Dennis Carr, Principal Community Housing Solutions

Dennis Carr, Principal

Dennis Carr specializes in the creation of not-for-profit affordable housing and social facilities. From 2009 to 2014, Dennis was Assistant Director Social Infrastructure for the City of Vancouver where he helped to fulfill the City’s mandate to create social facilities including affordable rental housing, childcares and neighbourhood houses.

Before joining the City of Vancouver, Dennis was Manager, Development and Construction, for Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) and the Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation (Cahdco). He was at CCOC/Cahdco for nineteen years, managing the development and construction of large and small scale rental, home ownership and mixed-use projects including partnerships with transitional and supportive housing agencies as well as with the private sector. 

While at CCOC, Dennis helped to establish Cahdco, whose mandate is to create affordable home ownership as well as to act as development consultant and construction project manager to other non-profit groups. Cahdco’s first affordable home ownership project received a CMHC Housing Award in the Financing and Tenure category. In addition to creating affordable housing, Dennis has been involved in a variety of initiatives relating to housing affordability, neighbourhood revitalization and alternative investment strategies.

Dennis is a LEED Accredited Professional, has a Graduate Diploma in Community Economic Development and sat on the urban panel of the City of Ottawa’s Committee of Adjustment.

Janet Kreda, Community Development Specialist

Janet Kreda, Research Director

Janet Kreda has over 25 years of experience working in affordable housing, social policy and community development.  Most recently she was a senior manager of Housing Research with CMHC where she focused on building funding and support for indigenous organizations to conduct housing research, implementing and verifying the results of investments in the National Housing Strategy (NHS), including the long-term social and economic outcomes of housing investments, and housing accessibility.

Recent projects focused on "why housing matters", seniors housing and accessibility issues.  She has worked in affordable housing policy and research at the federal, regional and municipal governments. Prior her role at CMHC, she was the Manager of the Homelessness Secretariat and a Senior Housing Planner at the regional government in Metro Vancouver.

Major projects at Metro Vancouver include: a demographic analysis of urban centres, an inventory and risk assessment of rental housing, an apartment parking study, an impact assessment of expiring social housing operating agreements, and the publication "What Works" documenting affordable housing initiatives in Metro Vancouver. Previous experience includes delivering the federal/provincial affordable housing program in the City of Ottawa, creating about 550 units, and developing an affordable housing project in London Ontario. 

She is currently on the Daybreak Non-Profit Housing Capital Planning Committee, and former Vice President of the Board. She is an accomplished amateur flautist, avid hiker, backpacker and cyclist.