.
Our goal is to use this feedback to enhance our services, increase overall satisfaction, and deepen our relationship with you. We look forward to engaging with you and building a better future together.
Join us for the next Tenant Talks meeting
The Tenant Talks town hall is coming up!
When: October 18 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: 731 Chapel Cres (community room)
Attendees will get a chance to hear from staff in the following departments:
- Property Management
- Community Safety Services
- Community Development
- Integrated Pest Management
- Call Centre
- Tenant Support
We want you to come prepared to ask questions and give feedback. This feedback is really important to ensure we continue to serve you better. Staff will be on hand to re-imburse travel with bus tickets. Refreshments will also be provided.
December 8th, 2022
Check out our summary of the December Tenant Talks session. We received questions and provided information about a wide range of topics – from safety, maintenance, pest management and support for tenants. We also heard from a tenant who got involved in his community to improve the community waste and increase waste diversion. For this session, we aimed to leave more time for tenants to ask questions and give us feedback
OCH INFORMATION SHARING
Technology upgrades
Michelle, Senior Property Manager, shared updates on projects intended to be ready for early 2023. Both projects improve service, and ease of communication. One of those would be an appointment notification text.
MY HOME
Updates to My Home
In 2023, look for upgrades to the My Home platform. Three potential new tools are on the way:
- A link to parking information on the OCH website – more info and increased ease of communicating with the parking team.
- The ability to follow up on work orders.
- The ability to download rent receipts
Any tenant who signs up for a My Home account before Jan. 31 will be eligible for a $20 gift card.
2023 STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Hussein, Senior Manager, Tenant Service Operations gave a presentation on OCH’s 2023 Strategic Plan. A strategic plan review establishes a vision and mission that aligns with corporate goals. It will be our roadmap will help us all paddle in the same direction. Consultations will begin on early 2023. Some other benefits include:
- It helps us track what we want to accomplish in the next 10 years.
- It serves as a reminder of our goals and who we are.
- It helps to engage with tenants.
TENANT TALKS ENGAGEMENT 2023
We know participants are excited about a return to in-person sessions. Here are some examples of ideas we have for 2023.
- Community consultations
- Café exchanges
- Joining tenants at events with the Community Development team
Seeking advice from tenants about the best time of day for sessions – Send your suggestions to TenantTalks@och.ca
SMART LOCKERS
Smart lockers have been installed at items 731 Chapel, 380 Murray, 1365 and 1485 Caldwell. It serves tenants when offices are closed. The lockers are for tenant and OCH use to allow residents to pick up keys, fobs, and paperwork. Once the item is received tenant receive a text or email with a code.
WINTER REMINDERS
Remove your AC – heating system can work harder if the air is getting through the system and causing potential damage to windows. The deadline is Oct. 15. Better for your air conditioner to be properly stored, and important to keep your windows closed due to the risk of pipes freezing and causing a flood.
If you’re in an apartment building, you cannot have any decorations on your doors or anything in the hallway. It’s a fire hazard.
OCH provides salt for tenants’ walkways in boxes located in communities.
Questions and Answers
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Please share ideas about letting more people know about Tenant Talks.
Offer an honorarium, schedule meetings at different times and on different days.
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As a disabled resident, I would like to share that Paratranspo drivers have trouble lowering the ramp at the front door when there’s a snow drift.
We will pass this along to the Property Manager. Accessibility is important, I have been working on improving this where it is needed; thanks for bringing to my attention.
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Did a survey already happen?
Yes it was completed in July.
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Will sanding be more environmentally friendly than salting?
I don’t know…I would have to ask procurement. I know there is a mix of salt and sand with the commercial contracts, but I am not sure how feasible it is with the community bins.
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I am curious how we can obtain hand scoops for the salt bins?
Any Tupperware cup will work.
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Are smart lockers going to be available for all buildings?
Not at this time.
September 15th, 2022
Check out our summary of the September Tenant Talks session.
OCH INFORMATION SHARING
My Home Phase 2
We will roll out new functions and create more options in the tools such as text notifications and parking information. Stay tuned!
Instructions on how to access My Home can be found on our website. Find the instructions on how to register here.
Tenant Satisfaction Survey
Ottawa Community Housing wants to hear from tenants, that’s why we worked with Ekos to complete a survey so that we can receive feedback on core services. More than 1,000 tenants participated. Check OCH’s social media channels and website in 2023 for the results. We will use the information to improve services.
Tenant Talks Café
We know that many tenants are looking for new ways to participate in Tenant Talks. In 2023, we will be rolling out new options for in-person sessions. Check the Tenant Talks webpage and social media for more information.
FOR ME, WITH ME
Call Centre – behind the scenes
Emilie, a Manager of Tenancy Administration highlighted the work that is done by Call Centre operators when tenants call for service. She took participants through the journey a call makes by department.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Integrated Pest Management
The Integrated Pest Management team consists of 21 members. They work hard to both treat problems as they occur and proactively prevent pest issues. Brigitte, Manager, Integrated Pest Management. Talked about the program, offering pest control tips and shared some success stories.
MAINTENANCE SERVICES
Jeff Senior Manager, Property Management, spoke about some of the work the maintenance team is doing to winterize buildings. He outlined some key dates:
- Heat systems turned on: Sept. 19-30
- Air conditioners must be removed: Oct. 15
- Snow removal contract begins: Nov. 1
COMMUNITY SAFETY SERVICES
Chris, Manager, Community Safety Services Operations gave an update on the work of the Community Safety Services team. He talked about proactive patrolling as well as some of the measures being done to prevent loitering in OCH communities.
TENANT AND REFERRAL SERVICES
Valerie, a Tenancy Support Worker talked about some upcoming projects aimed to help build better, more inclusive communities. One key item is a review of the of the tenant/neighbour complaints procedure. Look for more information in 2023.