Veterans Village Housing Lab Resources
Community Engagement & Outreach Toolkit
In developing affordable housing for Veterans, housing providers have identified that stigma often exists in communities around this type of building. As with many change processes that involve the unknown, affordable housing projects often receive push back and opposition due to the assumed characteristics of the population that will be living in the development. Community engagement and meetings are critical to the process for beginning a new housing development, showcasing the unique skills of Veterans as a valuable asset to any community.
The purpose of this document is to provide off the shelf engagement and communication tactics for developers and affordable housing providers, to use in their pursuit of building affordable housing for Veterans.
Veterans Village Podcast
Produced as a part of the 360 Degree City podcast, the Veterans Village Housing Lab podcast series explores issues of transition, health and wellbeing, and innovative affordable housing solutions in providing housing for Veterans experiencing housing insecurity. How can out-of-the-box thinking be leveraged to find feasible and innovative affordable housing solutions that meet the needs of Canadians who don’t fit within traditional parameters?
The first episode of the series begins to explore issues of transition, health and wellbeing, and partnerships in providing housing for Veterans experiencing housing insecurity with André Thivierge, of the City of Ottawa Veterans Task Force. André is a 30 year Canadian Armed Forces Veteran who retired in 2013, and is a co-founder and co-chair of the Veterans Task Force in Ottawa, where he works to enhance the programs and services available to Veterans and their families through the three pillars of health, housing, and transitioning to second careers.