On Mar. 12, 2026, Toronto Community Housing’s Governance, Communications and Human Resources Committee held a public meeting to go over their hiring, staff health and wellness, and policy review schedule
On Mar. 12, 2026, Toronto Community Housing’s Governance, Communications and Human Resources Committee held a public meeting to go over their hiring, staff health and wellness, and policy review schedule
The GCHRC was shown a presentation from Chief Corporate Services Officer Barbara Shulman. In it, she highlighted what the People and Culture division did in 2025, what they’re continuing to do and what their plans are for 2026.
Shulman highlighted employee networks at TCHC and some of the activities they did to foster a sense of belonging. For example, the Filipino Kababayan Network hosted a basketball tournament and picnic. Their PRIDE Network watched the 2025 Toronto Pride Parade. The Women’s Inclusion Network hosted a keynote address from Dr. Hadiya Roderique. And the Black Staff Caucus held multiple events.
In 2025, People and Culture held programs to develop their staff. The Leadership Foundations Program taught supervisors and new managers leadership skills. Out of 43 participants, 92 per cent felt the program improved their performance. The Seasoned Managers Program helped experienced leaders enhance their skills and knowledge, with 87 per cent of 43 participants feeling that it improved their performance.
The GCHRC also received a recommended schedule for reviewing their official policies. The policies they would review this year would include their Elections Policy, Evictions for Cause Policy, Accessibility Policy and more.
The policies they would review from 2027 to 2030 include their Eviction Prevention Policy for Non-Payment of Rent, their Past Tenants Debt Write-Off Policy, their Employee Code of Conduct Policy, as well as others.
They received a deputation from former tenant director Catherine Wilkinson about the schedule. She noted that the schedule neglected the Employee Code of Conduct Policy, which was last reviewed in 2015, and pointed to its importance. According to her, in 2011, the mayor of Toronto dissolved the TCHC Board of Directors because an auditor’s report found thousands in inappropriate employee spending, including on cruises and manicures, as well as millions in untendered contracts.
Key takeaways
- In 2025, TCHC:
- Negotiated collective agreements with CUPE Local 416 and CUPE Local 79, including four year terms, without disruptions
- Progressed their Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
- Filled 817 vacancies, 270 internally and 547 externally, which is a 40% increase from 2024
- Launched two leadership development programs to develop their managers
- Their 2026 plans include:
- Expanding their use of the Dayforce Human Resources Information System to track applicants, compensation and learning modules
- Performing a census of their workforce to track equity, diversity and inclusion
- Implementing a new incident management tracking system
- They are continuing to prioritize staff health and wellness, promote a sense of belonging and helping staff reach their potential
On-the-ground observations from our documenter, CHRISTIAN MALONG
I think it’s good that they negotiated a deal with the unions without any work disruptions. I should hope that the city’s non-profit treats its employees well.
A lot of what was discussed at the meeting seemed vague and abstract to me, though. For example, I felt like I was missing a lot of context about what exactly “Fostering a Mentally Healthy Workplace” looks like on the ground. The slides said they would help people “gain strategies to protect and promote mental health,” but what do those strategies look like? Do the strategies work? I’m curious about how their employees feel about how effective these programs are, and if they’re feeling real, tangible results from this and other initiatives.
I agree with Catherine Wilkinson’s concern about the employee code of conduct policy being out of date. The last time it was reviewed was in 2015, and a lot has happened since then.
CHECK YOUR FACTS
March 12 meeting recording
People and culture 2025 annual report
March 12 meeting agenda
Documenters:
Meeting documented by Christian Malong