Tenants turning McAuley place into a community
Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Laura Mueller
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EMC community - When Hibo Ismail moved into McAuley Place almost three years ago, a large room just off the entrance of the building had become a dusty, unwelcoming storage area.
Laura Mueller, Metroland
McAuley Tenant Association president Hibo Ismail (left) and volunteers Michael Enoka and Jennifer Thomas pose with the new curtains, fresh paint job and new furniture that are attracting the building's tenants and helping build a community spirit.
But on Jan. 25, the bright and repainted lounge was buzzing with people who came out to celebrate the renaissance of community spirit in the building.
Ismail, along with two other residents - Jennifer Thomas and Michael Enoka - spearheaded an effort to renovate the room, painting the walls, sourcing furniture donations and a television, and making it into a space for neighbours to connect.
Now, people have begun to hang out in the space and getting to know each other better.
"The more people involved in the community, it makes it a better place to live in," Ismail said.
The Centretown building is setting an example for an initiative that's underway throughout Ottawa Community Housing's buildings - home to more than 32,000 tenants.
It's called the healthy communities initiative, and McAuley Place was one of the first two buildings to try out the new approach starting in 2008.
The initiative is looking to boost tenants' pride in their homes, their sense of security, encourage positive social engagement and integration into the surrounding community.
That could mean anything from creating a strategy to tackle maintenance issues in partnership with tenants, to hosting community events to working more closely with the community policing officer.
"The key to the success is to have tenants at the table," said Jo-Anne Poirier, chief executive of Ottawa Community Housing.
She said community housing wanted to thank the McAuley Tenant Association and Ismail for the extraordinary work done to turn the building around.
There was more concern about safety before, and tenants didn't mingle as much, Poirier said. Now, McAuley is a different place.
"It's becoming a role model," Poirier said.
Ismail said she likes that idea.
"It will open up their eyes so they can see it's a group of people who got together and did this within themselves," she said. "They didn't have to wait on others to come."
"It's really all about teamwork. Get together and don't give up. Accomplish things that you all want together."
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