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Your generosity helps make Unitarian House more than a place to live, it helps create a welcoming, connected community where older adults can feel at home and age with dignity.
There are many ways you can make a difference.
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Make a one-time donation to support UHO's work today.
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Donate securities or other eligible assets where appropriate.
Support a specific UHO initiative or campaign and help make a particular project possible.
Whether you give once, give monthly or plan a gift for the future, your support helps strengthen the community we share and ensures UHO can continue making a difference for older adults.
Why a former Mayor of Ottawa chose to call Unitarian House home
After a lifetime of building communities across Ottawa, former mayor Jackie Holzman wasn't looking for luxury when it came time to retire, she was looking for community. As a housing advocate with the Social Planning Council and later as Mayor of Ottawa, she spent decades championing stronger, more inclusive communities.
More than 40 years later, the retirement community she watched take shape has become the place she proudly calls home.
Looking For a Place to Call Home
Holzman has spent much of her life advocating for strong, inclusive communities and affordable housing, so when it came time to look for retirement living, naturally Unitarian House came to mind. In May 1982, representing the Social Planning Council, Jackie attended a Saturday workshop at the church during the early construction phase, meeting original board members including her now husband, John Rutherford.
Her experience moving into the home came at a time of uncertainty. Two weeks before Covid-19 hit the province, Jackie and her husband moved into one of the 68 independent living apartments in Unitarian house. But amidst the outbreak, it was the sense of community that made the transition so easy.
Nothing Else Like it
The home has only 45 retirement suites and 68 senior apartments, creating an intimate environment where strangers form friendships, walk together, share tea, and socialize. The building deliberately has no balconies to encourage residents to come out and socialize rather than remain isolated.
"it's very homey. And the philosophy here is, for example, people say, oh, there are no balconies. No, we don't want people to sit alone on their balconies. We want people to come out. We encourage people to come out."
Being the only charitable retirement residence in the city of Ottawa, Unitarian House's philosophy relies on participation of its residents to maintain a wholesome community. Volunteers maintain the gardens, help at the front desk, and organize many community participation events and activities in coordination with the team.
This philosophy reflects a growing recognition of the importance of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), communities where a large proportion of residents are older adults, allowing neighbors to support one another while remaining independent for longer.
Unlike many retirement residences, Unitarian House operates as a charitable, not-for-profit organization with a mission centered on community rather than profit. That philosophy extends beyond the building itself, it shapes how the organization supports residents and keeps retirement living as affordable as possible.
"The whole concept of Unitarian House is unique. There's nothing else in Ottawa. We're a community and we are a mixed income community...you don't know who's subsidized and who isn't because everybody looks the same ”
For Jackie, Unitarian House represents the kind of community she spent a lifetime advocating for, one where people are supported, connected, and able to age with dignity.
Commitment to Support
Unfortunately, the Ontario government has never funded the capital or operating costs of retirement homes in Ontario, leaving the private sector to dominate. This results in unaffordable options for many seniors. Because of this, seniors tend to live in their homes longer where they often become socially isolated and bypass the retirement stage entirely, going directly to nursing homes.
For Unitarian House, affordability isn't just a philosophy, it's a commitment.
Entirely self-subsidized, Unitarian House provides more than $160,000 a year in financial assistance to seniors in financial hardship. This means that they do not receive government funding, and this program is fully reliant upon the generosity of the community.
Preserving a community like Unitarian House requires more than a shared philosophy, it requires the support of people who believe affordable retirement living should remain available to everyone. As a charitable organization, that support comes from residents, volunteers, donors, and community members. The goal is to help ensure no one has to leave because of financial hardship.
This is why every year, Unitarian house holds a fundraising walk in partnership with BlueSea Foundation. Jackie first learned about The Grand Parade through her son, who participated in a similar fundraising walk for another Ottawa charity.
Seeing the impact it had on bringing people together around a shared cause, she encouraged Unitarian House to become involved, a tradition that continues today.
The Grand Parade
On September 19, the community will once again come together to walk in honor and support of loved ones and aging adults.
Every step walked and every dollar raised helps sustain the Financial Assistance Program, ensuring more older adults can continue to access affordable, not-for-profit retirement living and remain part of the community they call home.
Join Jackie in supporting affordable housing for seniors
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