FE Magazine - Fall 2023

WOMEN IN RENTAL HOUSING LUNCHEON

A FAMILY STORY: SIFTON PROPERTIES CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

FRPO CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC RAISES

$69,000 FOR INTERVAL HOUSE

THE VOICE OF THE FEDERATION OF RENTAL-HOUSING PROVIDERS OF ONTARIO

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

It’s quite remarkable that summer is already drawing to a close, and as usual, it’s been a busy few months for the team here at FRPO.

In July, we partnered with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Desjardins, and Cadillac Fairview to publish HomeStretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships, which outlined opportunities and recommendations for the private, public, and non-profit sectors to explore innovative partnerships and approaches to address housing affordability and supply. In August, we welcomed a report published by The National Housing Accord, A Multi-Sector Approach to Ending Canada’s Rental Housing Crisis. Fully implemented, the report’s 10 recommendations will go a long way to solving the housing and affordability crises while acknowledging the importance of the purpose-built rental market as a key part of the solution. We encourage you to read it for yourself –recommendations three, four, and seven will be of particular interest to members.

In addition to these two reports, I had the opportunity to go before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) and share with committee members how operators of purpose-built rental housing are a much needed and undervalued component of the Canadian housing market.

We continue to be encouraged by the government’s steps to implement Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan, particularly with their most recent announcement of the Building Fast Fund. The fund will provide $1.2 billion over three years to municipalities that meet at least 80 per cent of their housing targets and can be directed toward housing-enabling infrastructure and other related costs that support community growth. Additionally, we are hopeful that the expansion of strong mayor powers to municipalities with populations over 50,000 will keep the focus on building more housing and reduce the length of time and costs associated with the permitting process. This is particularly important in the current interest rate environment and those operating in secondary markets. However, one thing is clear – this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. All levels of government are needed at the table, and we are hopeful that we’re starting to see the collaboration needed. From the federal government’s Rental Construction Financing Initiative providing fully repayable low-interest loans for purpose-built rentals, to measures set out in Bills 23 or 97, and municipal governments such as Toronto clearing the way for as-of-right zoning for fourplexes in all neighbourhoods, these are all needed to create and sustain favourable conditions for purpose-built rentals.

TONY IRWIN President & CEO FRPO

Looking ahead, FRPO members should be excited by the continued potential of the purpose-built rental industry. Our sector is represented by professional rental housing providers who pride themselves on providing strong and stable housing and service to residents across Ontario. As the province continues to focus on the housing and affordability crises, FRPO will continue to ensure that our members have a strong voice at Queen’s Park. In closing, I would like to thank all our sponsors and everyone who joined us at Lionhead for the FRPO Charity Golf Classic in July. I am thrilled to report FRPO raised over $69,000 in support of Interval House – it was a great success! Enjoy the rest of the summer.

EVENTS

CANADIAN APARTMENT INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

Date and Time:

September 13, 2023

10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Why attend? How has the multi-residential market performed since March 2020? Have multi-residential properties returned to being in high demand as the market has outperformed many expectations? Uncover this and more at the largest forum of its kind in Canada. Gain deeper insights into the trends, risks, strategies, and opportunities emerging in today’s apartment market. 2023 registration will open soon, so please check back for more information.

THE POWER OF ONE - WEBINAR

Date and Time:

September 29, 2023

10:00 am - 11:30 am

As we step forward into living and working in a postpandemic world, the need to humanize our interactions has become increasingly important. Please join us at our upcoming Power of One webinar where we will explore the powerful impact that one person, one decision, and one interaction can have on our ability to make connections, build community, and advance inclusion. This session will be presented by Renée Charles as part of FRPO's ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educational series.

Non-members $80 plus HST

Webinar login information will be provided 24 hours prior to the session.

We invite you to participate in an interactive conversation about:

- The power of a personal brand

- Connection builders and connection blockers

- Practical strategies that will help you to aim higher with your efforts to create inclusion

About our Presenter:

Renée is a seasoned learning professional who is passionate about helping individuals and organizations successfully achieve their performance goals. With over 20 years dedicated to learning and organizational development, her work has focused on leadership development, customer experience management, and strategies for personal effectiveness. Renée has created impactful learning experiences in a wide variety of industries for audiences across the globe.

PM EXPO AT THE BUILDINGS SHOW

Date and Time:

November 29, 2023 to December 1, 2023

8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Supported by TCA, BOMA, BILD, Concrete Ontario, and CABA, The Buildings Show, comprised of Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, and World of Concrete Toronto Pavilion, is back in-person from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2023. For over 30 years, The Buildings Show has provided a unique platform for the industry to see first-hand a complete overview of the built environment.

MORE INFORMATION

Please note: This is not a FRPO event; all inquiries should be directed to: events@informacanada.com

2023 FRPO MAC AWARDS

Date and Time:

November 30, 2023

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The MAC Awards is the most important annual event for our members and recognizes the leaders in Ontario’s vibrant rental housing industry. We are so excited to celebrate this year’s MAC Awards in person and invite you to be part of it! This is a must-attend event for real estate and property management firms, large and small alike. The 2023 MAC Awards will be held on Thursday, November 30 in conjunction with the Buildings Show and PM Expo. We hope you will join us for the industry event of the year!

Find out more about these awards by visiting www.frpomacawards.com

Please check www.frpo.org regularly for newly added events.

Yes, we can!

Since MetCap Living established itself as a leader in property management, we have routinely been asked one, simple question; “Can you help us run our property more effectively?” And, for well over thirty years, the answer has remained — Yes, we can! Our managers are seasoned professionals, experienced in every detail of the day to day operations and maintenance of multi-unit rental properties. From marketing, leasing, finance and accounting, to actual physical, on-site management, we oversee everything.

Guaranteed vacancy reduction, revenue growth and net profitability — when you’re ready to discuss a better option; we’ll be there. You can count on it.

Kazi Shahnewaz Director, Business Development

Office: 416.340.1600 x504

C. 647.887.5676

k.m.shahnewaz@metcap.com

www.metcap.com

WOMEN IN RENTAL HOUSING LUNCHEON 2023

By Lynzi Michal

On August 25, the 'Women in Rental Housing Luncheon' had an impressive turnout, with nearly 300 FRPO members and guests in attendance, the largest gathering to date. This significant occasion serves as a vital platform for women in the multi-family rental industry to connect, exchange insights, and learn together. We are very appreciative of Wyse Meter Solutions for their generous sponsorship!

The event commenced with a screening of Interval House's 50th anniversary short film, followed by remarks from Lesley Ackrill, Co-Executive Director at Interval House. In the latter part of the luncheon, we had the privilege of hosting Luwam Tekeste, who delivered an engaging presentation on the significance of personal branding. Thank you to all who joined us!

About Interval House

As a leader in the women’s movement since 1973, Interval House has played a critical role in empowering women and bringing the issue of intimate partner violence to the forefront. This short film takes a look back at its history, as well as the history of the Women’s Movement in Canada.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0OhQ-_i4eA

For more information or to donate, please visit www.intervalhouse.ca

Luwam Tekeste is a creative producer with nearly a decade of experience in the world of media. With an impressive background spanning film, television, and marketing industries, her journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Having left her mark at renowned establishments like Corus Broadcasting, Disney Channel, and multiple advertising agencies, Luwam's prowess in managing production teams is evident. Her work behind the scenes has contributed to the success of numerous projects that have captured the attention of audiences far and wide. Luwam’s collaborative spirit sets her apart as she thrives on bringing together diverse talents to create impactful and memorable content. With almost a decade of accomplishments in her portfolio, she continues to redefine the boundaries of creativity and production in the media landscape. Luwam currently serves as the creative producer within the Digital Panda team, a creative agency that works to create compelling digital content that pushes the boundaries of technology and design.

A FAMILY STORY

Sifton Properties Celebrates 100 Years as a Community Builder & Partner

By Angela Walsh, Director, Marketing, Sifton Properties

Limited

Sifton Properties Limited kicked off its centennial celebrations in January of this year, and things are heating up as the sunny season arrives.

With an official anniversary logo and tagline, Sifton celebrates 100 Steps Forward - what does this mean? Over 100 years our dreams have been ever-changing. Together, we navigated a century of twists and turns, dynamic markets and even a global pandemic, one step at a time. We’ve touched the lives of thousands by being there throughout every stage of life, for every significant milestone. As we look back at the footprints that brought us to today, we are full of excitement for the steps that lay ahead of us.

From special events, to contests and giving back to the community, the company is celebrating and commemorating in a number of ways, including:

Events: On Saturday, June 24th from 3:00-9:30pm, Sifton hosted an unforgettable anniversary party at Legacy Square in West 5. This centennial event marked the grand opening of the square and welcomed Sifton employees, customers, business partners and the general public. Called “Light Up the Square”, the event was a festival of food, music,

National Apartment Group - Ontario

Ontario’s multi-residential sector remains one of the most resilient segments of commercial real estate capital markets. Notwithstanding broader market volatility, investor sentiment for multifamily assets remains strong. Through Q3 2023, values have weathered the impact of higher borrowing costs and are well-positioned to counteract higher interest rates through recurring income growth. Please see below for a summary of recent deals and active listings as of Q3 2023. For additional info on cap rates, valuations, and market trends in the current investment landscape, please reach out to a member of our team.

For more information, please contact:

David Montressor * Vice Chairman

(416) 815-2332

david.montressor@cbre.com

Tom Schuster * Associate Director (416) 847-3257

tom.schuster@cbre.com

44 Units | $227,273 Per Suite

Closed July 2023

SOLD FOR $10,000,000

2421 & 2423 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario

24 Units | $312,500 Per Suite

Closed June 2023

SOLD FOR $7,500,000

light, art, and unique experiences for Londoners, including a Cirque Revolution aerial show and fire performance at dusk.

The event also kicked off the summer scene at West 5. Designed to bring the community closer, the West 5 program calendar includes ongoing opportunities to enjoy Legacy Square such as; live entertainment, food trucks, walking groups, movie nights, markets and more.

Contests: With over 200 entries, the first of two contests invited community members to name a nature trail for Sifton. The West 5 trail runs north/ south and connects the community to neighbouring trails that meet the Kains Woods. Perfectly fitting for a neighbourhood powered by the sun, Solara Trail now welcomes you for a relaxing stroll.

Later this summer we’ll present our biggest contest yet, the Share Your Sifton Story Sweepstakes. By simply sharing their unique and heartfelt story, Sifton customers will have the chance to win one of 5 prizes valued at $5000 each.

need. Each month a committee of Sifton employees visits one of the selected organizations to make a significant donation and see those dollars in action.

We pride ourselves in being innovative, so this summer we’re thrilled to introduce an immersive augmented reality experience at the Sifton Bog. Sifton donated the Bog to the City of London in 1967, a true gem and natural beauty that offers the opportunity to connect closely with local flora and fauna. Starting this August visitors can “play” along the bog trail, with the “Sifton Fresh Finds” experience. Grab your phone, collect mystery boxes, snap cool pics and learn a little something along the way.

When the holiday season arrives, we’ll wind the year down by participating in the Shoebox Project and challenge our employees to fill 100 shoeboxes for women in our community.

Of course, a 100-year celebration calls for a fond look back. On the Sifton anniversary website, hundreds of employees and friends have loaded images to our digital scrapbook. These photos demonstrate the love and excitement we’ve celebrated over the years and illustrate a supportive and uplifting company culture that isn’t easily explained. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

To learn more about Sifton’s 100th anniversary initiatives, visit 100stepsforward.com.

Please send questions and media inquiries to:

Angela Walsh Director, Marketing Sifton Properties Limited

angela.walsh@sifton.com

519-434-1000 ext. 3255 Sifton.com

Giving Back: Sifton has always made it a priority to pay it forward. With a focus on enriching the lives of children, youth and their families, we are committed to strengthening the cities we serve. In celebration of 100 years, we’ve partnered with the Sifton Family Foundation to maximize our impact and give $100,000 to individuals and families in

HAZELVIEW

SHOWS THAT IT CARES

Hazelview’s CSR Program, Hazelview Cares, is rooted in our commitment to people. It focuses on three areas in which we can have real impact: housing support, education, and health and wellbeing. Together, these initiatives bring us closer to our goal of being a valued employer, investor, partner, and community citizen.

As part of Hazelview’s commitment to supporting sustainability education, we launched a partnership with Enactus Canada in October 2021 and renewed it for the 2022-2023 academic year. The Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator gives students the opportunity to create and implement community empowerment projects and business ventures geared toward solving pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges.

Through the Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator, select student teams from universities and colleges across the country, including Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, are empowered to develop and deliver innovative and effective projects that make urban multi-residential buildings more socially and/or

environmentally sustainable. Projects could advance technological innovations such as eco-friendly building materials, green roofs, energy-saving technologies, and waste management solutions, or social projects such as educational programs or programming that provide social supports for residents and tenants.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, five teams received a project grant of $2,500 and support from two Team Advisors from Hazelview. Based on the project outcomes, three Enactus teams were awarded additional prize money to help further accelerate their projects.

The 2023 Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator Best Project is Kuponya Innovations from Enactus Wilfrid Laurier University, an initiative that works with Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories to co-create sustainable, transport-friendly, cost-effective tiny homes for remote communities. The team’s approach includes training residents to participate in construction and maintenance, build small businesses to support housing needs, and promote energy and heat-saving designs.

Enactus Wilfrid Laurier University was named the Best Project recipient at the 2023 Enactus Canada National Exposition, which took place in Montreal in May. This Enactus Team also won the National Championship, and they will go on to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup in the Netherlands in October 2023.

“In order to be more socially and environmentally sustainable in the real estate sector, we need to prioritize innovative solutions today,” says Jasmin Pirani, Director

Social Impact, Hazelview. “That’s why we partner with Enactus – it’s incredibly rewarding to work with these next-gen student leaders, not only to help us prepare for the future, but to deliver impactful results now.”

In year one of the program, the Enactus team from the University of Ottawa was awarded the 2022 Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator “Best Project” title for their project, Poly. Poly enables local, communityled plastic recycling via manufacturing and operating systems that allow individuals to recycle plastic without the need for expensive municipal infrastructure. Thanks to the Poly project, 222 metric tonnes of GHG emissions were avoided and 45 kg of waste was diverted in the 2021-2022 academic year.

We look forward to further mobilize emerging leaders to help tackle Hazelview’s social and environmental priorities, while fostering positive relationships with a group of ambitious youth.

ABOUT HAZELVIEW: Hazelview is an owner, developer, and manager of global real estate investments committed to creating value for people and places. We are an active investor, with a hands-on team that identifies opportunities to invest globally. We are committed to fostering the long-term growth of our employees, residents, and the investments we make for our clients. To learn more, visit www.hazelview.com

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, a national charity and the country’s largest post-secondary experiential learning platform, is igniting the potential of Canada’s future leaders to drive positive social, environmental, and economic impact by empowering their entrepreneurial mindset. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 3,000 postsecondary students led 188 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 30,000 lives.

For more information, or to join them in making an impact in your community, visit enactus.ca

Platinum Sponsors

FRPO Members Golf for a Cause: Supporting Interval House

Brampton, Ontario – This year's FRPO Charity Golf Classic took place on July 18th at Lionshead Golf Club in support of Interval House. Over 300 members enjoyed a fun-filled day of networking and golf for a great cause. All guests had the opportunity to meet and be photographed with former Toronto Maple Leaf, Nick Kypreos who joined the Byng Group to show his support.

We are proud to announce that this year's tournament raised $69,000 to support the women and children fleeing from intimate partner violence. Thank you to our members, sponsors and volunteers who made this event a tremendous success. FRPO is proud to work with Interval House and since 2007, has raised over $850,000 to support the centre.

Trusted Advisors

ƒ Philip Sarvinis | Bill Gladu | Jeremy Horst | Michael Pond | Duncan Rowe Jack Albert | Beau Gaudreau | James Cooper | Michael Park | Tim Van Zwol

Golf Classic Raises

$69,000 for Interval

House

Held at Lionshead Golf Club on Tuesday, July 18th 2023

Interval House — As the first centre for abused women and children in Canada, Interval House is a leader in the campaign for women’s empowerment, providing innovative specialized services that help abused women and their children transform their lives and break the cycle of violence. Interval House’s holistic approach provides a continuum of services from crisis intervention to re-integration into the workforce and community, giving women and children the chance to rebuild their lives. For more information visit intervalhouse.ca

Bronze Sponsors

Greenwin Corp.

McIntosh Perry

Midnorthern Appliance

Multitech Contracting 2000 Inc.

Paul Davis

Sherwin Williams

Sparkle Solutions

Media Partner

RHB Magazine

Chocolate Sponsor

Pretium

Wine Sponsor Canmar Contracting

Hole Sponsors

4Rent.ca

RJC Engineers

Raffle Sponsor

Zgemi

Driving Range Sponsors

H&S Building Supplies

PestControl Plus

Beverage Cart

RentSync

Hand Sanitizer ECNG

LET’S BUILD ONTARIO

CAMPAIGN UPDATE (SEPTEMBER 2023)

The Let’s Build Ontario campaign didn’t take any time off this summer. The campaign continued to deliver a unified message that purpose-built rental housing is essential to solving the housing and affordability crises gripping the province.

The campaign also continued to shine a light on broader market updates and points of interest. Though announced in April, it wasn’t until June that Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants became law, and the $6.5 million in funding for the Landlord and Tenant Board began to work its way through the system. This additional funding is meant to at least double the number of adjudicators and hire additional support staff to help reduce the LTB’s existing backlog and ensure timely access to justice for rental housing providers and residents alike.

You may have seen the campaign amplify events featuring Tony Irwin appearing before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA). This was a unique opportunity to communicate how important Ontario’s professional rental housing providers are to a healthy and stable housing market. Contributions were also made to a number of

publications like Novae Res Urbis or RHB Magazine and were promoted on social media channels.

As the housing and affordability crises remain top-ofmind for many Canadians, there has been an increase in news outlets reporting on both crises in general and the role rental housing plays in the equation. Given the increase in attention, the Let’s Build Ontario campaign has been diligent in presenting trending articles that offer a balanced view in addition to sharing ‘Did You Know’ facts to dispel misconceptions of the rental housing market.

Let’s Build Ontario remains a valuable way of sharing important information and updates to an expanded audience. Heading into fall, it will be more important than ever to have the campaign continue to promote Ontario’s professional rental housing providers as one of the province’s most valuable assets for solving the current housing and affordability crises. But we can also use your help. If you have stories you think are worth sharing – big or small – please do!

For more information on the campaign, or to get involved, please visit https://letsbuildontario.ca/. Let’s Build Ontario together.

APPROVAL DELAYS LINKED WITH AFFORDABILITY, ESPECIALLY IN

By Jordan Nanowski and Anthony Passarelli

CMHC and Statistics Canada worked together to develop the 2022 Municipal Land Use and Regulation Survey. This survey looks at land use rules in diverse cities across Canada. Although not exhaustive, questions were asked about zoning, fees, approval times, community consultation, density limits, and environmental assessments.

Sources: 2022 Municipal Land Use and Regulation Survey, 2021 Census (house price, rent, and household income data).

Notes: This table is comprised of municipalities that responded to the 2022 Municipal Land Use and Regulation Survey. Values for the Municipal Land Use and Regulation Index and Approval Delay Index are normalized to 100 for the Toronto CMA. Therefore, values less than 100 indicate less regulation and values more than 100 indicate more regulation relative to the Toronto CMA.

WITH LOWER HOUSING IN TORONTO

CITREX

Attn: Vladyslava Kapustina

T: 800-643-6922

C: 416-877-9229

info@citrex.ca

COHEN HIGHLEY LLP

Attn: Kristin Ley

T: 519-672-9330

F: 519-672-5960

ley@cohenhighley.com

Preliminary analysis from the survey shows higher overall land use regulation seems to be associated with lower housing affordability across Canadian municipalities. The Municipal Land Use and Regulation Index captures the degree of land use regulation in a given city. Higher values indicate more regulation and smaller values represent less regulation. For ease of interpretation, values have been normalized relative to the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA).

The Municipal Land Use and Regulation Index scores relate strongly with housing affordability. The Toronto CMA, which has significantly higher regulation compared to most CMAs, also exhibited relatively higher house price-to-income and rent-to-income ratios.

Long approval times for new developments can make building projects more costly. Among the surveyed land use regulations, the time it takes to approve new projects (the “Approval Delay Index”) is the most important survey factor explaining differences in housing affordability across regions.

The Toronto, Vancouver, and Kelowna CMAs had much longer approval times relative to other surveyed CMAs. Notably, the Toronto CMA’s approval time was approximately 62% longer than the average surveyed CMA.

Attn: Jeff Righton

T: 905-828-4423

This analysis validates concerns expressed by CMHC’s 2018 report about links between land use regulation and increasing prices in large metropolitan areas. The report highlighted differences in land use policy as a key issue for new development but cited remaining data gaps as a limitation in our understanding of this issue. The 2022 Municipal Land Use and Regulation Survey works to address these data gaps. This survey provides housing system participants the opportunity to conduct evidence-based analysis and to evaluate how land use regulations are linked to affordability and supply outcomes.

Further research will help us better understand how the regulatory context affects home prices and which policies lead to more affordable housing and new supply growth.

F: 519-745-7587

jrighton@delta-elevator.com

CHARTING A PATH FORWARD

FRPO’s Canadian Certified Rental Building Program (CCRBP) continues to chart a clear and positive path forward as Canada’s premiere ESG-focused, quality assurance certification program specifically geared to the multi-residential sector. The CCRBP helps ensure renters have access to quality and sustainable rental homes, while equally encouraging professionalism and environmental responsibility within the multi-residential apartment and REIT communities

However, given the range of issues that impact today’s multi-residential housing sector, what is the CCRBP doing to grow and expand its sphere of influence and continue working toward changing the dialogue about what quality in the rental housing sector means?

Most notably, the CCRBP continues to expand its national presence.

With 2022 approval from FRPO’s Board of Directors to take the program to a national perspective, the Certified Rental Building Program not only changed its name to the Canadian Certified Rental Building Program (CCRBP), but also solidified its presence in British Columbia and continued its move and influence across the country with expansion into Alberta. In 2023, the CCRBP continues to work with existing CCRBP members to certify a significant and growing number of buildings in BC, Alberta, and Ontario. Equally important, the CCRBP is working to bring on board new property management organizations and REITs that care about quality, professionalism, social commitment, environmental responsibility, and sustainability and that want to differentiate themselves in the rental housing marketplace.

The CCRBP is continuing to expand its reach by preparing to launch in Saskatchewan in late September 2023 and make the leap to Nova Scotia and the East Coast this fall.

This growth and expansion will help ensure the continued credibility and influence of the Canadian CRB Program as a premiere certification program that provides the rental housing consumer, other industry members, investors, and building owner with the confidence that their CCRBP buildings are well run, well managed, well maintained, and focused on sustainability and resilience.

The CCRBP’s continued focus on developing and implementing best practice operating standards, thirdparty independent auditing, and the regular recertification of CCRBP-approved buildings is fundamental to ensuring a robust certification program focused on quality, professionalism, and sustainability.

A second strategy being used to grow and expand the CCRBP sphere of influence, and to ensure its continued relevance, is to focus on examining, enhancing, and streamlining CCRBP operational practices, making them clearer and more practicable for property managers and their buildings to become certified and to maintain their certification credentials.

The CCRBP has also been working to refine the criteria program auditors use to verify compliance with standards. Just one example of this strategy in action is reflected in the leadership role the CCRBP has taken in launching an industry-leading best practice Electrical Maintenance standard.

The development and implementation of a focused communications strategy with the industry, the public, renters, and other key stakeholders is a third approach being pursued. Better articulating the CCRBP’s advantage and how and why CCRBP buildings are important will be an important focus of this enhanced communications strategy. In addition, working to ensure residents, prospective residents, and others are engaged around sustainability initiatives and other cooperative efforts at creating quality apartment homes will be an integral part of a focused communications strategy.

There are a lot of positive and exciting things happening in the CCRBP. Stay tuned! Equally, if you are not a part of the CCRBP, reach out to us. We would appreciate the opportunity to explore the CCRBP quality assurance advantage with you.

�� CANADIAN CRB PROGRAM NEWS…

CONGRATULATIONS:

The �� Canadian Certified Rental Building Program (CCRBP) is proud to announce that three of Realstar Management’s buildings have achieved �� CCRBP and Living Green Together certification, with more to come!

The CCRBP is excited about these latest additions and support Realstar’s goal of providing the highest standard in Canadian apartment living through safe, clean, wellmaintained homes, and through their commitment to ESG and sustainability.

The �� CCRBP is looking forward to certification of additional Realstar buildings this fall.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) is an industry partner with GRESB. GRESB is a leading ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world.

The �� CCRBP is a GRESB listed and validated operational green building certification scheme. Buildings certified under the CCRBP can be included and can impact scores as part of an organization’s GRESB submission.

CFAA REPORTS

Two views of the current housing crisis

By Tony Irwin, CFAA Interim-President

The rental housing industry’s current political problems are mainly the result of rising market rents. The problems are made worse because the federal government recently created the Federal Housing Advocate and the National Housing Council to advocate for the interests of vulnerable populations, and those bodies are biased against market outcomes in favour of a different approach.

The article addresses the various views, including CFAA’s work at the House of Commons HUMA Committee, which held hearings on “financialization” in May and June.

The view of the rental housing industry

For-profit rental housing providers of all sizes are convinced that the current housing crisis has been created by the inability of the housing development industry to keep up with the increase in the demand for housing, due mostly to

• slow municipal planning approvals,

• government-imposed costs and delays,

• a sudden surge in immigration approved by the federal government, and

• shortages of construction trades, labour and equipment.

The main key solution to the housing crisis is more housing supply of all types, at all price points. A second important answer is higher, more targeted income support for low-income renters to afford the housing they need.

The Federal Housing Advocate’s view

However, the Federal Housing Advocate, ACORN, and other housing advocacy groups hold a different view. They say the housing crisis has arisen because of “the growth of financialization, treating housing as a commodity – a vehicle for wealth and investment –rather than a human right and a social good for people and communities.”

They say: “… investment firms have been purchasing rental buildings and then upgrading them and raising rents, forcing low-income tenants out of their homes. Because the business model associated with financialization demands shortterm high yield profits, rental businesses seek out housing that is ‘undervalued’, which often means housing that is affordable, where the most disadvantaged and low-income people live.”

The Advocate, ACORN, and other housing advocacy groups want governments to tax rental housing more, to tighten rent control, and to take other steps to drive the profit motive (and private investment) out of rental housing, replacing private rental housing with community housing. They want that change regardless of the enormous expense to taxpayers which would be involved.

The HUMA Committee

At the recent hearings of the House of Commons HUMA Committee, CFAA presented a strong case that financialization is not the problem, and that tighter rent control and the other solutions put forward by the Federal Housing Advocate would be counter-productive. We also made the case that some current promises of the Liberal government need to be re-evaluated, due to the negative effect they would have on rental housing supply.

You can watch the presentations and questioning (or read a transcript of the evidence) by clicking on the links at https://www.ourcommons.ca/ Committees/en/huma/Meetings. The Advocate, her researchers, and ACORN were heard and questioned on May 9 and May 16. Rental housing representatives (and others) were heard and questioned on June 6 and June 9.

At https://cfaa-fcapi.org/resources/submissions/, under “Financialization“, you can read:

• a combined summary of the remarks made by all four CFAA speakers,

• the full opening remarks made by each person,

• the (initial) joint CFAA-FRPO written submission (“Brief”) to the HUMA Committee, and

• the final CFAA submission to the HUMA Committee (made after all the witnesses had spoken).

Set out below is a summary of the key points which speakers associated with CFAA made, and finally two notes about next steps.

Rental market size and structure

The purpose-built rental market in Canada totals 2.5 million homes. Besides that, there are a little over a half million rental homes in social housing, and 2 million more rental homes in the secondary rental market. The total rental supply across Canada is 5 million homes. Because of this widespread competition, large rental providers have no power to set rents above the levels determined by supply and demand.

Why market rents are rising

Market rents are rising because rental housing supply has lagged behind the growth in the population and in rental demand. On the demand side, there is a growing population, driven largely by immigration, along with increased interest rates which work with the stricter rules for mortgage qualification to make home ownership less attainable to first-time buyers.

On the supply side, there are increasing costs of rental operation, increasing costs to build, growing not-in-my-backyard syndrome (“NIMBY-ism”) delaying new developments, and increasingly

hostile political rhetoric aimed mostly at the largest providers of rental housing.

Where does a dollar of rent go?

On average, paying the property taxes, utilities, and other operating expenses of 45 cents, 36 cents for the mortgage, and 11 cents for major repairs and building modernization leaves just 8 cents as the typical pre-tax return on each dollar of rent. A great deal of the existing purpose-built rental stock was built before 1980 – making it over 43 years old. Even with good maintenance, building elements must eventually be replaced or refurbished, including roofs, balconies, heating equipment, elevators, windows, and underground parking structures. Before all the other building expenses, replacing any one of those could easily cost 20% of the total annual building revenue, and some cost much more.

Additional points in the final CFAA submission to HUMA

Evictions

In our evidence, CFAA referred to the 2021 Statistics Canada survey of tenants about whether they had ever been evicted. Seven per cent of tenants had been evicted at some point in their lifetime. Assuming the average tenancy experience is 10 years, that means seven-tenths of 1% of tenants are evicted each year, or 7 out of 1,000 tenants Only 10% of all evictions were for demolition, conversion or major renovations. Deducting demolitions, which are needed for intensification or new transit lines, we can estimate that only 1 out of 2,000 tenants is evicted for renovations (in any year).

Rent control

In some provinces, rent control is used to protect tenants (or at least renewing tenants) from what are seen as excessive rent increases. That limits the rental income received by rental housing providers, and has unintended consequences, especially:

• less building modernization, resulting in a rental stock which decreases in quality over time, and

• less new rental construction, resulting in a smaller rental supply over time (than the supply would be without rent control).

Vacancy decontrol, above-guideline increases (AGIs), and exemptions for new rental construction are intended to reduce those effects, but they do not fully eliminate them. From a public policy point of view, there are important trade-offs between the protection of current, renewing tenants, and the size and quality of the rental supply in the medium and long terms.

The Advocate and her researchers and supporters do not address the trade-offs involved in making rent control tighter. They leap directly from saying rents are rising too much, to saying governments should stop those rent increases by tighter rent regulation. They ignore the trade-offs and the negative consequences of tighter rent control. The approach of ignoring well-documented unintended consequences dramatically raises the risk of a bad public policy decision.

On June 9, the HUMA Committee heard from Steve Pomeroy, an independent housing expert, who often supports community housing and other ideas of the housing advocates. He turned back a suggestion that tighter rent control is the solution to the current housing crisis. Instead, he stated that the goal needs to be to find the “sweet spot” which balances the protection of existing tenants with continued support for a healthy, growing rental supply.

CFAA submits that there is not just one “sweet spot” across Canada. Besides differences in the

attitudes of investors and the public, between say, Alberta and Ontario, or Ontario and Quebec, there are also huge differences in the economies of various communities.

It is hard enough for the ten provinces (and three territories) to address the different needs within their boundaries. It is utterly impossible for anyone in Ottawa to determine the best rent control policy mix across Canada. There is no such standard mix! To come close to a good mix in each area, the provinces need to be allowed to make the choices, addressing the housing needs and investor attitudes within each province.

CFAA’s concluding comments to the HUMA Committee

CFAA made concluding comments in both its original joint submission and its final submission. CFAA condemned any action to push people out of their homes. However, under Canada’s Constitution it is up to the provinces to regulate and prevent such action. In addition, CFAA submitted that the evidence is that such action takes place only in very isolated cases; and that federal income tax law is not a suitable tool to address that isolated behaviour.

Regulating against financialization, limiting expansion by REITs or other for-profit rental housing providers, or tighter rent control, would reduce the construction of new rental housing, and reduce the modernization of the aging current stock. Instead, to increase rental supply (and thus temper increases in market rents), governments need to encourage and incentivize new housing supply from rental providers of all sizes, and/or reduce current disincentives (like the GST/HST). Financialization is not nearly as significant an issue as it is said by some to be, and the proposed “cures” being suggested to the Committee are much worse than the alleged “disease”.

The next stage

The HUMA Committee staff will write a draft report over the summer. The Committee will revise the report, and issue it in the Fall. There could be a majority report and one or more minority reports. CFAA will then need to address the Committee report(s) with key decision makers, including the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and their key officials.

While CFAA would prefer no rent control at all, it is not realistic to seek the rolling back of rent control when so many people are worried about rising rents. In most provinces, the best position for member-associations is that rent control should not be tightened. With that goal in mind, CFAA defends the provinces’ jurisdiction, while supporting memberassociations in holding the line in each province.

CFAA RENTAL HOUSING CONFERENCE 2024 TORONTO

The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations invites you to join us next year in Toronto at CFAA-RHC 2024

May 14, 15 & 16, 2024

For more information visit cfaa-rhc.ca

2023 CFAA COMPENSATION & BENEFITS SURVEY

As we have done every second year for more than a decade, CFAA is producing the one and only Compensation & Benefits Survey focused exclusively on the rental housing industry in Canada For employers in rental housing, the CFAA Report will provide:

Pay averages and ranges for 9 Property positions

Pay averages and ranges for 20 Head Office positions

Health benefits and employment trends

National, regional and City specific information

The property positions include building superintendent (resident manager), cleaner, doorman (concierge), leasing agent, maintenance technician, property administrator, property assistant manager, property manager and security guard

If you are interested in buying the compensation survey for the areas in which you operate, e-mail awai@3rdquartile.com for pricing and an order form. (3rd Quartile is the compensation firm producing the compensation survey.)

MANAGING COMPLEX TENANCIES

By Doug Levitt

Note: This article was drafted to supplement the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario’s annual “Residential Tenancies Act Sessions” that was held in April and May 2023. The article covers the eviction of unauthorized occupants. Please contact us at dlevitt@hldlawyers.com to discuss your unique circumstances. All such queries will receive a prompt reply.

Evicting Unauthorized Occupants

I am of the view that unauthorized occupants can be sorted into three broad categories.

The first category of unauthorized occupants consists of individuals who are residing in a rental unit with the tenant without the landlord’s consent or knowledge. This type of occupant may be more accurately described as a roommate. Prior to the changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) that required most landlords to use the prescribed form of lease, many leases contained provisions that limited the occupancy of the rental unit to specified individuals and/or prohibited the addition of new occupants.

Today, the addendums that are typically attached to the standard form lease contain clauses that specify the occupants that will reside in the rental unit and require the tenant to provide the landlord with specified details concerning new occupants. There are sound reasons to limit the occupancy of a rental unit and/or to obtain details regarding the individuals who reside in same. Among other reasons, where the rent includes the cost of utilities, the landlord has likely set the rent at an amount that is consistent with its expectation

GTA CONSTRUCTION & GENERAL CONTRACTING SPECIALIST

ABOUT US WHO WE ARE

Seasons Colours LTD works with multi-residential, condo and apartment renovations which include lobbies, entrances, corridors, common areas, management offices and suites. We work with you to assess, plan, and engineer the project. We secure all building permits, provide and provision utilities, manage personnel on-site and operate safely and efficiently.

GENERAL CONTRACTING SERVICES

Doors

W e a r e f r o m t h e G T A s o w e h a v e t h e s p e c i a l i z e d k n o w l e d g e o f t h e a r e a ' s l a w s a n d r e g u l a t i o n s t h a t c o m m e r c i a l c o n t r a c t o r s n e e d .

that only the individuals specified in the lease will reside in the rental unit and consume the utilities. Accordingly, where a tenant has breached its lease by allowing an occupant to reside in the rental unit without the landlord’s knowledge or consent, the landlord may want to evict the tenant and/or the unauthorized occupant. On its face, it would appear that, because the tenant is in breach of the lease, the landlord should be able to evict the tenant on the basis that the tenant has substantially interfered with, among other things, the landlord’s lawful rights or interests. The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), however, does not consider such a breach to be a substantial interference. It has long been the LTB’s position that a landlord cannot prohibit a tenant from having roommates so long as the person’s occupancy does not result in a contravention of health, safety or housing standards required by law. This position is consistent with section Q of the Appendix to the standard form lease which provides, among other things, that “[t] he Landlord cannot prevent the tenant from having a roommate, as long as municipal by-laws on occupancy standards are respected”.

The second category of unauthorized occupants consists of individuals to whom a tenant has transferred possession of the rental unit in a manner other than by way of an authorized assignment or subtenancy. In this category, I am including occupants to whom the tenant has sublet or assigned the rental unit without first obtaining the landlord’s consent, occupants who are overholding subtenants (i.e., authorized subtenants who continue to occupy a rental unit after the end of the subtenancy), and occupants who remain in a rental unit after the tenant dies. In this last regard, I note that, pursuant to the RTA, a deceased tenant’s tenancy is deemed to be terminated 30 days after the tenant’s death. In circumstances where an occupant remains in the rental unit after the tenancy is deemed terminated, an argument can be made that the deceased

tenant assigned the rental unit to the occupant, and both the LTB and the Divisional Court have made findings to that effect in past cases involving the death of a tenant. Having said that, if the tenant has transferred occupancy of the rental unit in any of the aforesaid manners, the landlord can apply to the LTB for an order that, among other things, evicts the unauthorized occupant and, if required, evicts the tenant. This application is called an A2: Application about a Sublet or an Assignment (“Unauthorized Occupant Application”). With the exception of social housing landlords, a landlord must initiate the Unauthorized Occupant Application no later than 60 days after the landlord discovers the unauthorized occupancy. If the landlord does not apply to the LTB within the aforesaid 60-day period, the occupant will thereafter be deemed to be the tenant of the rental unit.

Notably, with the exception of social housing tenancies, spouses are given special treatment under the RTA. A spouse is defined in the RTA as a person to whom the tenant is married, or with whom the tenant is living in a conjugal relationship outside of marriage, if both the tenant and the spouse have cohabited for at least one year, are together the parents of a child, or have together entered into a Family Law Act cohabitation agreement. The special treatment that is afforded to spouses applies where the tenant vacates the rental unit, the tenant’s spouse remains in the rental unit, and the rental unit is the spouse’s principal residence. Specifically, the RTA provides that, if a tenant dies, the surviving spouse will be considered to be a tenant unless the spouse vacates the rental unit before the deceased tenant’s tenancy is deemed terminated (being 30 days after the tenant’s death). Also, the RTA provides that, if a tenant vacates a rental unit, the remaining spouse will be considered to be a tenant unless any one or more of the following criteria apply:

It has long been the LTB’s position that a landlord cannot prohibit a tenant from having roommates so long as the person’s occupancy does not result in a contravention of health, safety or housing standards required by law.

• The residential complex contains not more than three residential units and the landlord resides in the residential complex.

• The spouse vacates the rental unit no later than 60 days after the tenant vacated the rental unit.

• There is no rent owing, the landlord has commenced an Unauthorized Occupant Application to obtain an order evicting the spouse, and the spouse does not advise the landlord before the order is issued that they intend to stay.

• There is rent owing, the landlord has given the spouse an LTB approved notice (called the Landlord’s Notice to the Spouse of the Tenant who Vacated the Rental Unit N14) within 45 days after the date the tenant vacated the rental unit, and the spouse fails, within 15 days after receiving the notice, to agree in writing to pay the rental arrears and to advise the landlord that they intend to stay.

• There is rent owing, the landlord has commenced an Unauthorized Occupant Application to obtain an order evicting the spouse, and, before the order is issued, the spouse fails to agree in writing to pay the rental arrears and to advise the landlord that they intend to stay.

The third category of unauthorized occupants consists of individuals who are not tenants1, or unauthorized occupants2, within the meaning of the RTA. This category of occupant includes individuals who are occupying a residential unit that is expressly exempt from the RTA. By way of example, a property owner may have allowed an individual to live in a residential unit rent-free as a favour to that individual. Insofar that this person does not pay rent in return for the right to occupy the unit, this person is arguably not a tenant. Another example is where a property owner has rented a vacation cottage to an individual for a week in the summer. This type of accommodation is exempt under the RTA. A third example is where a former tenant has been evicted from a rental unit and then, subsequent to their eviction, has reoccupied the rental unit

without the landlord’s consent or knowledge. If these occupants have no right to occupy the units, and refuse to vacate same, they are trespassers. The RTA does not apply to these individuals and the LTB does not have the jurisdiction to evict them. Below, I discuss three different approaches that the property owner can use to recover possession of a property from this category of occupant.

The first approach is to use the self-help remedy of taking possession of the property by attending at the property and changing the locks. I do not recommend this approach, as this may expose the property owner to personal injury or to liability if, among other things, the lock change is not ultimately carried out in a peaceful or non-violent manner. In a commercial tenancy, a landlord can protect itself from such liability by engaging a licenced and insured private bailiff to carry out the lock change. Typically, however, private bailiffs will not enforce an eviction of an occupant who resides in a residential unit even if the RTA does not apply to the occupant’s occupancy of the unit.

The second approach is to contact the police. It is an offence for an individual, who is not acting under a legal right or authority, to enter on premises when the entry is prohibited, and/or to refuse to vacate the premises immediately after being directed to do so. It follows that the police can attend at the residential unit to arrest such an individual and remove them from the unit. In practice, however, this occurs infrequently, as the police typically take the position that the dispute between the property owner and the occupant is a civil one that needs to be resolved by the court.

The third approach is to initiate proceedings before the court to obtain an order that evicts the occupant from the residential unit and that directs the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) to enforce same. Like an LTB application, these proceedings can be timeconsuming. These proceedings are also relatively expensive (relative to the typical costs of an LTB application). Despite the foregoing, however, when evicting a trespasser from a residential unit, court proceedings are, in my view, the most effective approach.

FOOTNOTES:

1 i.e., individuals who pay rent or give other consideration in return for the right to occupy a rental unit.

2 i.e., individuals to whom a tenant has transferred possession of the rental unit in a manner other than by way of an authorized assignment or subtenancy.

UTILITY P ORTAL S TURN MOUNDS OF DATA INT O ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

By Vinicius Vilhena, Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Wyse Meter Solutions

With every advancement in technology, businesses amass more and more information, from consumer behaviours and market trends to operational metrics and financial statistics. This surge in data holds immense potential, yet it also presents a unique challenge: How can businesses derive value from this deluge?

Multi-residential building owners and managers understand this challenge all too well.

When it comes to utility usage in their buildings, submetering technology has allowed building owners and managers to look beyond the building-wide level and explore individual consumption patterns. These incredible insights hold a lot of potential for utilities and financial efficiency improvements. Additionally, for owners and managers, this data takes on elevated importance as reporting pressures coming from residents, investors, regulators, and local governments have multiplied. This includes everything from individual conservation goals to governmental net-zero commitments to your own balance sheet depending on accurate and timely data.

But data is only valuable when turned into actionable insights – not always an easy task.

That is why successful building owners are turning to state-of-the-art utility portals to deliver a constant stream of sorted information about their buildings’ energy use. These portals, like the WyseDATA portal we recently developed, take the guesswork out of data, and deliver insights that bring a building’s reporting strategy to the next level.

Whether depending on these portals to help make fact-based decisions about operations, or simply to increase transparency with stakeholders, these portals have become invaluable for several reasons:

Reduce complexity | Raw numbers can be difficult to interpret for non-experts. Now, advanced analytics and visualization tools can transform this data into a comprehensive picture of utility consumption across an entire building portfolio.

Isolate opportunities | There are dozens of variables that affect how energy and resources are used from suites to common areas. Now, new data solutions are providing unprecedented insight into these variables.

Save time | Automation of data collection and analysis simplifies the process. The best systems provide custom reports to help pursue GRESB designations, work toward net-zero operations or achieve other sustainability goals.

Integration | The best of these portals can be seamlessly integrated with smart building platforms, building automation systems, and resident concierge services to create a fulsome data picture.

With data readily available, building owners can support their sustainability agendas, introduce efficiency measures, and increase net operating income. Building managers can easily determine which units are using the most energy, and which ones are/aren’t being billed accordingly, and intervene.

As we continue to grapple with the challenges of climate change and responsible use of resources, the role of data in driving sustainable practices will grow in importance. Tools like utility portals will become indispensable for optimizing utility consumption, securing investment, and aligning with environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related initiatives.

It’s about more than data – it’s about putting that data to work toward a better future.

We are drowning in data.

Blair Melton named Wyse’s Vice-President of Sales and Marketing

Respected corporate leader Blair Melton has joined Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. (Wyse) as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, effective August 28, 2023. Formerly a Senior VP at a GTA-based tech company, Melton will now lead Wyse’s go-to-market strategy, enhance positioning, expand business lines, and elevate client services by leveraging his extensive background in software, technology, and executive leadership. Learn more at www.wysemeter.com

LAUMAR DESIGN LTD.

L a u m a r D e s i g n i s a l e a d i n g a n d r e p u t a b l e c o n t r a c t i n g c o m p a n y b a s e d i n T o r o n t o F o r t h e p a s t 1 5 y e a r s w e ' v e t a k e n a c o m p r e h e n s i v e a p p r o a c h t o p r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t , p r o v i d i n g c l i e n t s w i t h a w i d e r a n g e o f s e r v i c e s D e d i c a t e d s p e c i a l i s t s i n c a r p e n t r y , d r y w a l l , f l o o r i n g , d e s i g n & m o r e , L a u m a r D e s i g n L t d p r o v i d e s p r o f e s s i o n a l , e f f i c i e n t a n d r e l i a b l e s e r v i c e s f o r b o t h r e s i d e n t i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l c l i e n t s

COINAMATIC PARTNERS WITH LUXER ONE

Thanks to our partnership with Luxer One, rental housing providers and their residents can benefit from combined laundry services and the nation’s top-rated package locker system through Coinamatic. With so many flexible locker configurations, it is easy to turn any indoor or outdoor room at a multi-family property into a smart package solution.

Luxer One is the world’s leading package management solution provider. The company provides a suite of smart package delivery lockers and automated package rooms that are designed to accept 100 per cent of deliveries.

Luxer One’s package management solutions enable rental property owners to relieve their staff from the requirements of handling daily packages. This will help to save up to four hours per day of staff’s precious time. Automated package rooms help to eliminate the constant disruption of package deliveries to your rental property. They also help to reduce package theft, which is a growing concern for residents and rental property owners. Having a package management solution in your building will also remove package clutter from your front desk, lobby areas, and hallways.

Providing an automated package management solution is a valuable amenity that will keep current residents in the building (and potentially attract new tenants who would appreciate the service). It also benefits delivery companies, as it supports fast and easy deliveries for carriers. Luxer One’s package management solutions are officially approved by Canadian carriers.

Visit our website www.coinamatic.com today for more info on available package management solutions, or call us at 1-877-755-5302 to speak to a sales rep.

COLOUR INSPIRATION

Choosing paint colours can be a challenging and time-consuming endeavour. The high volume of potential combinations can often be overwhelming. The team at Dulux Paints is happy to assist our customers in the design and colour selection process for all spaces.

Living Room Paint Colours

Formal and refined. Casual and comfortable. Modern and sleek. Whatever your decor personality, express your style with the perfect paint colour for your living room walls. Don’t know where to start when choosing paint colours for your living room? Look to the colours in the other elements of the room for inspiration – art, throw pillows, area rug – and choose a wall paint colour the same as, lighter than or darker than a colour in one of these pieces.

Trim and mouldings add architectural interest to any living room. Paint these details the same colour as the walls for a contemporary take or highlight these decor features with a contrasting paint colour. A feature wall is a great way to add a pop of a contrasting colour to a neutral living room without committing to painting the entire room. Pick the wall that is the natural focal point, which is often the wall opposite the entry to the room.

Still not sure which paint colours work best in your living room? The Dulux Perfect Palette, made up of 100 specially curated paint colours, makes choosing coordinating colours a cinch – for your living room and throughout your home. And keep the walls in your high-traffic living areas looking as fresh and clean as the day you paint them with our Dulux Diamond Interior Low Sheen Eggshell – simply wipe away most stains clean!

Home Workspace Paint Colours

Nowadays, our homes are certainly the workhorses of our lives – treat your at-home workspaces to the renewing colours they deserve. Picking the right paint colour for your home office, remote learning or homework area, studio or crafting space is just as important as fitting it with the right furniture, lighting, storage, and technology. Wall paint colours help boost productivity, creativity, and focus to get the work done. Green creates a serene, soothing atmosphere, which can relieve stress. It is also traditionally associated with money and ambition, making it a good paint colour for a home office.

Red may not be the best paint colour for a work-from-home space as it raises heart and respiratory rates. Blue, on the other hand, is calming, lowering the pulse rate while increasing productivity – a perfect paint colour for a home office or kids’ homework area.

Peach, coral, and soft violet are thought to promote concentration and creativity – the best paint colours for a studio, craft room or workshop.

Light beige and warm grey deliver a feeling of calm and serenity, a top paint colour for where you need to keep focused.

But how do you paint your home office when you need to be back working in it the next day? Our Dulux Lifemaster premium quality, virtually odourless, no-VOC* formula with EZ Clean surface protector means better indoor air quality – most rooms can be painted and worked in the same day!

Bedroom Paint Colours

Never a day goes by when we don’t appreciate having a private space of our own, and the right paint colour can make all the difference. Do you want to make your bedroom a retreat where you can find some calm during the day? Cool colours, like soft blues and greens, create a sense of tranquility. Warmer but light tones provide a sense of calm and coziness. But maybe you want a room that will invigorate and energize? Then look to more saturated and rich paint hues. Take inspiration for the paint colour of your bedroom from the colourful elements of your bedroom – bedding, artwork, rug. A deep, rich wall paint colour in the bedroom envelops and cocoons.

Soft neutrals are cozy and bring out the undertones in wood furniture and floors – a great choice for a calming bedroom wall paint colour.

Not quite ready for a bolder paint colour on all of your bedroom walls? Painting just the wall behind the bed sets the focal point of the room. And a bonus – it can take the place of a headboard too. Having trouble picturing your favourite paint colours on your bedroom walls? Head over to our easy-to-use online paint colour visualizer to ‘test’ colours on a photo of your room or one from our gallery, before even picking up a paintbrush!

Bathroom Paint Colours

The perfect paint colour makes any bathroom a much needed, stress-relieving retreat, whether a palatial ensuite or a small condo bathroom. With thoughtful decor choices and the right paint colours, it’s easy to beautify bathrooms big and small into relaxing and calming spaces. Soft, soothing paint colours maximize light and spaciousness. Rosy neutrals are a flattering paint colour choice for a bathroom, casting a warm, natural glow.

Sand and sea paint colours like earthy neutrals and ocean blues are reminders of a relaxing beach and waterside tranquility.

A dark paint colour can actually make a small bathroom or powder room feel larger. The sharp contrast to white fixtures makes the walls recede visually.

If you would like to learn more about the colour & design resources available from Dulux, visit https://www.dulux.ca/ pro/colour or email Dulux’s Corporate Accounts Manager, Donny Goettler, goettler@ppg.com

FAST-TRACK ENERGY EFFICIENCY

with incentives

Did you know about 30 per cent of building energy use is lost through inefficient equipment or operations? Enbridge Gas provides free expert advice and incentives for high-efficiency upgrades, which makes it easier to reduce energy waste and find immediate and ongoing savings. This could add up to millions of dollars across a portfolio of buildings over time. Beyond reducing your buildings’ energy usage and lowering utility costs, these high-efficiency upgrades will help to boost building performance and resident comfort.

Expert help at no cost to you

Enbridge Gas’ team of experienced Energy Solutions Advisors will work with you, at no cost, to help identify opportunities to save energy and improve your buildings’ efficiency. They’ll also prequalify you for the incentive program best suited to your building needs

Lasting benefits, easy upgrades

• Reduce energy consumption and costs

• Minimize your carbon footprint

• Boost reserve for other improvements

• Reduce capital costs with incentives

• Enhance residents’ comfort and well-being

Two paths to energy savings

Get free upgrades and incentives up to $200,000: If your building qualifies for the Affordable Multi-Family Housing program, you could receive free in-suite upgrades, such as low-flow showerheads and heat reflector panels that instantly save energy. Incentives up to $200,000 are also available for capital efficiency upgrades to heating and ventilation equipment.

Get incentives to cover up to 50 per cent of incremental costs for efficiency upgrades: Condominiums and apartment buildings may qualify for incentives to cover up to one-half of the cost of upgrades (up to a maximum of $100,000) to boilers, HVAC, building automation systems, and other energy-intensive equipment. Incentives are also available for energy audits and site assessments.

Call us today for no obligation, free consultation Enbridge Gas makes it easy—with free expert advice and incentives on make-up air units, boilers, water heaters, and more. Contact an Enbridge Gas Energy Solutions Advisor at energyservices@enbridge.com to get started today.

A ordable Housing Multi-Residential Program

Reduce capital upgrade costs

Complimentary technical help and incentives up to $200,000*

Heating season is around the corner. Make capital improvements now to help save energy and reduce operating costs. With the

A ordable Housing Multi-Residential Program, you receive financial incentives up to $200,000 for boilers, energy-e cient technologies and energy assessments. Plus, free in-suite upgrades and expert assistance every step of the way.

Why upgrade now?

• Reduce energy, maintenance and operating costs.

• Control costs more e ectively with automated systems.

• Improve energy e ciency and reduce emissions.

• Enhance resident comfort, health and well-being.

•

•

• Boilers

• Building automation controls

• Ventilation technologies

• Variable frequency drives

• Water heaters

• Energy assessments