Oct 28th, 2025

News Release: $10,000 and Helping Hands Revitalize Lowertown Community House

Oct. 28, Ottawa, ON – The Lowertown Good Neighbours Community House has a brand new kitchen and refreshed gathering space thanks to a $10,000 investment and the hands-on efforts of dozens of REALTORS® from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The upgrades, including new cabinets, top-quality appliances, and fixtures, have created a renewed sense of dignity, comfort, and opportunity for hundreds of Ottawa Community Housing residents.

Volunteers also built new furniture and worked on improving purpose-built spaces on the main and lower levels of the community house.

The Community House provides support and resources to more than 2,400 residents from 11 Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) communities and serves more than 4,000 people across Lowertown.  

Matthew Beutel, Executive Director of the Lowertown Community Resource Centre, which operates the community house, said the renovations will create a more welcoming and dignified environment for residents by providing better programming space. He added that many clients are living in motels or shelter accommodations, so having updated cooking spaces has a direct impact. 

As part of CREA’s annual Political Action Committee (PAC) Days conference, REALTORS® spent three days on Parliament Hill advocating for housing solutions for Canadians. They capped off their time in Ottawa by rolling up their sleeves at the Lowertown Community House—turning advocacy into action for residents.

These volunteer efforts are part of the REALTORS Care® Days initiative, which sees REALTORS® give their time in support of critical housing and shelter-related organizations in communities across the country.

In addition to the hands-on work, CREA donated the cost of the renovation, which culminated in a month-long rejuvenation of the community house’s main floor and lower level. 

Quick facts (Community information from OCH Neighbourhoods)

• 534 children and youth             
• 305 children in single-parent homes
• 234 seniors living alone
• Average monthly income (tenants who are on rent-geared-to-income only) $1548
• The Community House was built in 1981.
• 2,312 people were served by the food bank in 2024.
• In 2024, volunteers contributed 7,897 hours in OCH communities. The average Canadian earns $36.78 per hour, which translates to approximately $290,452 in support.

Quotes

“Rolling up our sleeves and helping some of Ottawa’s most vulnerable to close out our 40^th annual CREA PAC Days is extremely rewarding. REALTORS® across Canada are active in their communities, making a positive impact locally year-round. Working with Ottawa Community Housing on this project reminds us that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.”

– Valérie Paquin, Chair of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

“Our community house space used to have a food cupboard, which became a food bank program. Due to demand, it has turned almost exclusively into a food bank over the past several years. We have just recently finally moved the food bank out and returning the community house to top shape is a high priority. The kitchen overhaul and building refresh will help us provide a warm, welcoming, reliable and well-equipped space to residents, including single-parent families living in a motel-shelter, so that they can cook, do laundry, learn skills and socialize with their neighbours.”

– Matthew Beutel, Executive Director, Lowertown Community Resource Centre

“Community Houses are the heartbeat of OCH neighbourhoods. They make a difference in the lives of OCH residents every day.  I want to thank CREA volunteers for their willingness to put their advocacy into action. This is their third volunteer event with OCH on large-scale projects – benefiting thousands of tenants.”

– Stéphane Giguère, Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Community Housing

About PAC Days

Since 1985, CREA’s annual PAC Days conference in Ottawa has brought REALTORS® from across Canada to our nation’s capital to meet with their local Members of Parliament (MPs) and advocate for policies that encourage access to housing for all Canadians.

Our efforts over the past four decades have helped shape the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) and its subsequent enhancements, introduced incentives for first-time home buyers, secured government funding for energy-efficient retrofits and green home initiatives, and supported changes to insurance rules that facilitate secondary suites. For the last decade, REALTORS® have led the charge to highlight the urgent need for housing supply across the entire continuum. In 2024, CREA began working within the Housing Canada Coalition, alongside non-market housing organizations, to underscore the need for a systems approach to housing solutions.

About The Canadian Real Estate Association

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry associations. CREA works on behalf of more than 160,000 REALTORS® who contribute to the economic and social well-being of communities across Canada. Together they advocate for property owners, buyers, and sellers.

About Ottawa Community Housing Corporation

Ottawa Community Housing offers approximately 15,500 homes to about 33,000 tenants, including seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. These homes are located in various communities throughout Ottawa and house a diverse population with different languages, cultures, and ethnicities. OCH is Ottawa’s primary community housing provider, managing two-thirds of the city’s housing portfolio and ranking as the second largest in Ontario. In 2025, OCH earned recognition for the eighth consecutive year as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers. www.och-lco.ca  | X | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky

About the Lowertown Community Resource Centre

Since 1970, CRCBV has been providing a range of social and community services to individuals and families living in Lowertown East and West. Our service area is delimited by: Sussex Drive (west) to St. Patrick Street (north) to the Rideau River (east) to Rideau Street (south). We provide a helping hand, when needed, to all members of our community.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Jennifer McIntosh
Communications Specialist
jennifer.mcintosh@och.ca
613-914-9953