NHA Highlights of 2017

What a whirlwind the last month has been; just like that we're closing out the year! And it's been an absolutely fantastic year - so thank you to all of you for making it so memorable.We are looking forward to what's to come in 2018 (hint: big things!) but wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on a few highlights from this year:

• Maya made it into the final round of the Social Ventures Fast Pitch, showcasing Norfolk's commitment to building healthy communities and sharing our commitment and passion with all of Calgary!
• We hosted more workshops, parties, and events of all kinds than ever before. A gardening workshop, Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party, Resident and Partner Holiday Party, Stampede Breakfast, Diversity Day for Canada 150...we did it all!
• Our resident focused Community Advisory Group really took off, with more residents showing up, better discussions around improvements to, and involvement with, our community - and plenty of operational and maintenance updates, too.
• NHA attended and was a proud part of several Hillhurst/Sunnyside events this year, including Jane's Walk, Neighbour Day, and Diagon Alley.
• We formed two new housing partnerships this year, with the Brenda Strafford Society and the YWCA Calgary. We also received and offered more support to current partners, for example when Accessible Housing came out and volunteered at our Stampede breakfast, and when the NHA team volunteered for Highbanks Society's casino night! The team also raised $250 for Pace Kids by having a staff PJ day!
• Staff made a number of presentations to the housing sector, notably at the Inter Agency Housing Liaison Committee put on by the Canadian Homeless Foundation, and at the CHRA Congress in Ottawa on Best Asset Management for mixed-income housing. Both gave us a chance to share some of the successes of the model and the importance of appropriate, affordable housing for all.
• We received a grant worth $156, 000 for building upgrades, which we designated to replace the windows in two buildings - Norfolk House and Pemberton Terrace - projects which are still underway.
• The Alberta Minister of Seniors and Housing, Lori Sigurdson, paid us a visit and took a tour of Norfolk, allowing us to expound on the mixed-income model; which was especially appreciated as we are not government funded.
• We wrote a response to the provincial housing strategy's inclusion of the mixed-income model with suggestions for moving forward based on our nearly 40 years of experience.
• The team spent more time this year getting to know residents on a personal basis and learning about new and better ways to engage, bring our community together, and ask the right questions.

Thank you to everyone who made these accomplishments possible, and to everyone who supports the success of the Norfolk community along the way. We know next year is going to be even bigger, brighter, and better because we have the force of an incredible community behind us.Happy holidays and wishing you a bright new year!