According to both Doug and Paul, TPFA is unique due to the supportive services they provide to tenants. If tenants need short-term support or assistance, TPFA connects them with the community resources they need to “keep them living their best lives.” “We’re an organization that provides a lot of support,” Paul says. “Weprovidea lot of choices and we have a lot of programs geared towards supporting our residents. We’re very giving and we’re very accommodating. That’s the feedback we get, from everyone from our tenants to their relatives to Alberta Health Services.” TPFA is particularly supportive to vulnerable people, Doug adds. Since the 70s, their main focus has been providing “safe and secure housing for populations that would otherwise have trouble finding homes.” For example, many of the residents of their 16 government-subsidized locations have previously experienced homelessness. At those facilities, rent is geared to income – it’s calculated based on 30 per cent of their household’s adjusted income from the previous year – which makes them affordable. Affordability does not mean low quality, however. Doug says that TPFA keeps their buildings “in excellent shape.” Over the last five years, in particular, the organization has secured funds from the province to “almost completely upgrade all the mechanical infrastructure in our buildings.” “We’ve been able to replace boilers, replace hot water systems, replace circulation pumps, upgrade make-up air units,” Doug says. “These buildings are largely 30-to-40 years old, but the province has invested millions of dollars into making sure they can operate efficiently for the next 30-to-40 years.” NOVEMBER 2021
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