Operational Services 2023 - A Year in Review

Operational Services 2023 A Year in Review

2023 was a year of growth, change and transformation – themes which will surely continue into the New Year. Thank you to every single team member in the Operational Services Branch for your unwavering commitment to advancing our goals and working together within our branch and across the commission to deliver safe, affordable and quality housing for British Columbians who need it. As we do every year, we want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate our successes that would not have been possible without you. Wishing you a restful and relaxing season with your loved ones. BC Housing gratefully acknowledges that we live and work on the unceded traditional and ancestral homelands of hundreds of Indigenous Peoples and Nations across British Columbia, each with their own unique traditions, history and culture.

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Message from Jennifer Breakspear, Vice President (Acting), Operational Services

As 2023 wraps up, I am in awe of all that the Operational Services team has accomplished. I want to personally thank you all for your commitment and perseverance during what has been a year of challenges, changes, and celebrations. We anticipate that the pace of change both within our branch and across the Commission will continue to be high, and I know that our branch will continue to be innovative and flexible in our response. Despite the challenges we’ve faced, the creativity and passion you have all shown has impressed upon me that we have the skills and ingenuity needed to succeed in our work of providing respectful, safe, and affordable housing for folks across the province. The efforts you are all making in managing and supporting BC Housing’s relationships with our Non-Profit partners is clear in our conversations with them. When visiting within the regions, I’ve heard many accounts about the work you’ve done to provide supports for Extreme Heat, Extreme Weather Shelters, and this year, the devastating wildfires. These stories illustrate your willingness to go above and beyond and for that, I thank you. With the holiday season upon us, I hope that you find time to rest and recharge and that you will enjoy quality time with your loves. 2024 will be an exciting year and I am excited to be in this adventure with you all!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operational Services: New Hires, Rehires and Promotions in 2023

8 rehires*

98 new hires

31 Promotions

*Rehires: Individuals who have left and then chosen to return.

Retirements in Operational Services: 2023

Adam Bandych Raymond Cheung Liviu Cornea Slobodan Dodos Sheila Folkmann Robert Hammond

Dale McMann Joanne Plouffe Paul Sun Herbert Taylor Kenneth Tufts Glen Veale

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Messages from Senior Leadership Greetings from Heidi Hartman, Associate Vice President, Supportive Housing & Homelessness 2023 has been another year of dedicated and passionate work by our amazing Operational Services Team members. While we are all thrilled with the announcement of new programs like Supported Rent Supplement Program (SRSP), Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART), Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH), there has been significant efforts from team members to roll out these programs in an expedited and collaborative manner. It is truly exciting to see the collaboration

between partners like Health, Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions as we can better support residents of our shelters and housing with these resources. Sincere thanks and

Greetings from Corrina Hayden, Associate Vice President, Operations Business Management As we approach the end of 2023, I wanted to share my deepest gratitude for your incredible dedication and hard work, especially during the busiest times. Your unwavering commitment has been the backbone of our success this year. Your dedication has been nothing short of inspiring, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many of you. I am confident that as a team, we will continue to achieve great things in the coming year. Thank you all for everything you do, every day. Greetings from Erin Harron, Associate Vice President (Acting), Service Delivery and Regional Operations A heartfelt thank-you to the teams across the province who always go above and beyond with all you do to help communities throughout access affordable housing. Your dedication and hard work is making a positive impact in the lives of many. Wishing each of you a safe, relaxing and peaceful holiday season. Looking forward to all the opportunities in the New Year that will come our way with confidence in our branch to do our best in delivering. appreciation to each and every one of the Operational Services Team members for the dedication, passion, and “can do attitude” you exhibit. Your work really does make a difference to so many people across BC and we cannot thank you enough. Be well and keep up the great work you do!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Happy Retirement, Dale!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Extreme Heat Response 2023

Our teams are always looking for more ways to improve our extreme heat response during the warmer months of the year. This year, Housing & Health Services (HHS) partnered with Applicant Services with the intention of increasing support for directly managed tenants during an extreme heat response. Training was developed and delivered in multiple sessions to the Applicant Services team, and in August, they conducted just under 700 tenant phone calls, which was a huge help in terms of outreach and checking in on tenants. Operations, Sustainability & Resiliency, Security and Emergency Services, and HHS teams presented at events like the 2023 BCNPHA RENT and Housing Central Conference to increase awareness about emergency and extreme heat preparedness, building resilience, and supports available for non-profit partners

In the summer, BC Housing volunteers spent a morning at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə’s Central Supply to help assemble cooling kits for Directly Managed tenants. In total, they assembled 1,619 cooling kits in under 2.5 hours!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Applicant Services

Applicant Services has had a very busy and successful year. Because of our staff’s dedication to serving clients and great teamwork, we are proud to share these special milestones and highlights.

After months of preparation and hard work, we switched from using Cisco call centre software to Genesys Cloud software in July. The transition and launch went smoothly. Sai Sree Aggaraju handled our last call through Cisco. Tania Ferreira de Oliveira took our first call through Genesys Cloud. Both were significant milestones as part of the project!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Applicant Services

In August, we assisted Health Services with the Extreme Heat Response Initiative. Applicant Services staff made approximately 1,500 wellness check call-outs to vulnerable tenants during the extreme heat weather event. We were very happy to play a role in BC Housing’s Extreme Heat Response and support Health Services with this important initiative.

In November, we had our first in-person long service event since 2019. A great time was had by all! We recognized the following Long Service Awards recipients: • 5 YEARS: Brendan Newton, Corrina Hayden (special guest), Haley Liu, Jenna Kober, Lily Ha, Megan Webb, Mitchell McGraw, Nicole Hemsley, Regina Villanueva, and Sophia Deer • 15 YEARS: Dorothy Ward-Greenall and Sharron Cooke • 20 YEARS: Shelley Johnson • 30 YEARS: Lisa Julien

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Applicant Services

Additional noteworthy successes:

• We survived the 4 th floor renovations – yay! We now share the floor with the Legal & Lending and Accounting departments. Our first joint Fall Harvest Potluck and 4 th Floor Warming & Welcome was held on November 28. • Manita Aujla took the 100,000 th call on September 29. By year end, we expect to take as many as 125,000 to 130,000 calls (WOW!) • We are on track to serve over 20,000 clients in our Storefront office this year. • The Clerical/Administrative team scanned and indexed over 118,000 documents for the various programs which our department administers. Applications Assistants process these documents which Clerical staff log into databases. • We have onboarded and trained more than 30 new staff throughout the year.

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone

in Applicant Services!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operations Business Management

Team Holiday Lunch - December 1, 2023

To kick of the last month of 2023, the team took time to share a meal on Friday, December 1. In the spirit of the holidays, many wore festive props and sweaters and had fun playing a very competitive round of the marshmallow challenge in which Nicholas was the winner and has boasting rights to his ability to collect 7 marshmallows with a spatula while blindfolded! They also joined in a game of floor tic tac toe using paper plates and cups and wrapped up the afternoon with an engaging discussion and reflection of all the systems BC Housing staff use daily, projects that are underway not limited to the Financial Review transformation, Operational Reviews, Secondary Suites Program and are enthusiastic about the opportunities 2024 will bring.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

səmiq̓wəʔelə

A Tour of səmiq̓wəʔelə

The Vancouver Coastal and Fraser offices have spent 2023 with a variety of projects and activities that have been keeping the group busy, but we’ve also had some great time to celebrate as a team with the anniversary of Orange Hall, celebrations with team members moving on to exciting new roles, as well as a tour of the səmiq̓wəʔelə lands with the coordinated access team.

Community Connections 2023 Breakfast at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə

In November, səmiq̓ʷəʔelə staff were joined by Mike Klein, VP, Information Management and Technolgy, the HR Employee Engagement team and Karla Gomez, Project Support Coordinator, for a presentation to learn more about the 2023 Community Connections Donor Drive, which was followed by a tasty breakfast.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Housing and Health Services

Mental Health First Aid Training Resumed After Covid

This year, Housing and Health Services reintroduced Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for the first time since the pandemic when it was put on pause. The MHFA training program aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague. So far, training has been offered to Lower Mainland staff including Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions and those at Home Office. The interior , Vancouver Island and northern regions will be receiving opportunities to participate in MHFA training in the new year. Training is offered to any employee at BC Housing, so long as supervisor approval is received. Housing and Health Services hopes that MHFA training will be offered to non-profit partners in the new year, expanding their outreach and support efforts into the community.

Mental Health First Aid Facilitators from across BC Housing regions were all together at the HHS winter SAM on November 30.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Mental Health First Aid Training Session held on December 5 for HR staff at Home Office.

Here's what some participants of MHFA training had to say:

“It was very educational.”

•

• “The seminar was held in an inviting and casual atmosphere.” • “Both presenters were excellent. “ • “The seminar was well structured and was manageable despite the length and the many issues covered.” • “I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the course.” • “They made the training fun engaging and really applied real-life scenarios to help understand and absorb the information.” • “This course allowed me to better understand how to notice and when to engage for help.”

Housing and Health Services had their Winter SAM on November 30

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Coming Together for the Safety of Program Participants at The American Hotel Late in the afternoon on October 20, Program Support Workers (PSW) and the Building Manager (BM) at The American became aware of a large amount of bricks having fallen onto the sidewalk from an empty building adjacent to The American Hotel, and emergency crews quickly notified staff that the building would need to be immediately demolished as it was collapsing. We are thankful to share that nobody was hurt. Staff on site, including PSW’s Emily Henry, Shelly Khunkhun, Tanuja Najumi, and BM Marat Ayupov, quickly sprang into action. While the start of that buildings collapse was unplanned, the staff response to ensure safe entry and maintain safety for all for the American was flawless as the main entrance became blocked due to the hazard.

By the time management came to the scene, those same staff had the situation well in hand providing support for the Program Participants at The American through providing safe space to gather, have access to food and water, and access to information as the night unfolded. The team was quickly joined by Raff Bote, Carrie Okines, Tammy Brander, Maricar Angeles, and Jacob Kadziola to further coordinate the efforts and ensure the safety of all. Through the combination of efforts, by 11:30 p.m.,

the empty building had been torn down and Program Participants were safe to go home. We are thankful for the tremendous efforts for all involved in this unexpected event, and the care and dedication shown by the staff at The American and all the help that arrived to ensure a safe outcome. The following week, Jennifer Breakspear visited the American Hotel to debrief with the staff and commended a job well done!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

People Plants and Homes

Art in the Garden

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

PPH Festival & Block Party

This year, for the first time since the COVID pandemic, PPH held the annual South Van Block Party. A festival-style event that brought together tenants from several buildings in South Vancouver. The event had vendors from the local community including the Vancouver Community Police, Vancouver Public Library, and Waste Reduction Companies. Participants made felted name tags with Amy from Make Mobile and brought their bicycles for free tune-ups from Kick Start. Kids also had a blast at the Block Party with face painting, a flower scavenger hunt, an obstacle course, and a bouncy castle. PPH continued to host community celebrations into the fall, including Pumpkin Socials in Victoria, a Corn Festival in Abbotsford, as well as Fall and Halloween Festivals across the Lower Mainland.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Supportive Housing and Homelessness

Message from Tsitsi Watt, Executive Director, Supportive Housing and Homelessness Delivery (Lower Mainland)

Best wishes for the Holidays to the hardworking Supportive Housing team! Your work and dedication has not gone unnoticed as we strive to meet our goals together. Thank you to each one of you for always going above and beyond, your contributions are all valuable to our success. May 2024 bring you and

your loved ones good health and happiness.

Orange Hall 10-year anniversary – June 2023

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Orange Hall 10-year anniversary – June 2023

This summer, past and current team members of our Orange Hall office came together to share a meal, catch up in person and reflect on the past 10 years of highlights and memories that have collectively made the site a trusted community member and partner in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Since opening its doors 10 years ago, Orange Hall has been partnering with societies and organizations that provide supportive housing solutions to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in and around the Lower Mainland. The event was also an opportunity to recognize Heidi Hartman, AVP, Supportive Housing & Homelessness, who is celebrating 15 years at BC Housing this year. Vincent Tong, CEO, shared remarks on Heidi’s growth within the organization as a leader and reinforced how pivotal Heidi’s role has been within Operations in guiding our Supportive Housing Programs across the province. Three other Orange Hall team members were also recognized for their years of service: Carmen Hall (10 years), Maya Jassal (5 years) and Ann Katalinic (5 years).

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Women's Transition Housing & Supports Program

Over the past year, the devoted Women's Transition Housing & Supports Program (WTHSP) team has directed its efforts toward the significant commitment by government to establish new housing for women and children fleeing violence, achieving remarkable success along the way. To showcase some of the teams noteworthy housing projects, our four regions have opened the following safe spaces for women and children: - In the Lower Mainland, we proudly unveiled Cheryl Smith Residence which is 12 units of Second Stage housing in Abbotsford, operated by SARA for Women. - In the Interior, our latest achievement is the West Kelowna Women’s Project opening Transition Home and Second Stage units, operated by Central Okanagan Emergency Shelter Society. - On Vancouver Island, we eagerly anticipate the opening of Eagle Harbour (operated by Campbell River & North Island Transition Society) and Wiiksahiqu?it (operated by Sage Haven) which translates to "Safe Home". When they open in the coming weeks, both will be Second Stage housing and will welcome new residents. In June 2023, Comox Valley Transition Society opened Darry’s Place which also operates as Second Stage housing.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

In the Northern Region, we celebrated the following openings:

- Sa-Koh Housing operated Daylu Dena Counsol operating Safe Home, Second Stage and Supportive Housing Units. - Seven Sisters Second Stage & Cedar Rose Transition House operated by Northern Society for Domestic Peace. - Ada’s Place operated by Robson Valley Community Services Society, operating long-term, Second Stage and Safe Home units.

Within our small but mighty team, we have expanded our capacity with the addition of Amanda Parnham, now serving as Portfolio Manager for Vancouver Island, and Sarah Lloyd, taking on the role of Portfolio Manager for the Northern Region. This milestone marks the first time since the portfolio transitioned to BC Housing, that we have a dedicated portfolio manager in each region. The benefits are already evident, with these managers establishing direct connections and building relationships with our partners and participating in site visits. The team's expansion enhances our ability to support our non- profit partners, recognizing and reinforcing the unique strengths of each community and assisting each non-profit in optimizing their service delivery. Looking ahead into 2024, we eagerly anticipate the commitment in the 2023 provincial budget, to double our service delivery to 3,000 units for women and children fleeing violence and are excited to continue our collaboration with both internal and external partners to achieve this goal.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Lower Mainland Directly Managed

Message from Janet McAllister, Regional Director, Lower Mainland Directly Managed

I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the outstanding work that you all have been doing, especially during another challenging year. Your dedication and commitment do not go unnoticed. From the front-line site staff to Property Portfolio Assistants/Managers, Doc Clerks and the LMDM leadership team, your willingness to go above and beyond makes a significant and positive impact on our tenants. Thank you!!! Wishing you all the best of the season and New Year.

LMDM Town Hall – Spring 2023, Bonsor

Employees in our Lower Mainland Directly Managed teams had the chance to hear from the Operations Leadership team in spring 2023 with each Associate Vice President providing an update on the many initiatives underway and accomplished by the Operations branch as a whole.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Lower Mainland Non-Profit (LMNP)

A Transformation of the Third Floor at Home Office

Before…

After…

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Lower Mainland Non-Profit Long-Service Awards

Continuing with its annual tradition, the Lower Mainland Non-Profit (LMNP) team celebrated long-service employees in early September at their LMNP Long-Service Awards. During the event, the team also took the opportunity present Dale with a small retirement gift – a clock that was commissioned from a local artist, featuring Dale’s all-time favourite sport, baseball.

Congratulations to this year’s LMNP long-service recipients!

Name

Years of Service in 2023

Kseniya Zhilina

Georgiana Petraru

Yinger Liang

Eric Walczak

Winnie Tran

25 25 30

Patti Treverton

Kandy Roga

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Spotlight on Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association

The Swedish Canadian Village in Burnaby, BC is comprised of three affordable housing buildings for seniors that are operated by the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association: Swedish Canadian Rest Home, Gustav Wasa and Swedish Canadian Manor. Aldine Larsen, Non-Profit Portfolio Manager (NPPM), informed us that this year, Fraser Health selected the Swedish Canadian Rest Home as the location for a film on assisted living, which was quite an honour. The building, along with the entire Swedish Canadian Village are well maintained, thanks to the Association, its staff, volunteers and Board. Recently, Gustav Wasa and Swedish Canadian Manor underwent Capital Renewal Fund (CRF) upgrades to the exteriors and interiors, which make them look like new and speaks to the high standard the Association upholds in both maintenance and quality of care for residents.

In fall of this year, local school children were at the Swedish Canadian Rest Home doing arts and crafts and painting pumpkins just in time for Halloween. The site often invites children in for events and activities with the senior residents, and it’s always a fun time for everyone! Last year, the Swedish Canadian Rest Home Association celebrated its 75 years anniversary, marking a significant milestone. Congratulations to the Association!

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

EID Festival at Progressive Intercultural Society (PICS)

Non-Profit Portfolio Manager (NPPM) Aldine Larsen attended an Eid festival in September at the PICS assisted living building. In her account, there was lots of music, dancing, food, etc. and yes, she had to dance too, among some professional dancers!

Honouring Cultural Traditions with a Roof Topping Ceremony

In October, Non-Profit Portfolio Manager (NPPM) Aldine Larsen attended a “roof topping” ceremony for the new Dania Seniors Affordable Housing Project, which will be owned and operated by Dania Society and is set to open in 2025. The building is on Canada Way and Norland Avenue and will be part of a Campus of Care with a long-term care home, assisted living and an independent living building (Carl Mortensen Manor, which BC Housing subsidizes).

The “rejsegilde” ceremony, as they call it in Danish, is a celebration of the raising of the roof, where the last beam is placed on a building and then it is adorned with a Danish flag and three wreaths. This is supposed to signify good luck.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Interior Region

Greetings from Nanette Drobot, Regional Director, Interior

I wanted to express my gratitude to the Interior team, a group that continues to show up each and every day with a smile and the energy needed to carry on this important work. You continue to respond to changes to our work and you each do this with grace and curiosity. You welcome new team members with warmth and always a willingness to help. This sets a strong foundation to manage future growth and opportunities which we will be facing in the months and years to come!

Taking Spring Cleaning to Another Level

In 2023, PPH incorporated art into our programming to create inviting and inspiring outdoor spaces for BC Housing tenants and neighbours. PPH partnered with a local artist, Paige Jung, who held two engagement events at MacLean Park, to create a nature-inspired Mural. One tenant commented “The mural looks absolutely beautiful! Being from the North Shore, when I feel sad, lonely, or The Interior Region team came together for a patio cleanup earlier this year in May. It was long overdue due to COVID, so the team was excited to tidy their outdoor space just in time for summer. They placed some new patio furniture outside, planted flowers and even got the water feature going. It has become a welcoming spot for our Interior team to have lunch and get together – on the nicer days of the year! disappointed now I can just look out the window and see an inspired work by a very accomplished artist :) I think you booked a winner!”. On Vancouver Island, PPH teamed up with Bev Threlfall to create several community art parties. Tenants participated by painting a ground mural of a tree at Hampton House, adding a touch of their personality to each leaf. Other placemaking art projects included upcycled hubcaps and old garden hoses, that were painted and installed on a fence to create a whimsical artwork of flowers with Yoda keeping watch.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Interior Region

Greetings from Cheryl Roepcke, Regional Operations Manager, Interior

It been another busy year but I am so grateful to be working alongside such an amazing team! You all inspire me everyday with your positivity, passion to help others and willingness to take on the next challenge.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Looking forward to what 2024 brings us. Wishing you all good health and happiness.

A Team Building Day Featuring Creativity and Fun

The Interior Region team had a fun team building day, that began with a spaghetti team building challenge. The team broke out into groups and had to build the tallest free stranding structure from some string, marshmallows and spaghetti. Considering the minimal resources that were made available, there were some very creative structures! The team then did a ceramics mug painting class and a water colour painting class, to let their inner artist shine. They enjoyed East Indian food for lunch and then did yoga with Darcie. Everyone agreed it was an amazing day!

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Making the Holidays a Little Brighter for South Okanagan Women in Need

This holiday season, the Interior Region Team sponsored a family through SOWINS – South Okanagan Women In Need Society. Thanks to the team’s support and generosity, they were able to fulfill most items on that family’s wish list including, grocery store gift cards, restaurants, movie passes, swimming passes, toys, clothing and shoes. The Interior Region has done a great job coming together two years in a row to make a family’s Christmas season a little more special. They plan on continuing this tradition, and next year they’d like to show their support by volunteering with SOWINS to gather, organize and hand out gifts to the families for pickup.

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Vancouver Island Region

Greetings from Jennifer Fox, Regional Director, Vancouver Island

There continues to be lots happening on Vancouver Island. Over the past year we’ve experienced changes, embraced new projects, expanded our team and much more. The Island gets things done and I am very proud of our team! Let’s continue to make space for laughter, connections as a team and connections with one another. Thank you for all you do. Wishing you all a relaxing and restful holiday.

Just the Right Amount of Cooks in the Kitchen Crew on the Island

At Muncey Place, 3020 Blanshard St, Victoria, our commitment lies in offering diverse menus to cater to our 120 residents, boasting flavorful options such as pastas, butter chicken, and a wide variety of other dishes. A heartfelt thanks to our dedicated kitchen team for keeping our operations seamless!

Greetings and Best Wishes from Hans Rodinger, Regional Operations Manager, Vancouver Island

Sending a Holiday Cheer to each of the hard working and dedicated VI team members! Thank you for all your contributions this year and hoping that 2024 brings you good health, happiness and peace. I am extremely proud to have worked with such a dedicated team, and I look forward to continued collaboration with everyone as I move on from my role at BC Housing. Thank you!

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Vancouver Island Region

The team on Vancouver Island held their first team BBQ on March 13, 2023, which had an awesome turnout on a beautiful day. A big thank you to Maintenance for setting up and cooking burgers and hot dogs, and thanks to everyone on the team who pitched in and helped!

Vancouver Island Team BBQ and

Town Hall – March 2023

Also in March, the Senior Operations Leadership Team (SLT) was accompanied by Vincent Tong, CEO BC Housing, as they made their way around the province for a spring town hall.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

Northern Region

Greetings from Malachy Tohill, Regional Director, North

Warmest wishes for the Holiday Season to the fantastic staff in the North Region! As we wrap up 2023, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to each one of you for your hard work and commitment. Our strength as a team will help us accomplish many more goals in 2024 and beyond.

Greetings from Valerie Hare, Regional Operations Manager, North

Wishing the North Region team every happiness this holiday season and throughout 2024! Thank you for all your contributions this year. Your 'can-do' attitude is inspirational and will be instrumental as we work towards reaching our goals together in the New Year.

This year’s long-service employees who were recognized in the North Region:

Years of Service in 2023

Name

David Sheach

Greg Wetterlind

Stacey Kyriakos

Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Northern Region

Northern Region’s Christmas Potluck – November 2023

The staff in the North region had an opportunity to enjoy everyone's home-made, favorite dishes that were all so delicious and then played a fun gift exchange where there were lots of laughs!

Fall Town Halls in Prince George, Vancouver Island and Penticton – November 2023

The Operations Senior Leadership Team (SLT) - Jennifer Breakspear, Corrina Hayden, Heidi Hartman and Erin Harron - travelled to Prince George, Vancouver Island and Penticton in November to meet with staff in open house style setting, focused on having conversations. While there were updates provided by SLT, the meetings were informal and set up where folks could drop in for as long as they were able, to spend time with SLT and ask questions or seek clarification on anything happening in the branch. The goal was to help bring clarity to where we are going as a branch and commission, given the several changes announced this year with the realignment of Operational Services. Successes, challenges and ideas were shared across all groups. As always, Jennifer and the rest of SLT always enjoy spending time with folks and look forward to future in-person opportunities to connect and chat.

Photos from Northern Region’s Town Hall

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

NPPM/SHA/PM and FRBA SAMs, In-person CAAM Meeting In-Person Opportunities to Connect at Semi-Annual Meetings (SAM)

This year marked the return of more in-person events and meetings, which many folks in Operational Services were excited about! We’re still a hybrid workplace, but the times that we do get together in person are that much more special, as we’re able to connect, catch up and strengthen relationships within and across our teams. Our Financial Review and Budget Analysts (FRBA) and Non- Profit Portfolio Managers (NPPM), Supportive Housing Advisors (SHA) and WTHP Portfolio Managers from all BC Housing regions had the chance to enjoy the sun, good food and each other’s company at their semi -annual meetings (SAM), which both took place in June. And in November, the Coordinated Access and Assessment Managers met in-person with representation from all regions. As important as it was to get together to learn about different areas of the business and how to work in more efficient ways, it was just as important to rekindle those face-to-face connections, as they allow all of us to work better together. Looking ahead to next year, plans are coming together for Property Portfolio Managers (PPMs) and the Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA) team to gather at their in-person SAMs in early 2024.

Operations 2022 – a year in review Operational Services 2023 – A Year in Review

Operation’s 2021 – a year in review

We love hearing and sharing your stories – not just at year-end but all throughout the year! Our Year in Review is only as good as the stories you share with us – there are no stories too big or small! If you've got something to share, contact Karla Gomez (kgomez@bchousing.org) so we can help to share it for you, in publications like this and across BC Housing.

Operational Services 2023 A Year in Review December 2023 BC Housing

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