FRPO’s New Environmental Operating Standards Offers Renters the Opportunity to Play an Active Role in Promoting a Greener Living Environment in their Apartment Community
KINGSTON, ON, July 16, 2014 — FRPO (the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario)’s Certified Rental Building Program (CRBP) is now greener and more environmentally friendly.
With the introduction of its new Environmental Operating Standards in Kingston, at Osgoode Properties’ Westview Place, FRPOs certification assures residents that their apartment home is in the care of property managers committed to environmental activities that support effective energy consumption management and waste management recycling practices.
Osgoode Properties in Kingston, ON is the second FRPO CRBP property manager to launch “Living Green Together.” (R-L) Osgoode Properties’ Residential Portfolio Manager Geoff Younghusband; Building Manager Joyce Martin; Kingston Councillor Liz Schell (Portsmouth); FRPO Chair Bill Zigomanis; Kingston Councillor Sandy Berg (Kingscourt-Strathcona); FRPO – CRBP Committee Chair Randy Daiter.
These new Standards will contribute to creating greener living environments for over 225,000 Ontario residents living in over 950 CRBP-approved apartment communities across the province.
Osgoode Properties becomes the first property manager in the greater Kingston area, enrolled in the CRB Program, to recertify with these new Environmental Standards and to receive official status within the Program.
To celebrate this sustainability milestone, Osgoode Properties, residents and community leaders including Kingston Mayor Mark Garretsen, Councillor Liz Schell today gathered at Osgoode’s Westview Place, 52 Bayswater Place, to reinforce their commitment to environmental sustainability and greener apartment living for residents and their families.
Kingston City Councillors Sandy Berg and Liz Schell (5th & 6th from left), FRPO Chair Bill Zigomanis (7th from left), CRBP Committee Chair Randy Daiter (front right) and the Osgoode Properties team unveiled their new “Living Green Together” banner at Westview Place, 52 Bayswater Place.
“As the first tenant-focused, quality-assurance program of its kind in North America, the CRB Program assists Ontario residents (tenants) in identifying well-run, well-managed apartment buildings and homes. We are now strengthening that ‘quality’ commitment to Ontario rental-housing consumers with the introduction of 10 new environmental-operating standards. These new standards will set the base-line for environmental-operating practices across our industry,” said FRPO President & CEO Scott Andison.
“We are absolutely delighted to be the first Property Manager in Kingston to be fully compliant with the CRB Program’s new Environmental Operating standards,” said Geoff Younghusband, Osgoode Properties’ Residential Portfolio Manager. “They are a perfect fit with our goal to create greener and healthy apartment communities for our residents and staff at all Osgoode Properties.”
Training and education are critical components in the rollout and implementation of these new environmental standards at CRBP members buildings. Over the next few months, hundreds of apartment building staff will access a special Environmental Awareness & Leadership training program which will engage front-line staff to be more aware of the energy resources their building is using, to identify opportunities to reduce consumption, and to connect their residents in conservation practices through awareness and education.
FRPO’s Director of Certification Ted Whitehead said, “The success of the CRBP’s Environmental Standards depends on our members working effectively together with their residents to strengthen and support a greener environment. By engaging and encouraging residents to do the small painless things to conserve energy, like turning down the thermostat, turning off lights when they leave for work or recycling their garbage and waste correctly – then everyone wins! We can create a culture of environmental caring and greener apartment communities across Ontario.
“Within the next few months, over 225,000 residents living in CRBP apartment buildings will be an active part of this ‘grassroots’ environmental program and this will no doubt contribute to lower energy consumption and create greener communities across Ontario,” he added.
Visit www.crbprogram.org
