Bud Purves to retire from role at Toronto Community Housing

Toronto's social-housing agency is going to be saying goodbye to the chair of its board of directors.

On Wednesday morning, Bud Purves announced that he would retire as chair of Toronto Community Housing’s board of directors in the new year.

Purves was brought in as board chair in June 2011, midway through a tumultuous year in which the majority of former citizen board members had resigned following an audit that called out questionable spending at the agency.

In a statement, Purves said he is proud of what the board has accomplished during his tenure, which has included “implementing changes and improvements that are enhancing the lives of the people we serve.”

The outgoing chair expressed faith in the strength of the board and a belief that “Toronto Community Housing is well on its way to being a landlord of excellence.”

The board is comprised of nine citizens, three city councillors and the mayor, or a person designated to represent him.

It oversees the management of the housing agency, which is responsible for the properties where more than 164,000 tenants live in Toronto.