IHM News, Volume 34, Winter 2008

Volume 34, Winter 2008

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement # 40739009

ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS

Seasons Greetings!

Inside President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Getting Residents to Think Green - How Property Managers and Owners can Learn from Social Housing . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Empty Spaces, Dangerous Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 The Perils of Portable Washers and Dryers in Individual Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 IHM Certificate in Property Management Recipients Course Completions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 New IHM Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

P r e s i d e n t ’s M e s s a g e Hello Members, I recently had the pleasure of attending a retirement farewell get together in honour of Greg Grange, B.A., FIHM, Director, Community and Family Services, City of Kingston. Greg is also the Past President of the Institute of Housing Management and currently holds the Board appointed position of IHM Public Relations Officer and Distance Learning Instructor. A memory book was presented to Greg signed by many housing colleagues across the province and special retirement greetings were read from the Ministry of Community Affairs and Housing, Friends and family enjoyed a Powerpoint presentation depicting Greg’s extensive work spanning well over twenty years in the housing sector. Greg will be continuing to support his successor for the next few weeks and then will embark on a well deserved retirement career.

On behalf of all IHM members – Congratulations Greg !!

Deborah Filice, AIHM, R.S.S.W IHM President

Mark Your Calendars

and Plan on attending the 2009 IHM Annual Educational Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton, Ontario 2

Wednesday, April 22nd through Friday, April 24th, 2009 Exciting workshop sessions being planned include such topics as: • The Dream Team • Financial Statements Made Simple • Preventative Maintenance • Energy Conservation • Best Practices (Operations) • Eviction Prevention • Contract Administration • Bed Bug Pilot Project Plus… excellent social and networking opportunities with Property Managers and service providers from across the province.

Visit the IHM website at www.ihm-canada.com for detailed information and registration information as it becomes available.

IHM News • Winter 2008

Feature

Getting Residents to Think Green How Property Managers and Owners can Learn from Social Housing

By Joanne Taylor, Social Housing Services Corporation

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s property managers, you know that the energy used in your buildings can account for as much as 40 percent of your overall operating costs. As buildings age and their components begin to deteriorate, they become less efficient. The combination of aging buildings, built with now obsolete technology, and a lack of resident awareness has created an atmosphere where buildings and their owners are left increasingly vulnerable to rising energy prices.

Residents may not feel compelled to conserve, and this apparent indifference may have its origins in any number of areas. Some residents do not see the need to conserve if they are not paying the utility bills directly. Others are simply unaware of the impact that their individual energy use decisions have upon their community and the earth.

Some want to do their part but just don’t know where to begin or how they can best contribute. In the end, however, the link between resident buy-in and real success in conservation initiatives is evident to property owners and managers.

In 2005, Social Housing Services Corporation (SHSC) began to investigate the impact of rising utility costs and the opportunities to assist the non-profit and co-operative housing sector in responding to the challenges. SHSC was able to

IHM News • Winter 2008

gather support from government agencies and utility companies to establish a pilot program in conservation that has now become Green Light on a Better Environment (GLOBE). The pilot program helped housing providers navigate the world of energy conservation, cut through the red-tape, and get funding for projects that ranged from relatively simple to multi-faceted and highly complex. Regardless of their level of sophistication, each of the successful projects demonstrated a need for resident education and cooperation.

A perfect example was in Prophetic Non-Profit in Richmond Hill. Marv Davis, the Property Manager for Prophetic, knew the long-term value of implementing conservation changes, but needed help to demonstrate this in a way he could present to his Board of Directors and tenants. Mr. Davis hired Virta Energy Management Services to do a complete study of both building towers at Prophetic and all of their systems.

Virta presented the study to the Board, and then supervised every aspect of the retrofits that the Board chose: in this case lighting retrofits, boiler replacement, smart thermostats, variable frequency drives for the air make-up systems, and toilet replacements.

This was an ambitious project that comprised a number of different measures.

Mr. Davis and Virta knew that the critical

element to the success of this process was going to be resident behaviour.

Before any of the work began, Virta and Mr. Davis organized a presentation for the tenants to explain what would be happening. The goal was to help tenants understand the reasons for the changes, the process, and get them on side. They even introduced a children’s colouring contest to encourage enthusiasm for the retrofitting project. And they didn’t stop there.

The residents were kept informed as the work went on with notices posted on each floor, and flyers delivered to their doors to schedule appointments for their toilet and thermostat installations.

Tenants also got a 1-800 number to call if they had questions.

The effort paid off – tenants were very cooperative during the process and continue to be involved. Mr. Davis credits the presentations from Virta and the fact that Virta’s project manager was on site at least once a week and available to answer tenant questions. After all of the work was completed, Virta organized a party with refreshments for the tenants and prizes for the colouring contest winners.

While this is a great example of what can happen when residents understand what is going on, what happens when continued on page 5

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Feature

Empty Spaces, Dangerous Places

By Constable Tom McKay

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s a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) specialist with Peel Regional Police, my attention is most often directed toward the built (or soon to be built) environment. The body of knowledge, literature, and — in the Peel Region — case studies detailing the relationship between crime and the built environment continues to grow. Missing from this focus, as a review of almost any index on the subject will show, is sufficient attention to under-utilized or vacant space. This article documents the impact of these spaces on a southern Ontario community and shares its success in addressing the concern.

Reactions to Empty Spaces

element. Vacant lands can be exceptionally problematic given that many absentee landlords pay little attention to them.

The Victoria Hills community of Kitchener provides a fairly representative example of the difficulties encountered with vacant lands.

Victoria Hills Consisting of a vacant lot surrounded by a school and three high-density, lowrent apartment buildings, the Victoria Hills site had become an overgrown, garbage-strewn, and intimidating place to the more than 1,200 residents of the area. Illegal activity in the area closest to Mooregate Crescent resulted in police constantly being called to this locale.

Many residents simply avoided the place, considered “an unsafe and negative presence in the community”1.

Criminals consciously scan the environment for criminal opportunities. A public place that lacks significant ownership interest is often perceived by prostitutes, drug dealers and others as an environment which may tolerate and support their activities. These and other under-utilized and empty spaces are readily recognized and exploited by criminals. Often referred to by environmental criminologists as “good” (for the criminal) environmental cues, they draw the offender’s attention with their apparent lack of activity, ownership, maintenance or care.

Recognizing this problem, Constable Rob Davis, a CPTED-trained Waterloo Regional Police Officer, spearheaded a successful transformation of the area by applying the standard CPTED strategy of placing a safe activity in an unsafe or vulnerable area. Constable Davis introduced the idea of a community garden, effectively assigning a purpose to the space and compensating for its lack of legitimate activity and overt signs of ownership.

Equally important is the fear empty spaces generate in the average resident or normal user. Frequently seen as intimidating, these spaces are avoided by normal users, thereby exacerbating the problem and encouraging the criminal

The results were tremendous. In the first summer of activity, police incidents at the three apartment buildings surrounding the site dropped by 30%. The results continued to improve in 1995 and 1996 with reported police incidents dropping

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by 48.8 and 55.7%, respectively. Plus, local residents now had their own fresh vegetables to eat!

Nowhere has the crime rate changed more dramatically than at 80 Mooregate Crescent, a previous trouble spot.

Crimes reported at this location decreased 75.4% in 1996, from a pre-garden high of 187 to a post-garden low of 46.

As impressive as these results are, a qualitative measure of safety showed that participants also experienced a decrease in their concerns about property vandalism and walking in their community at night. Indeed, residents cited many factors contributing to a safer feeling in their community. Most prevalent among these were “the physical presence of people in the garden late into the evening,” the fact that they “knew more people in their neighbourhood,” and the feeling that “neighbours were also watching out for them, their children, and property”.

These increased feelings of trust and friendship translated into more interaction between ethnic groups and increased cohesion in the community. A

IHM News • Winter 2008

boost in community pride was also evident: qualitative survey responses showed that people now feel “good about the fact that they are involved in their community” and are “more attracted to living in their community”. Other positive developments included a feeling of empowerment by the residents and a general physical improvement of the area. Even outside observers saw benefits to the community.

Lessons Learned The introduction and development of a community garden is a classic example of the CPTED strategy of placing a safe activity in an unsafe area. In Victoria Hills and other communities, such as Selby-Dale in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the garden transformed an unsafe vacant lot into a positive and safe community space.

It is the challenge of planners, city officials, and police officers to recognize the deleterious effect empty spaces have on a community, to guard against their presence and, where empty spaces are unavoidable, to mitigate their impact.

By encouraging the sale of undevelopable parcels of land to adjacent landowners, empty spaces can be eliminated. Where they are unavoidable, creative partnerships and solutions must be sought to make these spaces part of, and not apart from, the communities in which they are found.

Endnote The details about the case and quotes cited are available in the Victoria Hills Community Garden Project Program Evaluation. 1994. John Howard Society of Waterloo.

Published in Plan Canada Magazine, January 1998; also published in Reader on Canadian Planning: Linking practice with theory, Nelson 2007 Constable Tom McKay has been attached to the Peel Regional Police Crime Prevention Services where he implements CPTED concepts. Constable McKay is the founding Chair of CPTED Ontario.

Thomas.McKay@peelpolice.ca ■

IHM News • Winter 2008

Getting Residents to Think Green Cont’d. the residents themselves take on a leadership role? SHSC and GLOBE knew that great things could happen if residents where given the right tools, education, and support to encourage conservation in their own communities. That is why SHSC and GLOBE established the Community Champion program.

To help change residents’ behaviour around energy use, housing providers nominated residents to be Community Champions. These volunteers received training on how energy is used in their building and how it affects the environment. They also got guidance on how to develop a conservation plan that will change the behaviour of fellow residents and how to influence the plan’s success.

One such champion is Lynn Wood, of the Richview Residence for Seniors in Toronto. Since taking on the role Lynn has been writing environment-themed articles for her community monthly newsletter and developing fun ways for residents to think about the environment, such as a poster to inspire her fellow tenants to think green.

Lynn also made a presentation at the General Meeting in September and created an energy use survey that she plans to send out again in six months. The results will provide interesting information on energy use habits and Lynn will be able to measure the success of some of her education efforts.

Lynn’s future projects include a table set up in the common area, where residents can find and leave information such as newspaper and magazine articles on conservation and the environment. She plans to have monthly meetings to discuss one aspect of conservation each time and would like to have an environmentalthemed games day for the seniors with green prizes from local merchants.

Lynn hopes that by showing her fellow residents easy ways to be more green, such as switching from regular light bulbs to compact fluorescents (CFLs) and lowering the thermostat a couple of degrees, her building can be a conservation leader and an example to others.

According to Colin Gage of the GLOBE Board of Directors, “A peer approach, where residents show other residents the way to go green, is the best way to show how simple energy saving can be. It’s exciting to see residents feeling empowered and taking change into their own hands.”

SHSC believes that change can happen, but it takes time and needs to involve everyone – property managers, building staff, housing boards, and most of all residents themselves. By encouraging residents to engage their own communities, lowering energy use and thereby reducing utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions, we can build healthier communities.

About SHSC SHSC is a not-for-profit social enterprise that offers bulk utility, insurance, investment, research and training services to Ontario’s social housing sector.

About GLOBE GLOBE is a subsidiary of SHSC. It is a portal that supports housing providers in their conservation efforts by helping them navigate the world of energy. GLOBE is an integrated program that offers programs, energy audits, support services, and education on conservation to the housing sector. ■

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Feature

The Perils of Portable Washers and Dryers in Individual Units How much should you charge for in-unit connections?

By Jeff Gilpin, Coinamatic Canada

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let fixtures. Flooding that reaches the building envelope can cause significant damage to the entire building.

ecent marketing campaigns targeted at residents of apartment buildings (and now the popular press), extol the benefits of new and improved portable washing machines for in-unit use. These units are promoted as small enough to be stored in a closet or the corner of a room, but with all the features and benefits of full sized equipment.

• Mold, Mildew and Peeling Paint: The lack of proper dryer venting causes increased levels of moisture and humidity in the apartment and in neighbouring units.

Dryers operating without proper venting to the outside create conditions which support mold growth.

This creates a health risk for residents and can significantly impact property values. It is extremely costly to remove.

These small machines can be attached to a faucet using a hose connector kit and feature a drain hose feeding back to the sink.

Regardless of the features of these portable units, manufacturers haven’t changed the fact that the washers continue to need water to function and produce waste water. Matching dryers still need to be vented, and “all in one” washer/dryers use highly energy- and water-intensive condensation coilers to remove moisture.

The vast majority of apartment buildings in Canada were built at a time when in-unit washer and dryer connections were not considered. The water, makeup air and waste-water systems simply were not designed to handle the demands of laundry equipment in individual apartment units.

The single biggest risk to Building Owners is the absence of floor drains in the event of flooding, a condition that recently gave rise to over $1 Million in

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damages and lost revenue to a Calgary apartment building.

Building owners are exposed to the hazards of washers and dryers in individual apartments including: • Flooding: There have been a number of million dollar claims in Canada related to flooding from improperly installed or malfunctioning washing machines. Flooding occurs when sinks and tubs overflow or back up with waste water, washer valves malfunction, or back pressure cracks toi-

• Personal Injury: The back pressure created by in-unit connections can cause hot water to flow through cold water lines, causing scalding injuries and cracked toilets that can be a source of flooding. Back pressure also can create severe safety issues in adjoining apartments by forcing waste water into the dishwashers, sinks and bathtubs of neighbouring apartments.

• Financial Hardship: Building owners bear the full financial responsibility of any damage caused, particularly when buildings are not up to code.

• Residents can also do damage while installing and removing laundry equipment – equipment they often neglect to maintain.

IHM News • Winter 2008

An Income Killer The revenue from a central laundry room can provide a significant boost to cash flow and property values upon resale or financing of a building. Net operating income and property values are directly impacted by in-unit laundry connections.

In addition to the lost revenue that a central laundry room provides, studies have shown that consumers will do three and a half times as much laundry if the machines are in-unit and free-running. If utilities are included in rents, the additional cost of this increased use can skyrocket. Assuming that a resident does just two loads of laundry per week, the increased utility cost could be nearly $200 per suite per year, in addition to the laundry revenue lost and additional utility costs from using low-efficiency equipment.

In-unit connections would require a property manager to increase rents by $45 per month just to cover the increased utility costs and lost revenue from an in-unit hookup. Typically, the people who are most motivated to install an in-unit washer do much more than two loads of laundry a week – they may have children who create a load a day – and Building owner’s rent increase would have to exceed $150 per month to offset the increased utility costs and lost revenues – a figure that represents over 10% of a typical monthly rate.

What Residents Really Want Studies in the United States have shown that residents actually prefer a wellmaintained, safe laundry room with the equipment to do multiple loads of laundry at one time. They value a fairly priced, convenient amenity.

Residents don’t want to spend money on washers and dryers that may not be allowed in their next building. They value the extra in-unit storage space and the money they save by not having to purchase in-unit laundry machines which often do not adequately wash and dry clothes.

IHM News • Winter 2008

Although residents may be willing to pay more for an apartment with in-unit machines, studies have shown that they are very satisfied with well maintained and well equipped Laundry Care Center that is safe and equipped as social areas.

They definitely are not interested in the alternative experience: a dark, poorly maintained “laundry room”.

What You Can Do 1. Make sure your lease clearly states that in-unit laundry connections are not allowed.

2. Make sure residents are aware of the hazards of laundry equipment in the apartment.

3. Implement a zero tolerance towards residents hanging laundry on balconies. Not only does it reduce “curb appeal”, but it can be a warning sign that a resident has a washing machine in the apartment.

4. Ensure that you provide a wellappointed, safe and convenient central laundry room. The common area laundry room should be an amenity that you are proud to show a prospective tenant. It is a great place to demonstrate that you care about amenities and the living conditions in the building.

5. Avoid armored coin laundry equipment wherever possible (it sends a very negative message to prospective residents about the safety of your building). A switch to smart cards will often increase laundry revenues 8% to 12%, and residents find them far more convenient.

Talk to your Laundry Service Provider and find out what options and services are available. Design and decorating services, new high efficiency equipment, smart card systems, and assistance with marketing and communications to your residents should be available, including samples of resident notices and letters regarding in-unit connections. ■

IHM Certificate in Property Management Course Completions Program Completion Certificate Anne Aqui Michele Shears De Dieu

Strategic and Financial Planning for Property Managers Tracey Csordas Violet Kocalev Robert Rabirsingh

Property & Building Administration Sabine Behnk Caroline Drohan Helen Giorgiou Kelly Hall MaryAnn Lee Eniko Pop Denise Pukarowski Laura Walmsley

Human Relations for Property Managers Anne Aqui Daniel Budahazy Tina Grignard Sheila Ruttan Sennan Vandenberg

Building Maintenance for Property Managers Bridget Bayliss Beatrice Clivet Arthur Harutyunyan Marcela Peana Sandra Seim Wendy Singh

Re the notice in the Fall 2008 IHM News regarding the use of Propane on Balconies - IHM would like to thank an AIHM member for pointing out that there are also National Codes that apply to this issue and they state, in part: Propane cylinders shall not be stored or used on balconies, rooftops, terraces, and decks above grade (Propane Storage and Handling Code, CAN/CSA-B149.2-00).

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Welcome to Our New Members

On behalf of everyone at the IHM office,

we wish all of our readers a

New Candidate Members

wonderful Holiday Season and a

Barbara Chambers Daniela David Adrian De Porto Tanya Huggard Ursula Lipowska Felicea Nobile Kyla Peer Debbie Timbers

Healthy and Successful 2009!

Kindly note that the IHM administration offices will be closed for the holidays from Wednesday, December 24th through Friday, January 2nd, 2009.

The office will re-open on Monday, January 5th, 2009.

New Accredited Members Roger Bodard Michele Shears De Dieu Pamela Duncan

2008-2009 Board of Directors www.ihm-canada.com PRESIDENT:

SECRETARY/TREASURER:

Deborah Filice, AIHM, R.S.S.W CityHousing Hamilton Community Services City of Hamilton 55 Hess Street South, 23rd Floor P.O. Box 2500 Hamilton, ON L8N 4E5 Tel: (905) 546-2424 Ext. 7817 Fax: (905) 546-2762 Email: dfilice@hamilton.ca

Harry Popiluk, FIHM Victoria Park Community Homes 155 Queen St. N., Hamilton, ON L8R 2V7 Tel: (905) 527-0221 Ext.215 Fax: (905) 527-3181 Email: hpopiluk@vpch.com

VICE-PRESIDENT Kevin O’Hara, AIHM, D.P.A. Communications Chair Region of Waterloo Waterloo Region Housing 235 King Street East, 6th Floor Kitchener, ON N2G 4N5 Tel: (519) 575-4800, ext. 1218 Fax: (519) 893-8447 Email: kevino@region.waterloo.on.ca

IHM OFFICE:

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PAST-PRESIDENT: Greg Grange, FIHM Public Relations Officer Email: greggrange@yahoo.com DIRECTORS: Lynn Alexander, AIHM Communications Committee Region of Durham Housing Services P.O. Box 623, Whitby, ON L1N 6A3 Tel: (905) 666-6222 Fax: (905) 666-6225 Email: lynn.alexander@region.durham.on.ca

Lynn Morrovat, Administrator Josee Lefebvre, Administrative Assistant

David Chambers, A.R.M., AIHM Membership Chair; Conference Chair CityHousing Hamilton 2255 Barton Street East Hamilton ON L8H 7T4 Tel: (905) 523-8496 ext 7897 Fax: (905) 546-2256 Email: dchamber@hamilton.ca Terry McErlean, FIHM Education Chair Regional Municipality of York Housing Services 1091 Gorham Street, Unit #107 Newmarket, ON L3Y 8X7 Tel: (905) 898-1007, ext. 2718 Fax: (905) 895-5724 Email: terry.mcerlean@york.ca Deborah Parker, AIHM Marketing Chair Girl Guides of Canada 50 Merton Street Toronto, ON M4S 1A3 Tel: (416) 487-5281, ext. 209 Fax: (416) 487-5570 Email: parkerd@girlguides.ca

Doug Rollins Education Committee City of Toronto, Office of the General Manager, Shelter, Support & Housing Administration Metro Hall, 55 John Street, 6th Floor Toronto, ON M5V 3L6 Tel: (416) 392-8638 Fax: (416) 392-0548 Email: drollin@toronto.ca Kathi Zarfas, AIHM Education Committee Social Housing Services Corporation 390 Bay Street, 7th Floor Toronto, ON M5H 2Y2 Tel: (416) 594-9325 ext 215 Fax: (416) 594-9422 Email: kzarfas@shscorp.ca

CANDIDATE REPRESENTATIVE Sennan Vandenberg Candidate Rep - Membership Committee St. Lawrence Youth Association P.O. Box 23003 Amherstview RPO Kingston, ON K7N 1Y2 Tel: 613-384-4869, ext 110 Fax: 613-384-8873 Email:svandenberg@slya.ca

2175 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 310, Toronto, ON M2J 1W8 Tel: (416) 493-7382 / 1-866-212-4377 • Fax: (416) 491-1670 • Email: ihm@taylorenterprises.com

IHM News • Winter 2008