a message from leadership

Sara Cooper
CEO

Scott Stevenson
Board Chair

Since our inception three decades ago, Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa has remained steadfast in our work of bringing communities together to build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. Our organization started with a duplex build in the south end of Ottawa. Since then, we have steadily grown from building single-family homes to multi-unit developments across the city and surrounding areas. Since 1993, we have served 93 families, built or retro-fitted 86 homes and expanded our presence to Lanark County, Renfrew County, and the municipalities of North Grenville and Prescott-Russell. Along the way, we touched the lives of countless families and individuals.

While anniversaries are a time to reflect on past achievements, we also look forward to future milestones. In 2024, we will complete our Kemptville Korners development in partnership with Habitat Thousand Islands while also welcoming our 100th family served! These achievements are a testament to the collective power and support of our Habitat community. We would not be here today, 30 years strong, if not for the continued support of our sponsors, donors, volunteers, community partners and our dedicated staff.

While we are proud of the lives changed and communities built these last three decades, we recognize there is so much left to do. The ever-worsening housing crisis continues to have a damaging ripple effect across the municipalities in which we serve. At Habitat Greater Ottawa, we are motivated by our vision of the future as we work towards shaping affordable homeownership for the next generation. We continue to be inspired by Habitat homeowners, past and present, in their commitment to building a stronger, better future for themselves and their family.

On behalf of Habitat Greater Ottawa, we want to thank you for your support and for being an integral part of our journey so far. We hope you will continue to partner with us as our organization prepares to build more, do more and help more families and communities in the next 30 years and beyond.

2023

a year of impact

301 volunteers

gave their time and skills to Habitat Greater Ottawa.

19,128 hours

spent by volunteers on the build site, ReStores, committees and events.

$734,060 funds

raised to help build homes in our community.

11
future

homeowners set to move into their Habitat homes in 2024.

celebrating 30 years of building better, brighter futures

Since 1993, we have partnered with thousands of donors, sponsors, volunteers and supporters to serve 93 families, build including over 200 children. We invite you to take a look back on the builds, partner families and supporters that made it all happen! Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us as we look forward to building for the next generation of homeowners.

1993

Thirty years ago, a group of dedicated volunteers came together with a vision of building safe and affordable housing for local families. In 1993, Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa (then known as Habitat for Humanity National Capital Region) officially formed in the City of Ottawa. The hard work had just begun…

1994

Two homes in just 12 days? The Habitat Greater Ottawa team picked an ambitious deadline for their very first build! But, with the sweat, grit and determination of dozens of volunteers, the Mitchell and Lopez families became the first Habitat Partner Families to move into their homes in 1994. 

"People have been working very hard so a family will have a place to call home."

1997

In the Summer of 1997, shovels were put in the ground to kick off the CFRA Place Build on Richmond Road and Bayshore Drive.

The local talk radio station pledged to raise $150,000 for this project, with donations from the Ottawa Senators, Minto Developments and community members around Ottawa. Around 200 volunteers also lent their support and in just a few months, six families officially became Habitat Homeowners!

"We'll shovel, we'll paint - whatever we have to do. We go down to see the job site everyday. We're so excited."

“I’ve told my kids that this home should always stay in our family. They are not allowed to sell, even after I’m long gone.”

One of our most ambitious projects took place in 2002 when we launched a blitz build to complete eight homes in eight days. Named for the former Governor General, the Ed Schreyer Work Project took place from August 9-16, 2002 on a site in Ottawa South.

The blitz build, which was the 8th annual build of its kind in Canada at the time, created housing for eight families including 19 children and involved hundreds of volunteers, donors and sponsors from the Ottawa area and around North America.

2002

2007

Our very first Women Build in the National Capital Region took place in 2007. From the very beginning, Women Build promoted empowerment and solidarity, and is an opportunity to bring together women from all walks of life to help build safer, stronger communities

Women Build instantly became one of our most popular fundraisers and since 2007, participants raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local families.

2014

The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) joined forces with Algonquin College and Habitat Greater Ottawa for the 2014 Blitz Build.

This accelerated construction project will begin on Friday, April 4 on a lot in Barrhaven with a completed two-storey home in its place three days later.

The home was sold on the open market for $426,500 and raised almost $200,000 for Habitat Greater Ottawa.

This is not a temporary fix – Habitat for Humanity provides a solid foundation for us to invest long-term in our home and in our community.

In the Spring of 2017, Habitat Greater Ottawa broke ground on its largest build to date. Leacross Landing is a 16-unit townhome build in the Orléans community.

Leacross Landing also marked a major milestone for our organization as we transitioned from a builder of single family homes, to a developer of communities

2017

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2021

With the pandemic continuing into 2021, our amazing build crew continued to build our latest development Titus Landing. This 8-unit stacked townhome development is centrally located on the former Canadian Forces Rockcliffe Airbase.

Our build crew worked hard to overcome the challenges of supply chain issues and materials shortages. A prefabricated construction method was used to offset build delays and difficulties accessing build materials while ensuring more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes.

Finally, in late spring of 2022, 8 families were given the keys to their new Habitat home in our first in-person key ceremony since 2019!

Habitat Greater Ottawa's Titus Landing Development.

"Through your support, a single mom is now able to buy and own a home! I can now live the life I dreamed of years ago, thanks to you."

2022

Our latest development, we partnered with a fellow Habitat for Humanity for the first time! Kemptville Korners is a 15-unit development build in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands. Located in the Municipality of North Grenville, Kemptville Korners consists of townhomes and stacked townhomes with accessible units available. Once complete, the project will be home up to 64 individuals including over 30 children!

ReStore

your local social enterprise

With over $2.2 million in sales at our two locations and online, the ReStore continued to expand its reach in 2023. Notable events that happened throughout the year was our first ever ReStore Reads book sale event which was so successful we are holding more in 2024! The ReStore also received a $34,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to purchase much needed equipment for both locations including a Work Assist Vehicle machine and related equipment.

Lastly, the ReStore managed over $66,000 in clothing sales – our largest to date! Thank you to our corporate donors for providing us with the opportunity expand and grow our clothing and accessories department at our ReStore locations.

did you know?

2023 was also the year our Habitat Greater Ottawa ReStore celebrated its 25th anniversary! In 1998, the first ReStore location in Ottawa opened its doors to the public.

Since 1998 our ReStore locations have diverted tens of millions of pounds of waste from local landfills thanks to donations of new and gently used products from the public and our corporate partners.

As a local social enterprise retailer, all profits from the ReStore are put directly back into Habitat Greater Ottawa operations. When you support the ReStore, you’re also supporting the development of safe and affordable housing for local families.

A huge thank you to our valued ReStore customers, donors and volunteers. You’re the reason the ReStore is still around and thriving after 25 years in the Ottawa community. In the next year we hope to continue growing and expanding our services in order to serve you and the community better.  

ReStore 2023

by the numbers

10,879 donations

of new & gently used furniture, appliances, home décor, construction materials and more from community and business partners. 

2,175,800 pounds

of waste diverted from local landfill (over 1000 tons!).

4,718 hours

contributed by ReStore volunteers at both locations and at ReStore-related events.

$2.2 million

dollars worth of sales both in store and online. 

119,556 visits

to our Online ReStore, restoregoshop.ca

next stop:

Kemptville Korners!

After breaking ground in Fall of 2022, huge strides were made this year at the Kemptville Korners development in partnership with Habitat Thousand Islands. Over the exciting build season, volunteers got to work on the exterior AND interior of the homes, helping with framing, building stairs, steel strapping, installing doors and much, much more!

The tremendous progress on the build site is thanks in no small part to our dedicated build crew and community build volunteers. Whether facing humidity, rain or snowy weather all our build volunteers showed up each day with a smile on their face (the coffee and snacks helped!) We welcomed 55 Habitat Build Day teams including 10 Youth Build Teams on site bringing us much closer to welcoming the Habitat Partner Families to their new homes in 2024.

The Kemptville Korners build is our most airtight to date, with very high performance wall and floor assemblies, creating safe and comfortable units. Ready for any weather with structural ICF exterior and partition walls, making it almost indestructible, even in extreme weather and making this one of our most environmentally-friendly builds to date.

Click here for more information on the Kemptville Korners build.

"For over 130 years, Grenville Mutual has been serving our community. Joining forces with Habitat for Humanity whose purpose is to bring communities together, feels like a perfect partnership. We are very proud to be part of the Kemptville Korners' project and believe the volunteer t-shirt says it all...Everyone needs a place to call home. Personally, having the opportunity to get out from behind a desk, learn new skills and work with the amazing Habitat crew was exceptionally rewarding and a lot of fun!"

every family

deserves a safe place to live.

Habitat Partner Families come from diverse backgrounds, each with a different story to tell. But the one common theme we hear from all of them is their dedication to providing a better, more prosperous future for their themselves and their children.

The year 2007 may seem like a lifetime ago for some of us but for Habitat Partner Family, Asha and Omar, it was a memorable year as they moved into their Habitat home. In 2023, they achieved another huge milestone of paying off their Habitat mortgage! With no down payment and an affordable monthly mortgage Asha and Omar were able to save up to help their three children through school and are now looking forward to the next phase of their lives.

"Through Habitat, we were able to save for retirement and are now able to retire. We will always recommend Habitat as it’s a good chance for a better life. We will never forget this experience, or the generosity from Habitat and the community."

As a working single parent, Melissa found herself priced out of the housing market given the increasing cost of living. Currently, she lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her two children and with most of her paycheque going towards rent and related expenses, she’s unable to save up for a down payment. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity, Melissa now has a pathway towards homeownership – and towards a brighter future for herself and her children.

"When we move in, we can finally say, “we are going home.” We will be able to put all our family pictures up without worrying if we will need to move again and take them down. We will have neighbours that we know and who have kids as well. We will be welcomed in the community of Kemptville and start a little community of our own. Throughout this process, I have had the privilege of getting to know many Habitat for Humanity staff, volunteers, and some of the other future homeowners."

the generational impact

of Habitat homeownership

A photo of Habitat Partner Family Carlos, Eva and three of their children sitting on the couch in their old home in the year 2005.
Habitat Partner Family Carlos and Eva sitting on a couch with three of their adult children in their Habitat home.

Growing up, our home was filled with loving family, amazing friends and a lot of laughs. However, outside the four walls of our home was a different story. For years, we lived in a neighbourhood where crime and violence were the norm. We also had to deal with mold and a constant stream of mice and pests inside the home as well.

When we moved into our Habitat home in 2006, we saw the immediate benefits. For one thing, within the first week of moving in we were all breathing properly since there was no mold (or pests!) We were also in a much safer neighbourhood and we took advantage by exploring the area, playing sports and jogging outside.

As Habitat Homeowners, our parents paid an affordable mortgage with no down payment. As a result, they were able to help support all of us with our post-secondary education. We all went off to university or college not worrying if Mom and Dad’s house would still be there after we graduated. Today, we have careers in travel & tourism, nursing, real estate, construction and trades.

This year, Mom and Dad reached another milestone — paying off the mortgage on their Habitat home! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 17 years since we moved in. With their Habitat home, our Mom and Dad were able to provide us with a stable home in a safe community, support us through school, and set us up for success. Now they’ve paid off their mortgage and built up a nest egg after a lifetime of hard work. That’s the financial stability that comes with affordable homeownership and the positive generational impact that Habitat Greater Ottawa provides for families, their children and the community.

Gratefully,

George, Liette & Diana, Proud Children of Habitat Homeowners, Carlos & Eva.

housing

then and now

Housing and homeownership have drastically changed in the last 30 years. Habitat, even as an affordable housing provider, is not immune to the rising housing prices we have seen this past year. We know that there are solutions, and we are working to bring them to life every day. As we celebrate our 100th family served next year, we know that we cannot wait another 30 years to serve the next 100 families.

The growing housing crisis locally and at the national level demands that organizations like Habitat Greater Ottawa continue creating opportunities to make homeownership more affordable and more equitable for future generations. Our organization is looking to scale up the number of homes we build as well as diversifying how we build and where we build so we can offer more affordable housing options to families.

Expanding and deepening our partnerships with municipalities, builders, local companies and community organizations remains a top priority for us as we know providing adequate affordable housing in more communities is something we cannot do alone.

every volunteer

makes a difference

Habitat Greater Ottawa owes its start to a small group of dedicated volunteers that saw the need for affordable housing in the City of Ottawa. To this day, it is because of our volunteers that the organization continues to grow and serve more families.

This year was no different as we had just over 300 volunteers swinging hammers on the build site, moving products at the ReStore, helping at events, and serving on committees. We held our second Holiday Volunteer Get Together at our two ReStore locations and welcomed over 75 guests at our annual Donor & Volunteer Appreciation event during the summer.

Habitat Greater Ottawa volunteers are driven by a passion for affordable housing and helping families, and it is that passion and dedication that keeps the organization moving forward and grounded to the needs of the community. Thank you to all our volunteers who gave their time, skills and expertise in 2023 – we could not do this without you!

"Being a teacher for over 35 years, the idea of doing something hands on was appealing and the idea of providing families with a chance for homeownership was also appealed to me. When you're retired, filling up your days with people you enjoy the company of and the social aspect is what I enjoy."

"It is an absolutely wonderful experience not only the fact that you’re giving back to somebody else, it helps you as an individual as well. Let’s be honest, most people when they do volunteer, they definitely want to help someone, but it also makes you feel good knowing that you are doing something, that you’re contributing."

taking it back to the 1930s

a graphic for our 18th annual Steel Toes & Stilettos Gala in a art deco style.

In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we took it back to the 1930s for our 18th annual Steel Toes & Stilettos Gala! It was an evening of elegance and opulence as over 300 guests gathered to enjoy memorable live entertainment, delicious food and drinks and heartfelt Habitat family moments throughout the evening.

The event raised $161,000 that will go towards building more safe, secure and affordable homes for local families including the completion of the Kemptville Korner’s development.

Thank you to our Gala Presenting Sponsor, Laurin General Contractors, and to all our Gala sponsors for making this an evening to remember and for celebrating this milestone with us.

“Thank you with all our hearts to all the volunteers, staff, donors, sponsors, family partners, the community, and all of you here tonight that support the efforts of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa. We could never have been homeowners without you. We appreciate you making our dreams come true.”

community

connections

(HARD) HATS OFF to long-time supporter CLV Group and InterRent REIT for their incredibly generous donation of $100,000 to Habitat Greater Ottawa!

On September 21, 2023, CLV Group and InteRent REIT organized and hosted the annual Mike McCann Charity Golf Tournament in support of local charities. The money raised through this annual event helps support local organizations doing much-needed work in the community, including Habitat Greater Ottawa. We had a great time at the tournament and during CLV Group and InterRent REIT’s Tema Build Day at Kemptville Korners.

It is thanks to community partners like CLV Group and InterRent REIT that Habitat Greater Ottawa is able to continue building safe and affordable homes for local families. A huge thank you to Mike McGahan, CLV Group, InterRent REIT and all the golfers and participants for your ongoing support.

“Habitat for Humanity’s mission is about making sure that everyone has access to a safe space to call home. Investing in our communities and creating homes is very important to us at CLV Group and InterRent REIT, so this is a cause that’s close to all of our hearts. We’re proud to be able to contribute to their vision with a portion of the funds raised at the 2023 Mike McCann Charity Golf Tournament, and to donate our time at one of their local build sites. It’s about more than just the financial support - to our team, this is truly about investing in the wellbeing of our entire community and embracing an opportunity that aligns with our values. We’re honoured to be involved with a charity that creates such a ripple effect of positive change.”

Thank you to Chris a.k.a. The Christmas Tree Guy for raising an amazing $7,800 for Habitat Greater Ottawa in 2023.

For over 20 years, Chris and his incredible team have supported building more safe and affordable housing for local families through its legendary Habitat Christmas.

thank you

to our 2023 supporters

major build sponsors

RioCan

Canadian Real Estate Association

Keller Williams Integrity

Travelers Group

GDH

Ottawa Real Estate Board

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

Novatech

Annis O’Sullivan

gala sponsors

Stantec

Bee Clean

Bradley Kelly Construction

Euro Stone & Tile

Tomlinson Group

Ellisdon

Mark Motors

Marant Construction

Colonnade BridgePort

Novatech Engineers

Innovation7

GGFL Chartered Accountants

Deslaurier

Mattamy Homes

First National Bank

MacEwen

TMSI

Edmond Harnden LLP

Soloway Wright LLP

Paramount Properties

hope builder monthly donors

Brianna Adams

Bashir Ahmad

Walter Baker

Ross Beck-MacNeil

Larry Benedet

Wayne Bennett

Shawna Blanchard

Brian Boucher

Chris Boylan

Michele Brill-Edwards

Isabel Burrows

Martha Buscombe

Marc Caron

Murray Chown

Carol Christensen

Maureen Cooke

Hugo Crespo

Jim Dark

Jim Dark

Dwayne Dulmage

Robert Elliott

Bruce Fanjoy

Amirah Fayek

Bernard Fitzpatrick

Roy Flett

Jason Fraser

Kristin Harold

Phoenix Homes

Nathan Howard

Peter James

Philip Kretzmar

John Kuzniarz

Fiona Lamont

Andre Lamoureux

Nancy Lanthier

Richard Lauzon

Gavin Liddy

Wendy Malo

Nancy A Meloshe

Janice Menezes

Dahlia Milech

Patricia Moorehead

Melanie Murphy

Caitlin Neil

Sandra Oey

Geoff Penner

Magda Seydegart

Soley Soucie

Dena Spinter

Scott Stevenson

David Stitt

Anne Tellerim

Grace Welch

Daniel Weslake