How Ottawa Community Housing is building a sustainable future

August 26, 2025

Guest: Daniel Dicaire, senior manager of sustainability and conservation at Ottawa Community Housing Corporation.

As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent concern, the housing sector has a crucial role to play. Daniel Dicaire, senior manager of sustainability and conservation at Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), joins Joelle Hamilton to discuss innovative strategies for building sustainable, energy-efficient homes.

At a glance

• OCH’s sustainability work targets new buildings, existing buildings and tenant supports.
• New developments meet the Passive House Standard and use renewable energy such as solar and geothermal.
• Efficient, high-performance buildings lower utility costs and support long-term housing affordability.

Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) advances sustainability in 3 areas: new construction, existing buildings and tenant supports.

New buildings meet the Passive House Standard for the building envelope. They include high-performance mechanical systems, such as heat pumps and heat recovery ventilators. They also use renewable energy sources, including solar panels and geothermal ground loops.

Existing buildings are upgraded through deep energy retrofits, such as the Presland Net-Zero project. Lessons from these projects are applied across OCH’s 17 million square feet of housing.

OCH works with Hydro Ottawa to complete carbon pathway studies. These studies guide the replacement of natural gas systems with more efficient, low-carbon systems.

Tenant-focused work addresses 36,000 tons of greenhouse gases from heating, waste and transportation. OCH provides electric vehicle (EV) chargers, heat pumps and waste diversion centres. It also offers education and engagement programs to help tenants reduce emissions.

“Sustainability and affordability go hand in hand,” says Daniel. “By lowering energy use, we cut emissions, reduce costs for tenants and create stronger communities.”

These projects also create local jobs. Skilled trades are needed for heat pump installation, solar energy, geothermal systems and insulation. By sourcing technology and labour locally, OCH supports Canadian communities and keeps investments in the local economy.

Looking ahead, OCH will deliver more high-performance buildings. It will continue retrofitting existing properties and expand tenant supports, including EV charger readiness and organics diversion.

OCH encourages other housing providers to adopt high-performance standards, create decarbonization pathways and give tenants the tools to live sustainably.