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2015 ANNUAL REPORT www.frpo.org

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  • 2015A N N U A L R E P O R T

    www.frpo.org

  • 2 0 1 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T

    2 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    CHAIRS REPORTGovernment Relations

    FRPO continues to expand efforts to create a positive dialogue

    between housing providers and Members of Provincial Parliament

    (MPPs) at Queens Park. By providing evidence-based policy

    positions, we are fulfilling our mission of establishing FRPO as a

    credible, professional industry association. Over 2015-2016, FRPO

    held numerous meetings with the Ministry of Housing, elected

    officials from all three political parties, and important oversight

    agencies, such as the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB), Municipal

    Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), Ontario Energy Board

    (OEB) and Technical Safety Standards Authority (TSSA).

    FRPOs 2015 MPP Reception at Queens Park, which featured

    the Honourable Ted McMeekin (Minister of Municipal Affairs and

    Housing) as keynote speaker, was also a productive and effective

    event, facilitating a discussion opportunity between members of

    FRPO with MPPs and policy staff from all three major parties.

    Policy Advocacy

    In July 2015, FRPO released a policy paper titled Removing

    Barriers to New Rental Housing in Ontario and submitted it to

    the provincial government as the industrys submission on the

    provinces consultations to update the Long Term Affordable

    Housing Strategy.

    This paper addresses the top policy issues FRPO has been

    presenting to government for the past few years, and is positioned

    to align with the governments key priority to advance solutions to

    address the affordable housing issue across the province.

    FRPO has consistently offered its best advice to help move the

    government from trying to do more with less to being able to do

    new with less with the help of the private sector. The policies

    of the past (social housing construction and rent control) have

    not worked and have not addressed the growing list of 160,000

    Ontario families in need of housing. We have compiled a set of

    policy alternatives that government can support to create and

    sustain a more investment-friendly environment to get Ontario

    building again. We will continue to put those forward in the

    ongoing consultations of 2016.

    Government actions recommended by FRPO include:

    1. Introducing Affordable Rental Housing Agreements to create

    up to 90,000 new homes;

    2. Reducing costly development charges on new construction of

    multi-family apartment buildings;

    3. Preserving the 1991 rent-control exemption to stimulate

    private sector investment in Ontarios aging rental stock;

    4. Improving transparency of Section 37 agreements during

    the approvals stage for new purpose-built residential

    construction;

    5. Making changes to municipal property tax policies for multi-

    residential properties;

    6. Eliminating costly municipal licensing of rental housing units;

    7. Making rental housing more affordable for low-income

    Ontarians through a portable housing allowance initiative.

    We also received support for our recommendations from

    the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA), which

    encouraged the government to give due consideration to our

    ideas and advice on how to generate the development of new

    rental housing across the province while at the same time

  • 3www.frpo.org

    creating a more business-friendly environment to manage and

    maintain existing housing stock.

    We will keep the membership updated on our progress in

    our discussions with the municipal and provincial levels of

    government and encourage you to provide any advice that can

    better inform our policy ideas.

    Certified Rental Building Program

    Almost 1,000 apartment buildings across Ontario now have

    FRPOs Certified Rental Building (CRB) designation, meaning

    that over 260,000 Ontarians now live in quality assured, CRB-

    approved homes. In 2015, the CRB continued to promote and

    implement new Living GREEN Together sustainability standards

    as part of the CRB Program, providing even better value to

    tenants, housing providers and our province. Over a dozen new

    green standards now support prudent business practices while

    promoting environmentally friendly policies and procedures in

    the management of apartment buildings. These standards also

    include employee and tenant education and promotion of daily

    things residents can all do to improve our environment and green

    their apartment communities.

    Refugee Settlement in Rental Housing

    FRPO and its members have taken a leading role in providing

    safe, secure and affordable housing to refugees arriving to

    Canada from war-torn Syria. Renting to refugees in Ontario

    is not new to our members. Some 26,000 refugees from all

    over the world are admitted to Canada every year. A large

    percentage of these newcomers land in Ontario, and for a large

    number of them, the quality rental housing and communities

    built and provided by our membership play a vital role in their

    accommodation and re-settlement. We are proud of that.

    What is new, however, is the pace and quantity with which

    Syrian refugees are now coming to Canada. We foresaw this

    as a concern. Since November 2015, FRPO has been seeking a

    process with appropriate provincial government representatives

    to assist in meeting the immediate needs of those in crisis. We

    have offered our expertise, information and resources. FRPO has

    been in regular contact with the Ontario government regarding

    Bill ZigomanisBoardwalk Rental

    Communities

    efforts by our members to open their doors to these newest

    arrivals to Canada in almost every case done without any

    public subsidies or government-backed rent guarantees.

    FRPO also provided members with legal and legislative

    information on their rights and responsibilities with respect to

    providing rental housing within the existing regulatory regime.

    We reached out to community services and associations that are

    supporting the Syrian refugees to provide facts and information

    on how to find a quality housing provider in Ontario.

    More Support for Vulnerable Women and Children

    In 2015, FRPO and its members raised over $70,000 for Interval

    House, Canadas first shelter for women and children fleeing

    domestic violence. Interval House provides those in need with

    shelter, counseling and innovative programming to help them

    rebuild their lives. When women are ready to leave the shelter,

    Interval House helps them on their journey by helping them find

    affordable and safe housing. This years support brings FRPOs

    total contributions to Interval House since 2007 to $361,000.

    FRPO members such as Minto Management Limited, GWL Realty

    Advisors, CAPREIT and Oxford Residential came together to form

    NAOC, the National Apartment Owners Consortium. This group

    represented Canadas first private-sector second-stage housing

    program a program that goes beyond the need for emergency

    help, and gives women a real stepping stone to rebuilding their

    lives. Housing units are offered by private landlords to Interval

    House clients at rent-geared-to-income rates for up to one year,

    while Interval House supports these women as they transition

    into their new homes, careers and lives.

    Women in Rental Housing

    FRPO held its 3rd Annual Women in Rental Housing Luncheon

    in 2015. This years event, sponsored by Absolute Ventilation,

    brought together over 150 women in the rental housing industry

    to discuss preparing the next generation of women for leadership

    success in rental housing. This successful annual event addresses

    the challenges women face in the workplace and provides advice

    to women on achieving their career goals in our industry.

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    4 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    FRPO Housing Summit

    On September 9, FRPO hosted its first new rental housing

    summit in Toronto, featuring housing experts, policy makers and

    the housing provider sector to discuss solutions to increase the

    supply of new and affordable rental housing.

    The summit included an engaging discussion panel with

    Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs, Vancouvers Chief Housing

    Officer, Mukhtar Latif, and Landlord BCs David Hutniak. A think-

    tank session in the morning was moderated by former Ontario

    Deputy Minister of Housing, Michael Fenn.

    The summit was attended by representatives from the Ontario

    government, the City of Toronto, municipal governments,

    the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, the Canadian

    Cooperative Housing Federation, Evergreen City Works, the

    Ontario Home Builders Association, as well as other public and

    private sector housing providers and experts.

    The meetings were a success, with consensus agreement that all

    levels of government must work in partnership with the private

    and non-profit sectors to build a strong commitment to supplying

    new rental housing, using innovative tools such as a streamlined

    planning process, and reduced or waived development charges.

    Fixing the Rent Dispute Process

    FRPO continues to be an effective member of the Landlord

    Tenant Boards Stakeholder Advisory Council, continually

    advocating for improvements to the landlord-tenant adjudication

    process. As a result, many enhancements to resolving rent

    disputes were introduced in 2015, including the Landlord Tenant

    Boards new e-filing feature, which has received over 5,000

    applications from housing providers. Housing providers can also

    check the status of their file at the Board using a new online

    Check File Status tool.

    Beginning July 2015, the Board started serving the notice

    of hearing and the application to both the applicant and the

    respondent. This new process is more streamlined and in

    most cases housing providers will no longer have to serve the

    notice of hearing or submit a certificate of service. Starting in

    October 2015, the Landlord Tenant Board also started issuing

    PRESIDENTS REPORTsome orders on the same day of the hearing, saving rental

    housing providers significant time. In November 2015, the Board

    released updated versions of forms, notices and accompanying

    instructions. These updates made the forms more readable and

    easier to complete. A number of the changes were made as a

    direct result of suggestions by FRPO.

    Licensing is Not the Answer

    The decision by some municipalities to charge rental housing

    licensing fees continues have a negative impact on housing

    costs and supply. Now that the Ontario government is working

    on new solutions to improve housing affordability, it is vital

    that changes to Ontarios Municipal Act be made (the repeal

    of Regulation 243/02) to protect rental housing from municipal

    licensing taxes.

    Licensing taxes on rental homes result in costly fees for

    tenants and red-tape barriers on housing providers. In some

    municipalities, license fees result in tenants seeing rent increases

    of $400 more per year. Small housing providers who cant afford

    onerous licensing requirements will discontinue the rental use

    of their properties. In 2013, the City of Hamilton predicted up to

    a 30% loss of rental units if licensing took effect. Rental housing

    quality is already enforced by the Residential Tenancies Act, the

    Landlord Tenant Board and municipal property standard bylaws.

    Licensing duplicates these efforts while imposing hundreds of

    dollars in annual fees on tenants and discouraging the supply of

    new rental housing.

    FRPO continues to advocate for restoration by the Ontario

    government of the pre-2007 regulatory prohibition on licensing

    to send a positive signal to housing providers and prevent

    unnecessary rent increases on tenants.

    2015 Federal Election

    As part of its election platform, the federal Liberal government

    has committed to renew federal leadership in housing and to

    help build more housing units and refurbish existing ones. It

    is our hope that federal money for capital is used for the repair

    and renovation of existing social housing stock, but that an

    appropriate amount is earmarked to support income support

  • 5www.frpo.org

    programs for Ontario families requiring some assistance

    to secure appropriate housing. This potential new funding

    commitment from the federal government for housing could be

    part of the promise for a better Ontario that the Premier was

    counting on.

    If another level of government is going to be taking part in

    discussing the future of rental housing in Ontario, it is mission

    critical that FPRO has a seat at this table to help ensure we have

    the right plan for our industry and our customers.

    Scott AndisonPresident & CEO

    Improvements to Property Tax Assessment

    Over the last 18 months, FRPO has been working with the

    Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and the

    Ministry of Finance on real solutions to make the property

    assessment system for apartment buildings fairer and to

    advocate for fairness in municipal property tax rates.

    In 2014, through FPROs efforts, MPAC introduced a new Tenant

    Information Package (TIP) process that reduced the amount of

  • 2 0 1 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T

    6 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    information collected by MPAC by 93%, making it much easier for

    property owners and managers to file the necessary information

    each year.

    At the beginning of November 2015, MPAC began public

    consultations on improving the method used to determine the

    current value of apartment buildings. FRPO began advocating

    for a change in methodology in 2014 based on the evidence

    provided in the expert report commissioned by FRPO. In this

    report, the recommendation was to abandon the Gross Income

    Multiplier method currently used by MPAC and adopt the much

    more accurate Capitalized Income approach.

    Building on the recent improvements to the TIP forms, a new

    online system will be released in the near future that will allow

    property managers to enter information online and view the

    draft valuation results as well as the details used to calculate

    the value. This will allow a property owner/manager to test the

    validity of the proposed assessment value under the assessment

    methodology. This would be the first time that apartment

    property owners will have immediate access to how their

    property assessment was calculated.

    Resolving assessment issues earlier will result in fewer appeals

    and lower costs. FRPO will continue to work with MPAC in

    our members interests to bring about these long overdue

    improvements to the property assessment system.

    Ontario Energy Policy

    As a regular participant in Ontario Energy Board (OEB) hearings,

    FRPO represented the views of housing providers to advocate for

    better demand side management policies and fair energy rates

    for property owners and tenants. FRPO worked with the OEB and

    Enbridge to implement effective low-income initiatives and expand

    the offering of low-income rate programs across the province.

    FRPO also successfully advocated for substantial natural gas rate

    decreases over the next five years. As a result, medium to large

    apartment buildings will save 7% to 9% on the delivery component of

    their bills this year, with total savings of $28 million over 2014 to 2018.

    New FRPO Website

    Member information and resources, networking events, outreach

    activities and industry awards have always been available on our

    site, but over time, content had clearly overtaken organization and

    new technology was not available to members. Today, I am pleased

    to inform you that at our Annual General Meeting, we shared

    the work we have recently completed on upgrading our website

    (www.frpo.org) into a channel that better presents and organizes

    our outreach activities, better houses your tools and information

    resources, and continues to celebrate our successes together.

    The site is now up to date, including in branding, navigation and

    technology requirements. Functionally, e-commerce capabilities

    have been added to enable members to have seamless login,

    registration and purchasing of our marquee events. You will also

    find a new section called Advocacy, which highlights a critical

    element of what we do in engaging government to support a

    positive operating environment for our industry. In summary, you

    can find what you need smarter and faster. From access to legal

    advice, leases and forms, to sharing our work on fair property

    taxes, affordable housing or Syrian refugees, or to registering for

    an industry event you can easily do it all online.

    Finally, as we look ahead to the next 12 months, they promise

    interesting and challenging times for our industry, particularly

    on the provinces affordable housing strategy. We will continue

    to serve our members as the primary advocacy organization

    in the province. Most importantly, we want to thank all our

    Members, our Board of Directors, and our sponsors. This years

    achievements and our ability to shape the industry were made

    possible by their tremendous contributions.

    PRESIDENTS REPORT

  • 7www.frpo.org

    In 2015, FRPO leaders met with Ontario government officials,

    relevant regulatory bodies and stakeholders on priority

    industry issues, bringing awareness and evidence-based

    recommendations to the table with a collaborative approach. On

    the leading topic of generating quality rental housing that families

    can afford in Ontario, FRPO met with the Premiers Office and

    the governments official critics. Additional meetings were held

    with the Ministers of Housing, Attorney General and Treasury

    Board. Other government relations outreach included meetings

    on various topics of industry concern with MPAC, Ontario Energy

    Board, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, the Human

    Rights Commission and the Landlord Tenant Board as we focused

    on the priority areas of rent control, rent disputes, property tax

    and assessment, and municipal licensing.

    Housing That Families Can Afford - Removing Barriers to New Rental Housing

    Every household in Ontario should have access to safe and

    stable housing that is affordable at every income level. Yet

    supply has not kept up with demand. As the cost of housing

    continues to rise in this province, rental housing has become the

    most affordable option for many Ontario households.

    Ontario has everything it needs to build quality homes at all

    levels. Our information shows that Ontario can create desirable,

    affordable, healthy communities, but current government policies

    work against the construction of new rental housing. Government

    needs to work with the private sector to find new solutions

    that will stimulate the development of new purpose-built rental

    housing that will provide more affordable options for individuals

    and families. FRPO took advantage of all opportunities to deliver

    that message.

    In June, the Ontario government initiated a public consultation

    for a renewed Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy. FRPO

    responded with a comprehensive list of no-cost low-cost

    policy proposals that are achievable and can be implemented

    immediately. These recommendations have little to no cost to

    the government and would reduce the cost of delivering long-

    term affordable housing solutions while giving the private sector

    increased confidence to invest in new rental housing.

    Advocating Quality Housing Through Partnership, Innovation and Collaboration

    Government actions recommended by FRPO include:

    Affordable rental housing agreements

    Reducing development charges

    Preserving the 1991 rent-control exemption

    Improving transparency of Section 37 agreements

    Changes to property tax assessments of multi-residential

    properties

    Eliminating municipal licensing of rental housing units

    A portable housing allowance initiative.

    FRPO presented the industrys position at Committee on

    November 2, 2015. We will place the industry front and centre on

    this issue as the Ontario government moves ahead with a further

    stakeholder consultation process in 2016.

    Housing Summit

    FRPOs first ever Housing Summit successfully gathered together

    more than 150 of Ontarios leading housing policy experts,

    government officials and stakeholders to discuss the best way to

    support private sector rental housing investment. Officials from

    the Ministry of Housing, Premiers Office, Treasury Board, Ministry

    POLICY & ADVOCACY

    Act

    ual

    Ren

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    nit

    s C

    om

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    ted

    An

    nu

    ally

    Year

    Source: CMHC Rental Housing Starts and Completions Survey

    Annual New Apartment Unit Completions Has Declined Over Time

  • 2 0 1 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T

    8 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    of Community Social Services, and City of Toronto attended. The

    full-day event, held at the Economic Club in Toronto, featured

    keynote speakers from Vancouver to examine real solutions to

    breaking down barriers to the supply of new rental housing.

    Housing Tour

    FRPOs 4th annual housing tour provided 35 members with an

    opportunity to learn best practices and innovations in property

    management in San Diego, California. Attendees also received

    a first-hand update on the regulatory and market environment

    from the San Diego County Apartment Association. Those in

    attendance had an opportunity to hear about effective ways to

    engage with residents on energy conservation and effective use

    of amenities within the complex.

    Rent Control

    On the surface, rent control may sound appealing to tenants,

    but the evidence shows overwhelmingly it has dire economic

    consequences on rental housing supply. The current new

    development policy set out in the Residential Tenancies Act

    (the post-1991 rent exemption) is the primary reason why new

    rental housing is being built. In addition, inflation statistics show

    pressure is being put on the hard rent cap imposed by the

    government and rental providers operating and capital costs

    have edged above the annual rent increase guidelines. FRPO

    continued to promote fact-based awareness of the impact of rent

    controls as we advocated for housing providers on this issue.

    Rent Dispute Process

    The rent dispute process in Ontario is overly burdensome,

    although some improvements were made in 2015 by the

    Landlord and Tenant Board by introducing some procedural

    efficiencies due to the advocacy efforts of FRPO. A provincial

    comparison of average days to resolve housing provider-tenant

    disputes shows that resolution in Ontario takes almost three

    times longer than it takes in other provinces. At an average of 90

    days to resolve, the process must continue to be improved. FRPO

    presented several options to government to support further

    balance to the dispute process.

    Property Tax and Assessment

    The evidence shows that apartments in Ontario have

    been assessed and taxed inconsistently for decades. One

    consequence of this unfairness is to inhibit the creation of new

    rental housing. FRPO worked in partnership with the Municipal

    Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) to examine the

    move to a more transparent assessment methodology. In

    November, 2015, FRPO and MPAC members moved forward in

    formal consultations with the ultimate goal of introducing a new

    assessment methodology for the 2017 reassessment year in an

    effort to reduce the need for assessment appeals. Over the last

    several years, the rate of appeal and request for reconsiderations

    have approached the 40% mark for Ontarios 15,000 multi-

    residential properties. This is unnecessarily burdensome and

    costly for apartment building owners and managers.

    POLICY & ADVOCACY

  • 9www.frpo.org

    The Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario is

    committed to continually looking for ways to enhance the quality

    of apartment living for residents across the province. In 2008,

    we developed and implemented the Certified Rental Building

    Program (CRB Program) to provide a quality assurance benefit

    that rental housing consumers can count on when shopping

    for their rental apartment home. The program promotes

    professionalism in the rental housing industry while providing

    tenants with well-run, well-managed apartment communities

    where the property manager and their staff care about providing

    high quality of service to their residents.

    Apartment buildings and complexes accepted into the program

    must comply with more than 50 Standards of Practice and are

    audited regularly by J.D. Power to track compliance. To date,

    more than 260,000 rental residents reside in more than 950

    certified apartment buildings across the province.

    In 2015, the CRB Program achieved another major milestone

    interprovincial expansion of the CRB Program to the province of

    British Columbia. Members with building portfolios in both B.C.

    and Ontario can utilize the CRB Program as a gold standard for

    operational and marketing consistency. For FRPO, this expansion

    brings enhanced respect and government relations value to

    Canadas only resident-focused industry accreditation program.

    In addition, a major marketing focus was directed at increasing

    consumer awareness regarding the CRB Programs Living

    GREEN Together (LGT) standards the first industry-developed

    environmental operating standards for multi-residential

    apartment buildings. Our LGT sustainability social media program

    resulted in over 10,000 YouTube views demonstrating that there

    is a growing demand amongst rental housing consumers for

    rental homes within greener apartment communities. Thanks

    to the support of Enbridge Gas Distribution, FRPO was able to

    conduct more than 30 Resident Green Day events, exposing

    thousands of Ontario consumers to the LGT brand and to the

    many benefits of creating greener apartment communities.

    Supporting our environmental focus in 2015, the CRB Program

    launched the Environmental Champions Educational Project,

    completing the base design for five key modules of the

    curriculum with input from a number of participating Corporate

    and Associate members. We are grateful for their support as we

    activate this new program.

    The CRBs website (www.crbprogram.org) was also re-designed

    this year to make it easier for prospective renters to seek and

    find information about the program and its many benefits. As a

    result, we saw a 16% increase in the number of enquiries and over

    140,000 member outlinks generated for participating members.

    CERTIFIED RENTAL BUILDING PROGRAM

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    10 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    On December 3, 2015, FRPO held its 15th annual awards gala in Toronto. FRPOs MAC (Marketing, Achievement and Construction) Awards recognize success and quality in Ontarios rental housing sector.

    FRPOs awards gala continues to grow, with a record attendence of 1,000 guests and 140 award submissions.

    2015 MAC AWARDSRecognizing Rental Housing Excellence

    Lifetime Achievement AwardRoger & Alan GreenbergThe Minto Group

  • 11www.frpo.org

    Lifetime Achievement Award Roger and Alan Greenberg (Minto)

    Property Management Advertising Excellence - Single Campaign Hollyburn Properties My Hollyburn Dream Vacation Campaign

    Best Property Management Website Vertica Resident Services www.vertica.ca

    Best Curb AppealGreenwin Inc./Hanard Investments Limited15 & 25 Canyon Ave, Toronto

    Lobby Renovation of the Year CAPREIT 44 Stubbs Drive, Toronto

    Best Suite Renovation Under $10,000Preston Apartments 90 Eastdale Avenue, Toronto

    Best Suite Renovation Over $10,000Realstar 57 Widdicombe Hill Blvd, Toronto

    Rental Development of the YearMorguard Corporation 310 & 320 Tweedsmuir Ave, Toronto

    Residential Amenities Award of ExcellenceOxford Properties 1101 Bay Street, Toronto

    Environmental Award of ExcellenceSkyline Group of Companies

    Certified Rental Building Member of the Year (Under 15 Buildings)Oxford Residential

    Outstanding Community Service Skyline Group of Companies

    Leasing Professional of the Year Lillian Abulatifeh (CAPREIT)

    Property Manager of the Year Andrea Rocheleau (Skyline Group of Companies)

    Resident Manager of the Year Helen Howard (Skyline Group of Companies)

    Customer Service Award of ExcellenceM&R Property Management

    2015 MAC Award WinnersSkyline Group of Companies Realstar 57 Widdicombe Hill Blvd, Toronto Lillian Abulatifeh (CAPREIT)

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    12 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    FRPO events create valuable opportunities for members to learn,

    engage in issues and network amongst their peers. FRPO is

    active in hosting in-person events and online webinars that are

    designed to inform and connect members to current information

    and best practices across the industry.

    (RTA) Residential Tenancies Act Seminars

    Over 400 members attended FRPOs 2015 series of RTA half-day

    seminars held in five cities across the province. These events

    are presented by experts in Landlord-Tenant law and focus on

    various legal and legislative topics to help guide attendees in

    navigating the Residential Tenancies Act. These seminars are

    held annually with an updated curriculum each year.

    FRPO Webinar Sessions

    This year FRPO held several webinars for our members, including

    Crisis Management, Electricity Pricing Structures, Government

    Relations Updates and Landlord Tenant Board Information

    Sessions. Webinars are an effective tool in serving our members

    throughout the province.

    CMHC Rental Market Survey Breakfast

    This annual event is attended by over 200 members and is a

    valuable tool for evaluating market conditions and factors driving

    MEMBER EVENTSInvolved, Engaged and Inspired

    the multi-residential sector. CMHC economists presented the

    results of the 2014 Rental Market Survey, including the Greater

    Toronto Area market, as well as other primary markets in Ontario.

    This well-attended event is one of FRPOs most popular and

    continues to provide relevant information helping to shape the

    rental industry.

    Women in Rental Housing

    Our annual Women in Rental Housing luncheon brought together

    over 150 female professionals from across Ontario working in the

    multi-residential sector. This years panel included Gloria Preston

    of the Preston Group, Charlsey Brunne of Minto, Paula Gasparro

    of CMHC, and Laura Holland of Timbercreek Communities. Kris

    Boyce of Greenwin served as moderator. This annual event

    addresses the challenges women face in the workplace and

    provides advice to women on achieving their professional goals.

    Supporting our Community

    FRPO and our members are leaders in building strong, caring

    communities across Ontario, including for charity.

    For the past nine years, FRPO and our members have proudly

    supported Interval House, the first shelter for abused women

    and children in Canada, with financial and advocacy support for

    their programs, education and housing needs. Interval House is

  • 13www.frpo.org

    a leader in the campaign for womens empowerment, providing

    specialized services that help abused women and their children

    leave domestic violence and rebuild their lives. FRPO support

    has helped Interval House to increase program space and

    expand education and counselling services as well as pilot an

    Opening Doors subsidy program to allow program graduates to

    rent in the private market. By working together, FRPO and our

    partners, like Interval House, can better represent the interests

    of everyone involved in rental housing.

    Since 2007, FRPO has raised $361,000 for Interval House

    through golf tournaments and other donations, enabling a real

    impact on the lives of women and children fleeing abuse.

    2015 FRPO Charity Golf Classic in support of Interval House, Canadas first shelter for women fleeing domestic violence

    Once again in 2015, FRPOs sold-out charity golf classic at

    Rattlesnake Point was a well-attended day of networking and

    fun for more than 300 FRPO members, sponsors and suppliers.

    FRPO made a cash donation of $50,000 and the events raffle,

    silent auction and generous member contributions raised an

    additional $20,000, for a total $70,000 donation to Interval

    House at this one-day event.

    17th Annual Spring HOPE Food Drive

    FRPO is proud to coordinate in conjunction with the Regional

    Associations one of the largest one-day food drives in Canada,

    collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations for

    needy families across Ontario. This important initiative brings

    rental housing providers and tenants together to provide

    to those less fortunate. The 2015 event collected a total of

    400,000 pounds of food for food banks in 40 communities

    across the province. Over 2,500 property management staff,

    volunteers and tenants helped collect food from over 2,500

    apartment buildings over the course of one evening and deliver

    them to local food banks.

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    14 2015 FRPO Annual Report

    Executive CommitteeChair: Bill Zigomanis

    The Executive Committee is responsible for managing activity

    and providing strategic direction at FRPO between Board of

    Directors meetings. Members have continued to make key policy

    decisions regarding financial statements and to monitor the

    activities of FRPO Committees.

    Credentialing CommitteeChair: David Horwood

    The Credentialing Committee oversees the policies and program

    development of association-based certification programs,

    including the industrys Certified Rental Building (CRB) Program

    along with FRPOs wide variety of investments in continuing

    education initiatives. The Credentialing Committee is supported

    by the direct efforts of the Certification and Governance sub-

    committees focused on the CRB Program.

    CRB Certification Sub-CommitteeChair: Randy Daiter

    The focus of this Sub-Committees efforts is to strengthen the

    Programs risk management practices, continuously improve

    on the Programs Standards of Practice, and to continue to

    build awareness with Ontario rental housing providers and

    the consumers they serve. The Sub-Committee oversees the

    membership applications and ultimately awards certification to

    the buildings that qualify in meeting the stringent standards that

    make up the CRB Program. The Sub-Committee also administers

    the regular and random audit programs that ensure both initial

    and ongoing compliance with the Program standards.

    CRB Governance Sub-CommitteeChair: Marvin Sadowski

    The Governance Sub-Committee oversees the management

    processes and structures that support the Certified Rental

    Building Program. In addition, this Sub-Committee is charged

    with reviewing any and all tenant enquiries related to the

    standards or ongoing certification process. Members also

    provide valued input and advice on the audit reporting process

    and the continuous review process of the random audit program.

    Finance & Audit CommitteeChair: Paul Chisholm

    The Finance & Audit Committee oversees and directs FRPOs

    financial management, reporting, and controllership functions.

    The Committee is also responsible for the development of the

    corporations annual operating budget for approval by the Board

    of Directors. The Committee also ensures the organizations

    compliance with generally accepted accounting standards and

    acts at arms length from management and the Board of Directors

    in dealing with the organizations external auditor.

    Government Relations CommitteeChair: Ken Kirsh

    The Government Relations Committee develops overall

    advocacy strategies to respond to key industry issues. This

    Committee develops appropriate approaches in dealing with

    government ministries, Cabinet Ministers and other officials on

    matters affecting the rental housing industry. The Committee

    works to ensure our industrys message is being properly and

    effectively conveyed to government, the media and the public.

    Legislation & Adjudication CommitteeChair: Allan Weinbaum

    The Legislation & Adjudication Committee proactively monitors

    and responds to legislative issues that impact our industry,

    including regulations and legislation beyond the Residential

    Tenancy Act. The efforts of this Committee are aligned with the

    activities of the Government Relations Committee as regulatory

    frameworks get introduced following the policy development or

    consultation process.

    Membership & Member Services CommitteeChair: Patti-Jo McLellan Shaw

    The Membership & Member Services Committee pursues

    and develops additional member programs and services to

    help property owners and managers improve their buildings

    and businesses. Overall, these benefits included an ongoing

    program of education seminars, social events, and membership

    information sessions.

    Nominating & Governance CommitteeChair: Ugo Bizzarri

    The Nominating & Governance Committee is responsible for

    qualifying and recommending new individuals to serve on

    Committees and/or the Board of Directors. It is also charged

    with the review and evaluation of changes to the organizations

    bylaws, administrative and management policies, and general

    governance oversight as a Committee of the Board.

    FRPO COMMITTEES

  • 15www.frpo.org

    Chair Bill Zigomanis Boardwalk Rental Communities

    Immediate Past Chair Ugo Bizzarri Timbercreek Asset Management Inc.

    Vice Chairs Margaret Herd Park Property Management Inc.

    Mark Kenney CAPREIT

    Secretary-Treasurer Paul Chisholm Berkley Property Management Inc.

    Directors Jason Ashdown Skyline Group of Companies

    Kris Boyce Greenwin Inc.

    John W. Dickie Eastern ontario landlord Organization (EOLO)

    Allan Drewlo Drewco Development Corp

    David Horwood The Effort Trust Company

    Patti-Jo McLellan Shaw Hapfield Developments

    Ken Kirsh Sterling Karamar Property Management

    Anne Morash GWL Realty Advisors Inc

    Brent Merrill MetCap Living

    Rob Pike Minto Properties

    Gloria Salomon Preston Group

    Tyler Seaman Oxford Properties Group

    Larry Smith Waterloo Region Apartment

    Management Association

    Allan Weinbaum WJ Properties

    Geoff Younghusband Osgoode Properties Ltd.

    FRPO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Matthew BlowExecutive Assistant & Administrative Coordinator

    Laurie CooperManager of Corporate Services

    Chloe HillMembership Development Coordinator

    Ted WhiteheadDirector of Certification

    Scott AndisonPresident & CEO

    Kristina LauesenVice President, Government & Industry Relations

    Lynzi MichalDirector of Membership & Marketing

    FRPO Staff

  • Who We AreThe Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) is the largest association in Ontario representing

    those who own, manage, build and finance residential rental properties and their industry partners. FRPO works

    on behalf of members to promote a balanced and healthy housing market with a vital rental-housing industry,

    choice for consumers, adequate government assistance for low-income households, and private sector solutions

    to rental-housing needs.

    Over 2,200 professionals who own or manage more than 350,000 rental homes in every part of Ontario are

    members of FRPO, as are our industry partners, including service providers, suppliers and industry consultants.

    Whether you manage one small building or a single rental unit, or are part of the provinces largest property

    management firms, FRPO will help you.

    Our MissionOur mission is to provide the highest quality services to our members through education, policy development and

    advocacy. We do this through:

    upholding public policies that support the availability of quality housing for all

    protecting the rights of private sector landlords and property managers while helping them profit from their

    investment in multi-residential real estate

    informative and educational training sessions on regulatory issues and best practices

    promoting industry best practices, fair conduct and professional standards of our members

    fostering better communication and information sharing amongst members

    educating government, the media and general public on the critical role of the private sector in the supply of

    well-managed and maintained rental accommodation

    Become a member.Visit www.frpo.org or email [email protected] for more information.