Traci Spour-Lafrance | Beyond Housing: Thriving Communities with Ottawa Community Housing

Housing is more than a roof — it’s the foundation for opportunity, belonging, and possibility.In this episode, Jenny sits down with Traci Spour-Lafrance, Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation, to explore what it really means to build thriving communities from the inside out.Traci’s journey — from educator and social worker to executive leader — has been guided by one belief:Be the change you want to see in this world.Under her leadership, the OCH Foundation has created programs that don’t just support tenants — they empower them. From emergency supports to youth leadership pathways, Traci’s work proves that when you invest in people, you transform communities.One of the most powerful examples:The Foundation’s Youth Futures Program, relaunching this January — a six-month leadership and skill-building journey that helps nearly 150 youth each year build confidence, community, and their future.And the impact comes full circle: program graduates now sit on the board, shaping the very programs that shaped them. As Dan once said, “It’s like people who have never taken public transportation designing the public transportation system.”OCHF is changing that narrative — ensuring lived experience leads.We talk about:✨ The stigma around community housing — and how to dismantle it✨ Why programs must be designed with communities, not for them✨ How representation becomes accountability✨ The power of youth leadership and generational impact✨ What it means to lead with compassion and creativityThis is a story about community, dignity, and possibility — and about building systems where people don’t just survive, but thrive.Learn more or get involved with the Youth Futures Program at youth-futures.com.