Ainsley Chapman – Thought Leadership on Housing, Homelessness and Faith Communities
Ainsley Chapman is the Executive Director of Evangel Hall Mission and a recognized voice on housing and homelessness in Toronto. Her work focuses on supportive housing for seniors, faith-based housing development, and partnerships between community organizations and churches to address Canada’s housing crisis. Through publications, conference presentations, and national working groups, Ainsley contributes to conversations on housing policy, church property redevelopment, and solutions to homelessness among older adults.
Below is a selection of her recent publications, presentations, and sector leadership.
Articles on Housing and Homelessness
1. Presbyterian Connection
The Presbyterian Connection is the national publication of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, distributed to congregations and subscribers across the country.
National Housing Day: A Day to Reflect and Take Action | Presbyterian Connection, Winter 2024 Read article →
Connecting Faith, Change and Housing: An Interview with the Rev. Dr. Patricia Dutcher-Walls | Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2025 Read article →
Designing Spaces to Fight the Loneliness Epidemic | Presbyterian Connection, Summer 2025 Read article →
How the Housing Sector is Rallying to Support Churches | Presbyterian Connection, Summer 2025 Read article →
National Housing Day: A Day to Reflect on Seniors and Aging | Presbyterian Connection, Fall 2025 Read article →
Evangel Hall Mission Video Campaign (Meet Your Neighbours) | Presbyterian Connection, Winter 2025 Read article →
Encampment: A Book Review (Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community by Maggie Helwig) | Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2026 Read article →
2. Community Features
Reimagine Church, Land and Community - Website
More Than Just Housing | Reimagine CLC, April 2025 Read article →
Webinars on Housing Policy and Church Redevelopment
1. Presbyterian Church in Canada Webinars
Understanding the Affordable Housing Crisis Watch →
Hosted by: The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC)
October 28, 2025. National webinar walking Presbyterian congregations through the affordable housing crisis — who needs housing, how needs are being met, and how faith communities can respond.
Re-Development of Church Properties & Buildings: An Online Roundtable Discussion Watch →
Hosted by: The Presbyterian Church in Canada
Co-presenter: Karen Plater (Associate Secretary, Stewardship, PCC) and Betty Kupeian (Chief Operating Officer, Presbyterian Church Building Corporation)
October 30, 2024. Explored options and opportunities for church redevelopment, including integrating affordable housing and community space. Emphasized the need for clear vision and community engagement before engaging developers. Participants were invited to share hopes, challenges, and input into grants and programs being developed by the national church to support feasibility and development.
Redeveloping Your Building to Better Serve God's Mission Watch →
Hosted by: The Presbyterian Church in Canada
Co-presenter: Karen Plater (Associate Secretary, Stewardship, PCC) and Betty Kupeian (Chief Operating Officer, Presbyterian Church Building Corporation)
September 3, 2025. Explored how congregations are stewarding their buildings and properties — including deeply affordable housing, social enterprises, community hubs, and other creative uses. Covered how feasibility studies work, available grants from the national church, and practical tools for moving forward.
Housing: Building and Strengthening Your Community Connections Watch →
Hosted by: The Presbyterian Church in Canada
November 25, 2025. National webinar for Presbyterian congregations exploring how churches considering redevelopment can identify, engage, and partner with housing and community service agencies that need space. Churches want to offer community programming — ESL and settlement services, seniors' gatherings, food banks, cooling and warming spaces, spaces for new parents — but lack the capacity to run these services themselves. Housing and community service agencies want to offer exactly these things but lack space. The webinar provided a practical framework for how and when to build those partnerships.
2. Other
Mitigating NIMBYism Through Faith-Based Community Building
Hosted by: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Co-presenter: Jeffrey Nevin, CEO, Indwell Community Homes
January 27, 2026. Explored the origins of NIMBYism and how faith-based organizations can build trust and community dialogue to integrate affordable housing. Part of CMHC's national Expert Community on Housing program.
Podcast Appearances
Ep. 21 — Turning Church Buildings Into Affordable Housing Listen →
Hosted by: Strays, Orphans, and Exiles — Two Rivers Church Podcast (Guelph)
December 11, 2024. Guest interview recorded at Evangel Hall Mission. Ainsley spoke about how she connects with churches to explore ways their buildings could be redeveloped to include supportive housing and social spaces, and how faith communities can rediscover their historic role serving people’s social and housing needs alongside their spiritual ones. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Pocket Casts.
Conference Presentations on Supportive Housing
Grief: How It Is Impacting the Ability of Faith Communities to Make Strong Decisions About the Future of Their Land and Buildings Learn More →
Hosted by: Reimagine: Church, Land and Community — Toronto Conference
May 13–14, 2025 | Wycliffe College, Toronto. 80+ participants from across Ontario including church leaders, architects, developers, and policy analysts representing all denominations. Part of a cross-Canada conference series.
Grief: How It Is Impacting the Ability of Faith Communities to Make Strong Decisions About the Future of Their Land and Buildings Learn More →
Hosted by: Reimagine: Church, Land and Community — Halifax Conference
May 2026 | Halifax (Kjipuktuk). Upcoming. Fourth national gathering of the Reimagine coalition.
Panel: Sacred Spaces to Community Places — Unlocking the Potential of Faith Properties
Hosted by: Relèven - Community Roundtable on Faith Properties for Housing
September 25, 2025 | Caledon, Ontario. Invited to represent the Presbyterian Church in Canada's perspective alongside CMHC, Town of Caledon, Region of Peel, developers, and funders.
Dating, Cohabitating and Marriage: The Three Stages of Amalgamation Learn More →
Hosted by: Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association (ONPHA) Annual Provincial Conference
Co-presenter: Suzanne Le (Executive Director, Multifaith Housing Initiative), Rebecca Roy (Executive Director, Satellite Community Homes) — facilitated by Manal Sayid, Sayid Consulting
November 2024. Ainsley shared EHM's amalgamation experience with Portland Place, covering the three stages of merger: dating (finding a partner), engagement (due diligence), and achieving a sustainable outcome. Read the EHM blog post summarizing the session.
Committees & Working Groups
Expert Community on Housing — Faith Properties Working Group — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Role: Core Planning Group Member (November 2024–present)
A national, federally convened community of practice focused on removing barriers and building the capacity of faith communities to include housing on their properties. The core planning group shapes the direction of the working group and its research agenda.
Planning for the Future of the Network Working Group — Toronto Supportive Housing Network (TSHN)
Role: Working Group Member
Developing strategy to strengthen the network's research capacity, policy work, and local sector-building — including building bridges between the housing and faith sectors at the community level.
Reimagine: Church, Land and Community — National Coalition
Role: Active contributor and coalition collaborator
A national coalition of nonprofits, faith leaders, social-purpose developers, theologians, housing advocates, and Indigenous leaders working to shift Canada's church properties from decline to renewal and community flourishing. Ainsley presents at national gatherings and contributes published thought leadership to the coalition's platform. Coalition partners include the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Indwell, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, Mennonite Church Canada, PAOC, and many others.
Content Advisor for Toolkit/Resource Development
Pre-Feasibility Framework for Faith-Based Organizations — SFU Renewable Cities, in partnership with CMHC Read →
Role: Expert Advisor
Advised on the development of a national toolkit designed to support early, values-based conversations about housing and land redevelopment with faith communities — before any technical or financial commitments are made. The toolkit is intended to reach faith communities and housing agencies across Canada. Published December 2025.
Faith and Housing Partnership Guide — SFU Renewable Cities / CMHC Expert Community on Housing (Forthcoming)
Role: Expert Advisor
Advising on a forthcoming follow-up resource focused on how faith communities and housing providers can build effective partnerships. Targeted at the same national audience as the pre-feasibility framework.
Special Advisor Roles
Housing and Homelessness Working Group — Office of MPP Chris Glover, Spadina–Fort York
Role: Expert Advisor (October 2025)
Invited by EHM's elected MPP to advise his Housing and Homelessness Working Group on affordable and supportive housing solutions in Toronto and across Ontario. Ainsley presented on evidence-based approaches to housing policy at the provincial level. Her participation led directly to a referral to the Leader of the Official Opposition.
Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable — Office of Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition, Queen's Park
Role: Expert Advisor (2025)
Referred by MPP Glover's office and invited by the Leader of the Official Opposition to a roundtable at Queen's Park designed to gather expert feedback on provincial housing policy. The roundtable directly informed the Official Opposition's housing policy positions. Ainsley was one of a select group of housing advocates whose input shaped the opposition's response to the provincial government's housing strategy.
Board Memberships
Rooftops Canada — Board Director & Treasurer (2024–present)
Rooftops Canada is a global housing advocacy organization that works with Canadian housing providers to support affordable housing development and policy internationally. One of Canada's longest-standing international housing development networks.
Tamil Housing Cooperative — Toronto — Board President (Court-Appointed Receivership Board) (December 2024–present)
Hand-picked by the City of Toronto to serve on the court-appointed receivership board following the City's decision to place the cooperative into receivership. Mandate: stabilize the cooperative, protect vulnerable tenants, and develop a capacity-building transition plan to return governance to the membership.
AIS Supportive Housing — Former Board President & Fundraising Chair (Previous tenure)
Led board governance and fundraising for a supportive housing provider. Served as both President and Chair of the Fundraising Committee.
