[Guelph, Ontario – February 23, 2023]
Read the original article published on HomeForGoodGW.ca here.
R. Jason Ashdown, Co-Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer, Skyline Group of Companies, published an op-ed article about the significant role that private businesses can play in helping to solve homelessness.
The piece is part of a five-article series exploring homelessness in Guelph/Wellington and the solutions that the Home for Good campaign is bringing to the community.
The campaign, organized by the Guelph & Wellington Poverty Elimination Task Force, United Way Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin, and the Guelph Community Foundation, aims to raise $5 million to help solve chronic homelessness in the Guelph/Wellington area.
The subject of homelessness and housing insecurity is very important to Skyline. Our roots are in real estate, and we operate in communities from coast to coast. We believe that we have a responsibility to support and invest in the cities and towns in which we do business and help find solutions to problems like homelessness.
We are proud to have our team members offer insight into how businesses like ours can contribute to the housing solution.
For more information about Skyline’s sustainability objectives, including those related to homelessness and housing insecurity, visit Skyline’s Sustainability page.
Housing is an essential need and is one of the most significant factors that impacts a person’s health and well-being. For an individual without a home, the rest of life’s problems can seem insurmountable. Unfortunately, Canada is experiencing a housing supply shortage, which drives up pricing and creates an affordability issue. As a result, homelessness is on the rise.
Homelessness is not a problem that can be solved by one person or company alone. Government, communities, service providers, and businesses must work together to find a solution to this crisis. Private businesses especially can (and should) play a key role in helping to find solutions. I have seen firsthand the real impact that businesses can have in supporting projects and programs for eliminating homelessness.
Skyline Group of Companies operates in communities from coast to coast. We have a responsibility to support and invest in the cities and towns in which we do business and help find solutions to problems like homelessness. Financial contributions to initiatives like the Home for Good campaign are a first step. There is a myriad of other ways, too, that businesses like Skyline can help solve problems simply by leveraging the resources they have access to, including people, in-house services, and expertise. Businesses also have influence as a resource, and can exercise that influence through staff, customers, suppliers, investors, and all of their audiences. Influence can be used as a tool to reach a wide audience and garner buy-in and support for an idea or cause.
Earlier this fall, a 32-unit Permanent Supportive Housing development broke ground at 10 Shelldale Crescent in Guelph. This project is the result of what happens when government, business, and community partners come together. 10 Shelldale Crescent will provide permanent housing and support for people experiencing chronic homelessness in our community. This project was made possible thanks to a unique idea that grew into a partnership between Kindle Communities, Skyline Group of Companies and the Guelph Community Health Centre. All parties made a tangible commitment to the project. The result is a viable solution that is taking direct aim at a problem and delivering resources to support permanent homelessness solutions in Guelph.
Crisis is a time for action and business has a responsibility to get involved. We know that homelessness is not just detrimental to the people who are experiencing it. The issue has a profound effect on the health of a community, and without a strong community, our businesses would simply not exist. Doing good is good for business on many levels: a resilient community contributes to prosperity, healthy workforce, a stronger economy, and reduces social service demands.
By working together, we can have a greater impact and be a part of the solution. Imagining a world without homelessness should not be a dream. It should be a very achievable goal for every community. We just need to work together to achieve it.
Skyline Group of Companies (“Skyline”) is a fully integrated asset acquisition, management, development, and investment entity.
It is comprised of companies that provide services in real estate management and development, as well as clean energy management and development.
Skyline currently manages more than $7.9 billion across its real estate and clean energy platforms.
With more than 1,000 employees across Canada, Skyline works to provide safe, clean, and comfortable places for tenants to call home, great places to do business, sustainable solutions for a greener future, and an engaging experience for its investors.
View Skyline’s 20th Anniversary celebration video to see how Skyline is grounded in real estate, powered by people, and growing for the future.
For more information about Skyline Group of Companies, please visit SkylineGroupOfCompanies.ca.