Building Resilience for the Next Chapter
Helping a nearly 50-year-old housing organization move from an outdated plan to a strategy that could hold change, uncertainty and organizational fatigue.
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) is a private non-profit landlord.
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), embarked on a transformative journey as it neared its 50th anniversary. With a portfolio of 53 properties housing approximately 3,000 tenants, CCOC blends housing with community services, managing 1,753 apartments through a tenure-blind model. This approach, coupled with collaborations with organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, positions CCOC as a supportive housing leader.
The Challenge
CCOC was operating in a rapidly shifting financial and legislative environment while carrying staff mistrust and change fatigue. Its previous strategic plan dated to 2012, so the task was both directional and relational: build a credible plan without rushing past the experience of the people who would have to live it.
How We Worked
CCOC’s strategy for developing a new plan was comprehensive and inclusive, involving:
- Completed an environmental scan of economic, cultural and social conditions.
- Engaged staff, volunteers and committee members through town halls, surveys, workshops and interviews.
- Facilitated strategic choices grounded in community needs and long-term vision.
- Connected the strategy to annual operational planning and regular review.
What Changed
- Created a strategic plan with broad organizational support.
- Built stronger alignment between external conditions and internal priorities.
- Established an operational planning rhythm that supports adaptation over time.
Client Feedback
In 2023, Manal supported CCOC to create their first new Strategic Plan since 2012.
Manal brought a people-first approach to the entire process: she expertly held space for difficult but necessary conversations, deftly supported participants in navigating the necessary uncertainty of a collaborative development process, and introduced key changes with patience and empathy. Manal is a great facilitator: meticulously prepared, ready to adapt when circumstances require it, and dedicated to timely follow-up. Her willingness to gently challenge long-held assumptions and to encourage participants to engage more deeply in understanding each other was also key to the final result: a strategic plan with enthusiastic support from across the organization. Manal’s passion for people, and her passion for enabling people and organizations to deliver on their missions, is clear in every interaction. I would happily work with Manal again any time.
Sarah Button
Executive Director