Each year, CHRA brings dozens of community housing professionals from across the country, from all levels of experience, together for the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program (HPMP).

HPMP connects today’s leaders in community housing in mentoring relationships with the leaders of tomorrow, strengthening and building succession and sustainability into the sector. The Program’s work is centred around leadership, community, and making the housing sector an exciting and welcoming place to build a career.

We caught up with a few recent participants to learn about their experience in the Program. Read on to learn more.

 

Helping participants excel in their roles

Mentors find that their mentees offer them new perspectives on housing and the sector. HPMP mentor Christina Maes Nino, Executive Director of Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association (MNPHA) says “I’ve had brilliant, passionate, and thoughtful mentees and have had the privilege of being able to hear about both the challenges and the positive things that these new housing professionals experience in various workplaces. This has made me a more effective and empathetic leader at MNPHA when we have people who are new to the sector joining our staff team”.

Mentor Winter Fedyk, CEO of SILO Strategy Inc., says “Over my career, I’ve spent a lot of time at the policy and systems level. Working with [my mentee], who is deeply engaged in housing delivery more directly, grounded my perspective in a different way. It was nice to step outside the daily grind and look at housing through a broader lens, particularly at this critical moment for the sector”.

Mentees often tell us that the Program has helped them learn about challenges and opportunities they hadn’t considered before. “The program has helped answer questions I have had and questions I didn’t even realize that I had regarding affordable housing”, says Meghan Hollett, mentee and Affordable Housing & Development Facilitator with the City of St. John’s. “When you have a dedicated time slot to speak with an expert in your field, it gives you a moment to pause and walk through some challenges".

 

Preparing housers for the future

HPMP aims to help participants to see beyond their current role and gain perspective on the wider community housing sector.

Mentees tell us that the Program exposes them to new ideas and practices. “[HPMP] has allowed me to pause, take stock, and look towards the future”, says Meghan. “Attending the CHRA Congress along with other mentees helped me learn about new areas of interest in the housing sector to bring back to my community”.

Mentors find that the Program helps broaden their perspective. “The network I have built, not only with my mentees, but with others in the program, has helped me see how many and how diverse opportunities there are to work in housing”. Christina says. “I often get asked about careers in housing, and the program helps me to inspire more housers to make a path for themselves in the sector too”.

Winter tells us, “This mentorship made me reflect on how I can help build stronger pathways between decision-makers and delivery teams. In past roles, I’ve worked on everything from multi-million-dollar social programs to international peacekeeping efforts. Those experiences taught me that strong outcomes depend on connecting vision with implementation, and this program reaffirmed that lesson in the context of housing”.

 

Unexpected benefits

While a great deal of care goes into planning learning opportunities and stewarding participants through the Program, some of the most enjoyable experiences occur organically.

“I was surprised and delighted by the cohort effect!” Meghan says, “having a large group of peer mentees helped create a larger community for me to ask my questions, run ideas by people, learn from other organizations and communities. While you get the benefit of a one-one-one relationship with your mentor, you have a larger community of peers to discuss challenges and learnings with as well”.

Nicole Jones, mentee and Quality and Operations Manager at Eden Health Care Services says she was “surprised at how well [my mentor and me] connected and that we have never crossed paths before”.

“I’ve been working in and around housing for most of my career, but still often have feelings like I don’t know what I’m doing or that I should somehow know more about a particular area”, says Christina. “Formalizing the mentor relationship has helped me see how much I really do know and at the same time, that I don’t need to know everything”.

“I realized mentorship doesn’t have to be about having all the answers—it can be about listening, exchanging ideas, and helping each other see challenges from a different angle, Winter tell us. “[HPMP] gave me a new appreciation for what mentorship can look like when it’s truly a two-way exchange”.

 

Key takeaways and lessons

Participants often tell us that the Program reinforces the importance of collaboration and the need for professionals across the sector to work together.

Winter says “Canada’s housing sector needs stronger bridges between the people shaping the rules and those putting them into action. Housing is at a pivotal moment in this country, and the solutions will only work if place-based policy and delivery move forward together. Programs like this make those connections real”.

“While you may be busy trying to move an item or multiple things forward, it pays to chat it through”, Meghan tells us. “Sometimes you may not even realize what your question is (and that’s okay), or you may not be aware of an easier way to approach things. Mentorship can help make your challenges easier and offer new perspectives even on regular daily tasks. Participating in the mentorship program is worth the investment in yourself”.

Nicole says she’s learned that “we all have a common goal and although our jobs are not always easy, they are rewarding in so many ways, and we can all continue to learn from each other”.

Christina says “Personally, this program has helped me gain a greater appreciation for the mentors I’ve had in my career, and made me more thoughtful about how I can make the best out of mentor relationships I have in my life—to be more planned in my questions with them, to be more confident in asking questions, and to be more humble and ask for help and advice from people with experience. This has strengthened my relationships; so many people want to help and share their experience, they just need to be asked”.

 

We’re accepting applications for the 2025-2026 cohort until August 20! Apply now to secure your spot.