Ugo Bizzarri Honoured with Rental Housing Canada Lifetime Achievement Award
Hazelview Investments Founder and Executive Chair recognized for more than 25 years of leadership and lasting contributions to Canada's rental housing industry.
TORONTO, June 3, 2026 /CNW/ - Hazelview Investments is proud to announce that Ugo Bizzarri, Founder and Executive Chair, was presented with the Rental Housing Canada Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rental Housing Canada National Conference in Ottawa. The award recognizes individuals who have made an enduring impact on the rental housing sector, through leadership, advocacy, and a commitment to building better communities across Canada.
Bizzarri co-founded what is now Hazelview Investments in 1999, growing the firm from a domestic real estate investor and operator into a global investment management firm with $11.2 billion in assets under management¹ and more than 600 professionals across 19 offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong. Over that span, Hazelview has owned and managed approximately 34,000 rental homes across six provinces and 21 cities in Canada -- actively expanding Canada's rental housing supply by delivering 1,442 new purpose-built rental homes to date¹, with more than 20,000 additional units in the development pipeline.
Over more than 25 years, Bizzarri has been a defining voice in shaping Canada's rental housing industry through public policy engagement, industry governance, and a deeply held belief that real estate is ultimately about people.
Beyond building Hazelview, Bizzarri has served as Chairman of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) and also founded and serves on the Board of the Hazelview Cares Foundation -- a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities in which Hazelview operates, with a focus on housing support, education and employment, health and well-being, and local community initiatives. Taken together, these commitments reflect a career defined as much by community impact as by investment performance.
"Ugo has been one of the most influential figures in Canadian rental housing for more than two decades," said Tony Irwin, President and CEO, Rental Housing Canada and FRPO. "He has led by example, building a world-class organization while never losing sight of what this industry is really about; providing people with homes they are proud to live in. This award is a recognition of a career spent doing things the right way."
The Rental Housing Canada Lifetime Achievement Award is among the industry's most prestigious honours, presented to leaders whose contributions have shaped the rental housing landscape at a national level.
Reflecting on the recognition, Bizzarri said, "I'm deeply honoured to receive this award, and I want to be clear, everything we've built has been a team effort. Canada's rental housing sector has never been more important, and I'm proud to have played a part in its growth. This recognition belongs to every person at Hazelview who has shown up every day committed to creating real value -- for residents, investors, and the communities we're part of."
About Hazelview Investments:
Hazelview Investments Inc. is a global real estate investment firm with more than 25 years of experience and over $11.2 billion in assets under management¹. Our strategically integrated investment platform gives investors single-point access to both private and public market opportunities. Through our range of in-house investment, development, and property management capabilities, our goal is to deliver repeatable risk-adjusted returns for our clients.
We provide diversified real estate investment solutions -- including equity and debt strategies across public and private markets -- to institutions and consultants in strategic markets around the world. These solutions are delivered through separately managed accounts and a variety of fund structures, tailored to investor jurisdiction, investment size, and strategy. Guided by deep expertise, data-driven insights, and an ownership approach to investment, we actively aim to create and enhance value for investors, partners, and communities.
Hazelview has been recognized as a leader in sustainable multi-family real estate, ranking #1 in the Canadian multi-family standing investments category in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) in both 2024 and 2025.
Learn more at www.hazelview.com
About Rental Housing Canada
Rental Housing Canada (RHC), formerly the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations, is the national voice of the rental housing industry, representing more than one million rental units from coast to coast. RHC advocates on behalf of rental housing providers to advance sound policy and a stable, well-functioning rental market for all Canadians.
¹ As of March 31, 2026.
SOURCE Hazelview Investments
Media Contact: Colleen Krempulec, Hazelview Investments, [email protected], 416-500-9251
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