Options Housing
Client
Sectors
Housing
Services
Brand Design
Strategy
Leading the way in supportive housing, with a rebrand and name change from “Options Bytown” to the new “Options Housing”
Options Housing — formerly Options Bytown — is a frontline supportive housing organization in Ottawa that helps people move out of shelters and into permanent housing. Every aspect of their work is grounded in their central belief that we all deserve a home. They provide permanent housing with wraparound supports like mental health services, support with substance use, systems navigation, and a warm and welcoming community. LeBlanc (& co.) Communications was hired to create a Communications Strategy and lead the organization through a rebrand, all with the goal of showcasing their impact and amplifying their incredible work.
Originally known as 'Options Bytown', the organization opened the doors of its first supportive housing building in the heart of Ottawa’s Byward Market, a neighbourhood historically known as "Bytown" in 1989. After 35 years of growth and impact, their team partnered with LeBlanc (& co.) Communications for a full rebrand and strategy development process, culminating in a strategic, comprehensive, and practical brand system. The rebrand launched with the organization's new, clearer name — "Options Housing" — which was chosen to make its trailblazing impact clear and show that the organization had grown beyond its first building, now having roots in more neighbourhoods across Ottawa.
We started the strategy and messaging development with a comprehensive research phase, anchored in key informant interviews with their team and visits to their locations. We wrote a Communications Strategy that highlighted Options Housing's audiences and communications objectives, along with a detailed plan for execution, which accounted for communications needs across its many functions — like providing housing, support programs, and fundraising.
We created a Message Guide that outlines Options Housing's messaging and tone of voice guidelines, ensuring that it could be effectively rolled out and used by the Options Housing team. Throughout our work with Options Housing, we were struck by the power of an internal phrase, “We all deserve a home”. This led us to suggest prominently featuring the message as a tagline in their branding and communications materials.
After completing the strategy and messaging phase, we moved onto the brand design work. When discussing plans for the new brand, their team first considered a light brand refresh, but then ultimately chose to undergo a full rebrand — including a new name; new logo; program sub-logos; and a full suite of materials and templates. For a frontline community organization, this was a big undertaking, but they knew it was worth it in order to ensure that their mission and impact shined through in all of their communications.
Through refining their strategy and branding, the Options Housing team is now poised to tell their story across different contexts — from fundraising campaigns to community outreach — while staying true to their mission and heart.
The Real-Life Inspiration for the Illustrations
Throughout the brand design process, the Options Housing staff emphasized the importance of community and putting people first. Affectionately known as “Options” to many staff and tenants, the organization is far more than a housing provider: it’s a hub of care and support. To visually portray their multifaceted role in the new branding, we developed a modular set of custom illustrations that highlight the many sides of Options Housing. The inspiration for each of these illustrations came from real conversations with their team, where they told stories of tenants taking art classes; their staff and tenants sharing meals; and a volunteer teaching weekly piano lessons to a tenant. To bring these stories to life, we created custom illustration blocks that weave in the stories that make Options Housing feel like home to so many people, from an illustrated piano to a drawing of a warm cup of tea.
Executive Director Catharine Vandelinde wearing the new Options Housing brand on the front page of the Ottawa Citizen
