A framed certificate hangs on a bright green wall of the newly renovated common room in McAuley Place. Mayor Jim Watson recently bestowed the honour on tenants of the Centretown apartment complex for their dedication to fostering a greater sense of community within the building.
“We are so proud and thankful for the recognition,” says Hibal Ismail, president of the McAuley Place Tenant Association. “We are a team here, everybody has a task and we support each other.”
The tenants worked together to renovate the common room that used to sit empty most days, attracting dust and unwanted items discarded by residents of the building at Laurier and Lyon. The renovations were funded by the Healthy Communities Initiative, a program run by Ottawa Community Housing.
“The program financially funds and supports tenants to ensure positive social environment, integration in the broader community, pride of place, safety and security,” says Jo-Anne Poirier, chief executive of Ottawa Community Housing, the largest social housing provider in Ottawa.
McAuley Place was the second building to try out the program, which started in 2008.
“Before we started the initiative, there used to be tension in the building,” says Michael Enoka, member of the tenant association and a resident for eight years.
“That tension is completely gone after working together as a team to renovate the room and having a place where everyone can socialize.”
Since the renovations, the common room is booked almost every weekend by a tenant for a social gathering, says Ismail.
“The room used to be a big pile of stuff, like a garage,” says Ismail. “There wasn’t any space to socialize and it was dark and uninviting.”
Now, the walls are freshly painted and lined with artwork. A television sits next to a bookshelf of video cassette tapes. A long table and several chairs are in the middle of the room for residents to enjoy food or play board games.
“Almost all of the furniture was donated by the tenants,” Ismail says. “Almost everyone has contributed.”
The community at McAuley Place has become a model for other residential communities in the city, says Poirier.
“It really is a success story,” says Poirier. “I’ve seen the community change in a positive way. People are more engaged and they feel more comfortable using the lounge, interacting amongst each other and feeling a source of pride to where they live.”
Claude Wheoan, a resident for four years, brews coffee each morning in the common room, where a table is set up with disposable cups, milk, cream and sugar.
Steven Bowman, a resident for seven years, visits the common room for a coffee almost every day since renovations were completed last month.
“It’s great because everyone gets along here,” he says. “You can walk in, enjoy a coffee, talk to neighbours and read the newspaper.”
Poirier says Ottawa Community Housing has an annual tenant forum and will likely ask McAuley Place tenants to speak to others about their experience with the Healthy Communities Initiative.
“I think facilitating those kind of discussions between McAuley tenants and those from other buildings will lead a good example for other communities.”