Residents

Here you will find useful information about the services we provide to residents. In many cases, HSC delivers resident services in partnership with its subsidiaries, local housing providers and community partners.

 

Protecting Your Property

 

Tenant Insurance

 

SoHo Tenant Insurance is low-cost, hassle free insurance for residents of social housing that protects you from loss or damage to personal property from fire, theft, and water damage and pays additional living expenses if you are forced to leave your home because of a covered loss. Forms, coverage types and FAQs can be found on the SoHo website

 

Developing Skills

 

START: Saving to Achieve Real Transformation

START is an innovative pilot project that will help up to 500 low-income Ontarians living in social housing — or on the social housing waiting list – build personal assets.

 

The pilot, is a joint venture between HSC and Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) taking place in Windsor, North Bay and Ottawa over the next two years.

 

How it Works

START is based on successful individual development account programs in the United States and the United Kingdom, where financial literacy training coupled with goal-oriented, sustained saving have enabled those with low-incomes to improve their social and financial well-being.

 

Participants in START will receive case management supports and financial literacy training in addition to a financial incentive for saving. Their savings over the next two years will be matched at a rate of 3:1. The matched money from the project will go directly towards their chosen savings goal, which might include:

 

• Housing affordable home ownership, first and last month’s rent,
• Education – post-secondary education for adults, translation and assessment of foreign credentials, supports to learning,
• Entrepreneurship – small business start-up and cost of tools for employment.

 

To qualify for START, participants must:

 

• Be living in co-op, non-profit or social housing or on the waitlist for social housing;
• Have lived in Canada for at least two years;
• Have a total family income below $48,000 per year (depending on household size and only one person per household can participate)
• Be between 16 and 65 years old; and
• Not be in school full time

 

To learn more about START Contact Us

 

School for Social Entrepreneurs – Ontario (SSE-O)

SSE-O will be launching in Spring 2012. It will offer practical learning programs at Toronto’s Regent Park aimed at helping develop entrepreneurs from a range of backgrounds that are trying to launch their own social venture. Learn More at SSE-O website

 

 

Reducing Energy Demand with Youth (REDY)

REDY is a jobs program offered by GLOBE (Green Light on a Better Environment) that focuses on green jobs training. Green jobs can include everything from weather-stripping windows to fixing leaky taps to adding renewable energy. Over the course of the next two years, REDY will provide training to 120 youth participants in 6 cities. Learn More about REDY

 

Community Champions Program

The Community Champion Program, offered by GLOBE (Green Light on a Better Environment), educates and enables residents to become agents of change in their own communities.  Community Champions and housing staff receive energy conservation training, focused on the importance of resident behaviour.  Resources, such as presentations, posters, communication tools and an online forum help them promote conservation basics to their fellow social housing communities. Learn More about Community Champions Program