Ottawa, ON – November 22, 2021– National Housing Day (November 22) is an opportunity to highlight the importance of safe and affordable housing for all. In partnership with the Ottawa Community Foundation, Alterna Savings is pleased to announce funding for The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa and PAL Ottawa, two organizations working to end homelessness and provide equitable and inclusive housing solutions in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Affordable housing is a persistent problem in the NCR. In 2018, the City of Ottawa released a report which indicated the waiting list for social housing in the region had risen to over 12,000 households, and the ongoing situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse.

"Affordable housing is a critical issue in Ottawa and the NCR," says Rob Paterson, President and CEO of Alterna Savings. "We are committed to supporting organizations who are working to find housing solutions that will provide access to equitable, affordable housing options. Everyone in our community deserves to have a safe and secure place to call home." The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa is a member-driven organization representing almost 70 agencies in Ottawa working to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness. They have been working for over 20 years to understand better the conditions that lead to homelessness and how communities can work together to provide housing solutions. The funding they will receive through the Alterna Savings Community Fund with help to continue their work to find concrete ways to reduce, prevent, and end homelessness and create lasting change in the National Capital Region.

"The support from Alterna Savings will enable the Alliance to launch an ambitious city-wide campaign focused on making affordable housing a top priority in the 2022 provincial and municipal elections," says Kaite Burkholder Harris, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa." We cannot end homelessness without affordable housing, and it takes the support of the public to see more affordable housing in our communities. Alterna's investments are making a marked difference in the landscape of housing in Ottawa and Canada. We are grateful for their generous support and look forward to continuing to advance the goal of affordable housing for all together."

PAL Ottawa is a non-profit, charitable organization that works with community partners to provide NCR's professional arts community members with affordable housing and other essential services. The funding they will receive via Alterna's Ottawa Women's Legacy Fund will be used to support PAL Place, a mixed-income creative live-work community for senior arts workers (55+). The project is a collaboration between PAL Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing, which will feature 80 rental apartments and creative spaces. A minimum of 40% of the units will be available at subsidized rates.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Ottawa Women's Legacy Fund, Alterna Savings, and Ottawa Community Foundation for their wonderful support of our work to build affordable housing for and provide community supports to senior arts workers in the National Capital Region," said Peter Haworth, a veteran theatre artist and Chair of the PAL Ottawa board. "Many people don't realize that the majority of arts workers, who contribute so much to the cultural fabric of our communities, are forced to survive from gig to gig, usually at or below poverty-level wages. As with the broader economy, women arts workers tend to make even less than their male counterparts. That's why this support is so appreciated. It's a welcome acknowledgment that our work enables older arts workers to enjoy the safe accommodation they need to continue creating the music, the visual art, and the stories that are so vital in these challenging times."

Alterna is proud to support these vital housing initiatives as part of our ongoing commitment to equitable, inclusive, and affordable housing for all.

About Alterna Savings

Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna) has been the good in banking™ for 113 years and, based on assets under management, is one of Canada's Top 10 credit unions (CCUA, 2021). Alterna is made up of Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterna Bank. Together, we have $10 billion in assets under management.

As the first full-service, member-owned cooperative financial institution outside Quebec, Alterna Savings shares its expertise with more than 185,000 members through a network of 35 branches across Ontario, that includes partner Peterborough Community Savings; as well as call centre and digital channels. Members and customers also benefit from an industry-leading online brokerage, investment management services, and have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ATMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE Network in Canada and the Allpoint Network in the US.