EVOLVING ROLE IN A CHANGING SECTOR Like many housing providers, KHI began with a more traditional focus on acquiring and managing affordable homes. That core responsibility remains, but the organization’s role has expanded as expectations around housing have changed. Alani notes that the sector increasingly understands housing as part of a wider system tied to health, well-being, and economic participation. This has shifted the focus beyond buildings themselves toward how residents connect to services, neighbourhoods, and support networks. Tenant demographics have also evolved. KHI is now serving a more varied population that includes newcomers and refugees, individuals affected by the mental health and drug crisis, and residents still dealing with the long-term effects of the pandemic. These changes require a more responsive approach, one that extends beyond maintenance and rent administration into coordination with external services and community partners. “The defining milestones are not just growth in units (which we have had and have ambitious plans for more), they are also the shift from landlord to steward of important public assets, from housing provider to community partner, and from a narrower operational role to a broader responsibility,” says Alani. 6
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