When One Window Changes Everything

On the 13th of August, in the heart of a cold winter, a team member joined a curtain installation team on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. The team was on-site as part of a wider deep clean initiative, responding to reports of poor living conditions. At the end of the day, our colleague informed us of the troubling picture of the tenant’s living conditions.

The tenant, a 70-year-old who had recently suffered a stroke, was living in a home plagued by severe mould. A window had been broken for over two winters, and old, inefficient heaters struggled to warm the space. Recognising this wasn’t just a comfort issue, but a health and safety concern, we followed up directly with the tenant. He shared that while his unit wasn’t under a formal property management company, the surrounding units were all managed by Barfoot & Thompson, and all owned by the same landlord. The tenants situation was unique: he had direct contact with the landlord, who was now unwell, with his son stepping in to manage the property. With this limited information, we managed to track down the property manager at Barfoot & Thompson. Realising this unit wasn’t on her portfolio, we approached the conversation from a sales angle, suggesting that taking on tenants unit would make logistical and business sense, since she was already managing the neighbouring properties. It could be a win-win.

 Fast forward one week: on Friday, we received a call from tenant. His voice was lighter. The issue had been resolved. The broken window was finally fixed, and the sense of relief in his tone was undeniable. It was a small victory in the broader effort to ensure dignity, safety, and warmth for our community’s most vulnerable.