Canadian Lawyer InHouse

JANUARY 2017 34 INHOUSE It's just one of a multitude of hot button issues Johnson fi nds himself dealing with every day in an organization that has been dogged by controversy for more than a decade. It's a signifi cant change of pace and focus from his role as GC at software development company Infusion, where he worked for the last fi ve years. He left Infusion in June to join TCHC. Johnson is no stranger to the public sector or controversy. He says he likes taking on tough jobs and doesn't shy away from public scrutiny. He served as interim general counsel at eHealth Ontario in 2009, and led its legal team during a diffi cult time of restructuring. But unlike eHealth, one could easily argue there are more frontline and people-oriented issues at TCHC, which is also undergoing a massive revitalization of its housing infrastructure. Many of the issues are related to the repairs needed in the buildings that are part of the TCHC housing stock, as well as human rights complaints, privacy issues, litigation, complex procurement matters and more. "I enjoy the fast-paced nature of it; I like the public mandate that there is something higher at stake here than just closing a deal for the sake of completing a corporate transaction," he says. "The pace of the job is higher than I expected, but it's starting to calm down now that I'm familiarizing myself with the job." TCHC is a non-profi t corporation owned by the City of Toronto. It provides social housing to nearly 60,000 households in 2,200 buildings across the city. More than 110,000 residents of Toronto live in TCHC communities. Its board of directors consists of 13 members including the mayor (or his designate), three city councillors and nine citizens (including two TCHC residents). It receives 55 per cent of its funding in rent from residents, 39 per cent from City of Toronto subsidies and six per cent from rental of commercial spaces, parking and laundry as well as income from investments. The main focus at TCHC in the last few years has been centred on the $2.6-billion backlog of repairs required for the buildings, many of which were built 50 years ago. A report issued in January by the TCHC task force appointed by Toronto Mayor John Tory listed 29 recommendations to address the crisis and ongoing turmoil at its headquarters. "My approach to the reputational chal- lenge is a philosophical one," Johnson says. "All I can do is the best I can do. The people who I have met here and work with are a su- per group of people who are very conscien- tious of the public mandate. I'm confi dent in the fullness of time, the reputational problems of Toronto Community Housing will be solved and people will look at it as an organization that is well run and serving the needs of the city in a proper way." The TCHC legal budget is $7 million. It's a budget Johnson says is declining as more work is brought into the legal department of 14 lawyers and seven paralegals. "We do a lot in-house — it's just more cost effective and I think you get better customer service. You get to know what is an extremely complex organization. You need to understand it." Johnson says he will be looking at reduc- ing the budget on external law fi rms over time but not to a great degree. "The nature of the work is such we will have to retain external counsel. The legal budget is very much a function of projects we're undertak- ing in the years to come." The large revitalization projects for com- munities such as Regent Park are ongoing. It is estimated that phase two and three of Regent Park will be completed in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Others include Alexan- dra Park, Allenbury Gardens, Lawrence Heights, Leslie Nymark and 250 Davenport. "We still need external counsel for very large projects and for super specialized I enjoy the fast- paced nature of it; I like the public mandate that there is something higher at stake here than just closing a deal for the sake of completing a corporate transaction. MARK JOHNSON, TCHC

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