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Planning and Development

Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development Survey Results

Submitted by Rachel Rose, James Jordan, Meghan Synnott & Eric Moschopedis

The Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development subcommittee is pleased to invite you to join us in our next steps. Participate in the following ways:

1. Take a few moments to read through the survey results from last Spring. 

We recognize that some of the results may feel challenging to read or conflict with, your own experience in Sunnyhill. Take note of your reactions, thoughts, feelings, or even ideas that come to mind?

2. Share your initial reactions in the short survey at the end. 

It has been a while since we first asked these questions and things may have shifted or changed for you. We hope that these 3 simple questions will give us a sense as to what the current “temperature” is in the co-op as we move forward to the next steps. 

3. Plan to participate in an open house.

We want to welcome everyone to participate in an open house where we can safely talk about what this all means for Sunnyhill and gather your specific feedback about the priority areas outlined in the survey (i.e., Relationships & Trust, Education & Training of Co-op Members, Constructive Communication etc.) Specifically, we will be facilitating conversation that asks the following questions: 

“What would be different?”

“What does this look like?

Take some time to think about these questions in advance. We are asking members to RSVP for the open house so that we can prepare & plan. Our intention is to hold these outside (weather & COVID restrictions permitting) the dates will be: 

Watch for the dates and an RSVP link to be sent in the next few weeks!

Thanks to everyone who already offered their thoughts and ideas through this survey. We look forward to cooperatively determining what the next step of this process should be as thoughtfully collaborate, share & create ways to meaningfully advance this work. 

Cooperatively yours, 

Rachel Rose, James Jordan, Meghan Synnott & Eric Moschopedis 

Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development Survey Results

Spring 2021 - Total Number of Respondents: 50 

Questions #1-3 Final Results of Priority Rankings 

First Priority: Relationships & Trust

Second Priority: Education & Training of Co-op Members

Third Priority: Constructive Communication


*This is a summary of the data. Full results for each priority are listed in the P & D files on the website. 

Question #4

In your opinion what is the best way for the co-op to best heal and work together towards a vibrant future?

*Please see Sheet 2 in the P& D files for the full data. Each response was assigned a theme, the themes were then ranked in order of their frequency mentioned

Question #5 

What single word would you use to describe how you feel about Sunnyhill Co-op in March 2021?

*The largest words appeared with the greatest frequency. 

Share your initial reactions…

AGM Postponement and Update on the Coming Months

Submitted by Richard Harrison, Chair, on behalf of the Board

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to let you know that due to the complications created by Andrea's departure at the beginning of May, the materials necessary to close out the co-op's year will not be ready for the end of June. In a year of the unexpected that this one has proved to be many times over, this probably shouldn't be a surprise, and it is not what we wanted. The Board has worked hard to catch up and keep the administration of the co-op on track. Despite the challenges, the co-op is functioning well at present, and, as we've seen many times over, our members are actively contributing to the co-op's good, and our committees are engaged in productive and forward-looking work.

In that light, we have appealed to the provincial government for an extension in order to get the necessary work done. They have been very understanding. Our co-op has an excellent record of fiscal and social responsibility, and we are not alone in needing more time in this regard. We anticipate that our financial documents will be ready by the end of July; to give ourselves room to deal with anything we haven't foreseen in making that estimate, we've requested a deadline that will schedule our AGM at the end of August, which has been granted.

We know that the bylaws calculate the date of the AGM according to the fiscal year and put it at the end of June; however the Co-operatives Act, under which we have requested this extension, takes priority, so we are still operating properly under our governing documents.

That said, the next two months will be busy ones that will set the stage for the end of August to be an excellent time to consider the year ahead. As some of you know, also near the end of June, the Planning and Development Committee were setting up to give us an update on negotiations with the City and a recommendation regarding their offer. The City, however, has delayed their reply to us, so the needed information was not provided in time. We expect that it will be ready for mid-July instead.

We are also looking forward to hearing from P&D regarding the Social Fabric Survey that they conducted over the past few months; the results have been compiled and they plan to hold informal focus groups to follow up. Their work will provide a much-appreciated picture of where we are as a community and inform the discussion of our future directions.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate our way through a year of obstacles that I see us over and over meeting in a truly cooperative spirit.

All the best,

Richard Harrison, Chair,

for the Board.

Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development

Think “Planning and Development” at Sunnyhill, and the image is likely filled with buildings and construction. That is accurate; the deep energy retrofit and exploration of a new building are certainly front and centre on the co-op agenda. One thing we are learning is that keeping the social fabric of Sunnyhill healthy is at least as important, if not more so, than the bricks and mortar that provide the shelter. 

The Planning and Development Committee would like to hear from you about how we as a community can prepare to undertake exploring Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development of the Co-op. 

GOAL:  The goal of this work is to undertake a robust planning process that can re-invigorate and re-tool the social assets of Sunnyhill. By doing so, we can create deeper engagement within the community, retain members, and sustain the self-management model of our community as we work to secure the long-term future of the cooperative. 

STRATEGY: We are just at the very early stages of this work and would like to engage the co-op in developing priorities for this work. 

1.     Tell us what your top 3 priorities are through the simple anonymous online survey below (March)

2.     Then share with us a bit more through a quick conversation (April/May)

3.     Join a focus group where we can explore the top 3 priorities in greater depth (June-Oct)

OUTCOME: By the end of the year the results of this process will have shown us what the co-op’s top priorities are, as well as start the process of generating recommendations for how we can proceed with further developing this work.

We anticipate that this process will take many years, many conversations and much cooperation. We look forward to embarking on this process of discovery together and cooperatively determining how the process will unfold.

SURVEY DEFINITIONS

Engagement (how committees/board decide priorities & respond to needs)
Participation (what it means at Sunnyhill & how we make it happen) 
Defining Shared Values (what ethics/values drive us?) 
Education & Training of Co-op Members (how to participate in meetings, read budgets, volunteer, and governance etc.)
Education & Training of Volunteers (roles, responsibilities, processes for being successful on committees)
Succession Planning & Development (how do we ensure knowledge translation/transfer to new/younger members for long term continuity)
Relationships & Trust (maintaining & strengthening it broadly across the co-op)
Constructive Communication (how do we dialogue as neighbours, disagree & problem solve) 
Other (Please explain)

The survey is now closed. Thanks for your response.

Results will be shared with members in the near future.

Member Selection Update

Submitted by Lisa Rouleau on behalf of Member Selection Committee

Hi all,

First of all, I am so sorry, and take full responsibility for the lateness of this announcement. Member Selection is delighted to welcome Heidi and Anna to 26 Sunnyhill Lane! They and their cat moved in at the beginning of April and they have already been active at meetings and socializing outside while beautifying their yard. We are happy to have you here, neighbours!

In other news, Member Selection has been discussing the situation with the one bedroom units in light of the open units and the P&D work with Urban Matters. First, thank you to Eric and the rest of the P&D team for such good communication -- we had a bit of a glitch in terms of everyone being in the know about the full discussion that has taken place this year, but it's 2020, so that kind of figures :-P

I'm writing to clarify what we understand to be the situation as it stands, and what the likely next steps are as they relate to the work of the Member Selection Committee.

FYI, Susan and Buzz, after years of excellent leadership with the committee (THANK YOU!! <3), have stepped down (for now, anyway), and Jaime Muneoka and I have taken on committee co-chair responsibilities. We will endeavour to work as best we can with Sarah Stephens, Laura Doram and Marzena Czarnecka, as well as the Board and other SHC committees for the well-being of our members and the co-op as a whole.

As of the general meeting in January, we were informed that the likely spot for any new build as we go forward -- looking to increase our occupancy along accessibility, affordability and aging in place ideals -- is where the four one-bedrooms from 762 to 768 are. That is not a fait accompli, but we must move forward with that possibility in mind and try to make this the least stressful time in the not-knowing that we can for everyone.

SO. Here is what we know, and what we hope will work as we continue to navigate this together as a community...

1. We do not yet know if other one bedrooms will be affected by the plans. P&D have communicated to us that the hope is we will have a more detailed plan from Urban Matters by some time in August. We have received confirmation from the Board that the vacant one bedroom (as of Aug 1) can be filled either Aug 1 or Sept 1. It will be offered to long-term SHC members of those units first, as motioned and carried in the Jan 2020 general meeting.

2. We have recommended to the Board that those members on the internal waiting list (members currently living in non-housing fit units) be left where they are on that list if that is their choice and not penalized for turning down a one bedroom unit that they then might have to move out of for the construction. We understand that those members may feel frustrated by the change in plans. But the co-op's intention as we move forward trying to expand our capacity is to preserve our community and our members' housing as best we can. The least stressful option is to leave people in their homes as long as we can, and not penalize them for not being in a housing fit while these changes are happening.

We are looking at a long term process here with, as we are all aware, a lot of unknowns. This is the current plan and it will need to shift as our knowledge of the plan shifts. Our hope is to keep everyone in the loop.

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, please do share them with the committee via the office or directly to me or Jaime.

Thank you, friends!
Lisa, for Member Selection

Planning and Development Presentation - Intro to MODA

Submitted by Planning and Development

Planning and Development is inviting members to:


AN INTRODUCTION TO MODA

June 18th, 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Zoom (link: https://bit.ly/2AeyZVJ)

Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA) is the Calgary-based architecture and interior design firm that Urban Matters is working with to envision what our aging-in-place, accessible housing might look like. MODA is the same firm that did the design work for our 2 and 3 bedroom in the fall. They offer a collaborative, team-oriented approach to all projects, big or small. MODA’s work ranges from single family residences to institutional projects such as libraries, schools, art galleries and fire halls to multifamily and mid-scale office, retail and commercial buildings.

MODA will provide an introduction to the memberships about how they work and the process they will lead the membership through as we work to design a new building.


To facilitate the discussion, we are asking members to send questions to Planning and Development sunnyhill.planning.development@gmail.com by SUNDAY JUNE 14TH. We will collate the question and send them off to MODA. They will work them into their presentation.

MODA website: http://moda.ca/

Email if you need the phone number to join the meeting.
sunnyhill.planning.development@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

P and D

Response to Brenda Willman on the Sunnyhill’s Housing Futures

Submitted by Philip Cox , Member of Planning and Development Committee

I’m thankful to Brenda for setting out her concerns about Sunnyhill’s housing futures project (“Hel*l is full of good intentions or desires”, February 3rd, 2020).  Its a big and important undertaking; it needs for us to talk it through.  

So here I go with my response hoping that it stimulates others to weigh in.  

Brenda:  “I am being led down a chute like a proverbial lamb to the slaughter, or more aptly put in Alberta, like cattle to the abattoir.” 

Phil: We have been talking about this for ten years.  It hasn’t been systematic; it has been halting and messy - it still is.  We have been learning as we go, buffeted by shifts in housing policy, programming and funding, all of which have shaped our options.

Brenda: “We’ve had to weather several economic depressions in the past 30 years, and in our desire to keep things affordable, particularly for hurting families, we gave up some things in favour of affordability.”

Phil: Yes, we have had our economic ups and downs and, throughout, members have fallen on hard times.  The coop has been ready to support to the extent that our subsidy-surcharge system has allowed.   This is something to be proud of and continue with.  

But, I’m not sure that this practice of caring and social protection, alone, has caused us to progressively fall behind in our financial readiness to address our structural frailties. Surely, there are multiple factors?  One is that we have not had a long range planning orientation for much of the first 40 years.  We have been on “auto pilot” - stuck with a high interest mortgage on leased land with few options.  Another is that big capital items (like windows) are now, inevitably, at (or beyond) the end of their life cycle. 

Brenda: “…we effectively have handed over a good deal of control to the City and left our future in their hands, at least so far as in how their decisions directly affect which course we are able to follow.”

Phil: We have handed over nothing.  We started a conversation with the City understanding that our lease runs out in 2039.  This is an increasingly untenable situation that, left unaddressed, would have continued to remind us of how little control we actually ever had over our destiny.  As you said, “the City holds the key as the landowner”. 

What we have done by engaging the City is placed ourselves in a conversation that for the first time casts us as an affordable housing asset rather than a commercial property. We are going down a path that could result in us gaining control over our destiny through ownership. 

And, while we have certainly spent money to deal with the City and explore our options, we have also saved money too.  

Brenda“…it is not just maudlin emotions that cause my aversion to having a four storey apartment building erected smack in the middle of our co-op complex.”  

Phil: We have not looked at housing design.  A new build is yet to be decided upon, and design is a few steps down the road.  It is certainly true that if we are not thoughtful about the architecture we could end up with an ugly building.  But there is plenty of scope for creativity here and we are in the driver’s seat re: design options.  

Brenda: “Displacing people from their homes forever is also not optimal.  I heard from our planning committee, that “we have empathy”, but I also heard the Chair of our Board say “lots of people have had to move when they didn’t want to…we have empathy”.

Phil: Agree, displacing people is not optimal.  The Planning and Development Committee is very clear, the burden on those who would have to move is extraordinary.  If we are not committed as a coop to mitigate that burden we are not committed to the project at all. It is a cost item that is as (or more) important than the infrastructure costs.   

Brenda: “It is unfathomable how anyone can expect such a small group of individuals to foot the long-term bill/debt for such an endeavour.”

Phil: To upgrade and enlarge our assets at Sunnyhill will require financing, to be sure.  But so too would a “like for like” replacement of the windows and doors, siding, railings and roof.   

Servicing the debt is a long term proposition.  The current configuration of 66 member households will only be expected to contribute to serving the debt for as long as they are in the coop.  Future members will share the burden.

And, if we do our work right, the level of debt will remain within affordability parameters.  The membership wants that, and likely the City will hold us to that too. 

To think that our housing charges might actually go down as we finish paying down our mortgage isn’t realistic given the capital costs to keep the Coop structurally sound, serviceable and attractive. 

"He*l is full of good intentions or desires”

"He*l is full of good intentions or desires”

attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

Submitted by Brenda Willman

I deliberately chose a controversial title for a controversial submission, which I was thinking of titling “You Don’t Have to Drink the Kool Aid” or “My Dissertation on the Current Evolution of Sunnyhill Housing Cooperative”.  I think we, as members, should be permitted to voice a counter-opinion without fear of reprisal, though it may make others angry, and maybe make others nod their heads in agreement, and at the very least spark further debate.

One of the things I have greatly lamented in recent years is the disappearance of single family homes in Hillhurst-Sunnyside, which have made way for the multi-plexes, small(ish) apartment buildings and apartment/condo megoliths (see the block long building on Memorial Drive and what looks to be a very large footprint for the one next the C-train on 9A Street near Safeway), never mind what appears to be coming along 2nd Avenue near the school.

And now to my even greater sorrow and, yes, frustration, I am being pointedly led (pressure to approve motions is evident) towards a single solution I don’t find palatable.  It does feel like I am being led down a chute like a proverbial lamb to the slaughter, or more aptly put in Alberta, like cattle to the abattoir. I can’t recall being offered many other solutions, but it is very possible I missed something along the way as I’ve had a few very rough years.  

The lease is ending - the future of the coop is threatened by this.  Yes, I understand. To my fellow member who implied that I – and possibly the other old people - don’t see the side of the young families moving into the coop, I haven’t been 62 years old for 30 years while living here.  I was a “young family” when I moved in with my then-partner. I had hopes and expectations, as did my contemporaries, though I admit I have not been asked to speak for them. The previous membership (previous to today) may not have replaced the windows, but not for lack of having sense.  We’ve had to weather several economic depressions in the past 30 years, and in our desire to keep things affordable, particularly for hurting families, we gave up some things in favour of affordability. Empathy, which seems to be at centre stage in the present discussions, has always been a factor at SHC – maybe, no probably, to the detriment of our buildings.  We made it through the flood too, and I won’t forget that some then long-time members worked very hard to get us back on our feet after that, as did the rest of us.  I believe there would be no discussing the future of the coop if we hadn’t pulled ourselves back together after the flood.  

But I have digressed, and it is easy to do so when the side-road is relevant itself.  To get back to the point, there have been/are options considered: (a) let the lease run out and see where things are a few years down the road (b) renew the lease or (c) buy the land.  That is my understanding. I don’t recall any other possibilities and perhaps there is no wiggle room when dealing with a City Council filled with Councillors who are largely in the back pockets of wealthy developers.  We have focused on (b) and (c) because, I think, “wait-and-see” does not appeal to those undertaking this massive planning project, nor does it seem reasonable. Having said that, we effectively have handed over a good deal of control to the City and left our future in their hands, at least so far as in how their decisions directly affect which course we are able to follow.  I know that we pro-actively spend money to present plans to CMHC and the City, but the City holds the key – as landowner.

Additionally, it is not just maudlin emotions that cause my aversion to having a four storey apartment building erected smack in the middle of our co-op complex.   I just used the large font, approximately 4 times taller than the font around it, to make a point (and yes I know that most of our units are 3 storey units, but the ones next to the apartment will be the other one bedroom units that are 1 storey high).  I invite anyone to stand next to the apartment unit beside Sami’s store, and then picture that (only 2 stories higher) being dropped next to the circle garden. A four storey building in the middle of our complex, effectively dividing our neighbourhood, is not optimal, and I don’t want it.  One built on the outside perimeter would be more palatable, but I heard the reasons for that not being possible.  

Displacing people from their homes forever is also not optimal.  I heard from our planning committee, that “we have empathy”, but I also heard the Chair of our Board say “lots of people have had to move when they didn’t want to…we have empathy”.  Unfortunately, empathy offered with what appears to be a chilly codicil such as ‘other people have been in your same shoes’ (implying - so deal with it) is not helpful, nor particularly empathetic to tell the truth.  

I hear the real concern in the voices of those potentially displaced members respecting the pending change in their lifestyle(s) – having to move, and also, for example, having no more separate entry, no more garden.  In fact, the amenity of one’s own entrance and yard is one of the reasons that lots of people, no matter what age, are attracted to SHC’s one bedroom units, besides, for example, being attracted by the great neighbourhood and proximity to the downtown, and notwithstanding the opportunity for a subsidy.  We have had 30-somethings, albeit not ‘families’, living in one bedroom units. It is almost impossible to find a single-storey one bedroom unit in Calgary. I mourn, and want to voice my opposition to, the loss of something truly unique offered by SHC. And before you go there, I know that will be other one-bedrooms not affected, but our present complement of single storey units will be halved.

I also understand that we are, in our attempts to be (what – efficient or bold or leaders, or all of the foregoing? – I’m not sure) efficient, trying to kill several birds with one stone.  We are not just looking at what to do about the lease. We concurrently are considering what to do about our accessibility and our environmental targets (don’t know how else to put that) and the reality of our aging buildings (AND aging members), because they are all tied together into getting approval from the City and maybe also because these considerations seem perfectly reasonable though not necessarily affordable - and some of the work is becoming necessary. 

But as I noted when I addressed these feelings at the meeting, we are a tiny community of 66 members, which consists of multiple members on subsidy.  It is unfathomable how anyone can expect such a small group of individuals to foot the long-term bill/debt for such an endeavour. It is true that in the beginning, it was a small group of members who established the coop, but I understand that all the money came from CMHC loans (and, oh, none of them who are still alive stuck around to pay off the debt).  I am hearing that the present development hopefully will be funded by grants and sponsored loans, but I am also hearing there will be a big difference owing, and that difference will be loaned directly to the coop – and THAT, along with my desire to not contribute the “apartmentification” of Sunnyside AND disruption to and loss of lifestyle of my neighbours, is what steers me away from the present path.

It is not because I am short-sighted.  It is not because I am old. It is not because I cannot remember what it is like to be in my thirties and have my future ahead of me.  It is largely because of the expectation by outsiders, yes let me call them that even though they may be considering our best interests: they remain non-members, that such a small group of people should be expected to assume such a large loan simply to be able to stay in place.  That seems so unfair.  But life is not fair.

6 million divided by 66?  About $90,000 per unit – so that is a debt I will have to assume as a 30 year member who has already contributed a good deal of money to SHC, and it is not the only factor going into the $ calculation of my future (during and post development) economic housing charge.  We have day to day expenses to add in – besides repayment of the debt. So despite my already having contributed $288,000 to my present home (I have already spent 30 years X (let’s go low) 800/month= $288,000), I now have to assume more debt at a point where I was actually hoping to see my Housing Charge drop in a few years. 


I (and many others) have invested more than enough to have purchased a little house – but I decided to put all my eggs in the basket of cooperative housing, and to find out at this late stage that decision might have been a huge mistake is at the very least disappointing.  As I said at the meeting, my plan included (likely) paying subsidies for most of my life, knowing that at the end of my journey I could ultimately be subsidized, still have a home, a small garden, and people around to watch out for me

  

There should be other solutions…but I admit that I have no earthly idea what those may be.  Rent to own? Buy adjacent land (with or without partners, such as the City of Calgary or SACHA or ???) and build on that land?  We would still assume a debt, but at least no one will have to move and no building will be in the middle of the coop. 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, according to Meatloaf.

All I know is (1) people are going to lose their homes due to no fault of their own and NOT due to something as newsworthy as an earthquake, flood, volcano or some other such disaster which might drum up more empathy and assistance from strangers and governments alike (2) every member of SHC is going to be assuming a huge debt, some of whom will be or are already are on a limited Canada Pension for their source of income and (3) another apartment is going up in a spot where it will stick out like a sore thumb – ALL of which have a significant impact on someone’s/everyone’s quality of life.   

I have mentioned before in an earlier Newsletter submission that the impact of the construction to the east and south of us would surely come into play, and already it has begun.  Presently there is the substation under construction to the near east. Next will be a massive c-train bridge construction. Jaipur Bridge is closed and the little detour bridge to the east is going to be affected by the green-line c-train bridge construction.  Getting across the river and the lagoon to downtown will become difficult if not nearly impossible– yet we at SHC are willing to soldier through these things. We choose to live here.  

We have faced, and will continue to face, many changes to our Shangri-La in this corner of Sunnyside, and I for one would like to see every single option exhaustedly explored.  Even at the eleventh hour. If we can maintain our present height, and our land, and take on a few repairs/improvements each year – that is my hope and dream – and we ALL hope and dream no matter what our shelf-life might be.  Young or old. Thank you for your time.

Opening Doors Conference Report

Submitted by Eric Moschopedis

I had the excellent opportunity to attend the Opening Doors Conference on November 6. The Opening Doors Conference was organized by The Community Housing Affordability Collective and was held on National Housing Day. The conference brought “together all professions in the affordable housing sector as well as related stakeholders from across Alberta and beyond to discuss new and emerging trends and topics to further not only the success of individual organizations but the sector as a whole”. 

The keynote address was given by Zain Velji. Some might recognize his name as a commentator on CBC or because of his role in Barak Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and Mayor Nenshi’s political campaigns. Zain spoke on the “Future of Advocacy and Influence”. More specifically he discussed ways of engaging with government(s) in our current political climate. His suggestion was to not be antagonistic towards government, but instead to work to help government understand issues in housing and to work towards solutions. A strategy he recommended was understanding how an organizations particular need connects to a broader theme or social need. For example, how does Sunnyhill’s unique (re)development, financing, and lease negotiations act as a case study for the challanges that other affordable housing or co-operatives are facing. Put another way, Zain said that advocacy should not be tied exclusively to an “ask,” but that an organization should be an advocate because they want to be an access point—a place governments can go to for further sector information. Zain’s approach was very social media heavy, going so far as to suggest that “local media is eroding”. Instead, he recommended organizations become “influencers” that can be “explainers of the news” by first looking at their staff and immediate membership and then asking them to move the branded message out and attract new supporters.

I attended two different breakout sessions during the morning. One on social innovation and a second about Indigenous Housing. The social innovation session was asking “what about social innovation and what does it offer the Affordable Housing sector?” The session was basically an overview of what social innovation is. It was led by James Stauch—a professor at Mount Royal University in the Institute for Community Prosperity. The session wasn’t that informative, but James did mention the work of Cheryl Rose and her idea that innovation is a continuum. I did some digging around when I got home and found this article that felt more informative. It is worth a quick read. 

The discussion about Indigenous Housing spoke to “respecting tradition, rebuilding community & reframing research approaches”. It was led by Charla Huber from M’Akola Housing in BC and Dr. Gabrielle Lindstrom from Mount Royal University. Indigenous Housing is a priority within the National Housing Strategy, so it was excellent to hear from experts working in the field. Both Charla and Gabrielle spoke about the importance of demonstrating authenticity when non-Indigenous folks seek relationships with Indigenous communities. As they explained, Indigenous communities have historically been in distrusting relationships with settler culture and that working with Indigenous communities for the purposes of organizational advancement is not appropriate. Instead, there needs to be a genuine and authentic purpose for a relationship. There needs to be transparency. They also suggested identifying the ingrained colonial practices that exist in a workplace—the same could be said for housing co-operatives. What operations at Sunnyhill are rooted in a colonialists framework and are these practices unintentionally keeping Indigenous folks away? How can we do better, they asked. An important part of Dr. Lindstrom’s presentation was talking about research around affordable housing and how power imbalances are replicated in different processes. She indicated that typical approaches were policy, data, and solutions driven. She then framed how research is conducted within an Indigenous paradigm: it is community driven, relationally oriented, and critical and emancipatory. 

There was an afternoon Keynote address and it was given by the CEO of BC Housing, Shayne Ramsey. Shane spoke about “innovative advances being made in BC on the affordable housing front and how his organization is looking towards the future and sustainability of our sector”. He really emphasized that affordable housing needed to begin utilizing young people and/or emerging residents as a valuable resource for innovating how affordable and co-operative housing could be delivered. We have been discussing similar themes at the Planning and Development level and so it was excellent to have our assumptions verified. I also learned of the Housing Investment Corporation’s fund that provides “long-term, low-cost financing to housing non-profits and cooperatives to build more affordable housing and regenerate Canadian community housing portfolios”. Planning and Development will explore this funding further with Urban Matters.

Anyhow, if you further information, please be in touch.

Eric

June 14, 2019 - Planning and Development Presentation

Submitted by Eric Moschopedis

Hello friends,
This is a video of the Planning and Development presentation that was given to the membership at the June 14th General Meeting. The video runs for about an hour and provides a strong overview, updates, and next steps regarding the lease negotiations with the City, the rehabilitation of our buildings, aging in place, and financing. It is important that those who did not attend the meeting take the time to familiarize themselves with the information as it will be the foundation for future discussions.

You will need to use this password to access the video: Andreaintheoffice

Planning and Development Information Session

Submitted by Eric Moschopedis on behalf of Planning and Development

Planning and Development Information Session
Thursday February 21
7 PM - 9 PM
Curling Club, Blue Room

Planning and Development has spent the last several months developing a 60 year financial analysis as part of our lease negotiations with the City of Calgary. The analysis functions as a valuable planning tool for SHC that can assist in our long-term housing choices and brings together our overall operations, capacity to borrow, and different development scenarios. Planning and Development worked with members from other committees to scrutinize our Building Condition Assessment (BCA) and annual operating budget and this work has been integrated into the context of a long term plan.

Planning and Development will be holding an open committee meeting to share the analysis with the membership. The meeting will walk folks through the document and will provided an explanation of our financial outlook. The analysis is multifaceted and dense. Drink some coffee before coming!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon.



Reminder: Enmax Power Disclosure Authorization

Submitted by Andrea Bergen and Mike Whittington

***Edited to add: 28 of 66 units have submitted their forms to date. This power usage information is important for the Planning & Development Committee's anaylsis.

Please submit your completed forms ASAP to facilitate the work of this busy committee. Forms are due by July 27th. 

Mike Whittington in #807 has delivered to all units the Enmax Power Disclosure Authorization Forms that were discussed at the last General Meeting that was held on May 29, 2018.

Please complete these forms and drop off to me at the office or Mike can come and pick them up if you give him a call. 

Thank you and have a wonderful day

Andrea Bergen

_________________________________________________

At last general meeting, there were questions regarding where to find the information for the ENMAX Authorization form, which is located on our power bills. I’ve used an ENMAX sample bill to demonstrate where the numbers are. If a co-op member is using a provider other than ENMAX, look for the same two numbers on your respective power bill.

1. Find the Site ID and Meter # on page 3 of your bill.

2. Write those numbers on the Authorization form in the proper fields.

3. Complete the following lines of the form:

Name (First Last)

Signature

Date

Address

Put checks under “Most Recent 12 Months” and “Cumulative Excel”

4. If your authorization form is complete you can either hand it in to Andrea at the office or you can let me know and I will pick it up from you.

If you have any questions regarding this or need my help at all, you can call me (Mike from 807) at 403 969 3486 or e-mail me at mike.whittington@hotmail.com.

We just had our baby (Hooray!) so I am pretty flexible with when you can contact me and I don’t mind stepping out for a bit to visit at your unit if you need help!

Regards,

Mike @ 807

Fraserview Co-op in Vancouver: a New Path for Successful Cooperation

Submitted by David Broadhead

This story is part of a greater success for co-ops in the Vancouver area. CHF BC and the Community Land trust are working with the City of Vancouver on seven diverse housing co-ops. The Fraserview Co-op will charge market based housing charges and in turn subsidize the operation of other co-ops which target lower income families. They use a program like ours with a larger scale. It is a great example of co-ops working together under co-op principles. Just imagine what we could do here.

Planning and Development - What's Up?

Submitted by Phil Cox, Planning & Development Committee

Lots going on…  Here is a round up:

April 27th - Sunnyhill has #2 meeting with the City of Calgary to discuss our lease - present were:

  • Councillor Druh Farrell and her team - stewards of the process
  • Corporate Leasing - current holder of our lease,
  • Calgary Housing - carrying the affordable housing mandate for the City
  • CMHC - interested party invited by Calgary Housing
  • SACHA - already active in affordable housing discussions at the municipal and provincial levels,  invited by Sunnyhill

Sunnyhill presented our operating model; how we maintain a subsidy-surcharge system without external funding support.  We also showed our housing charge rates for 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms since 2010.  With these two pieces of information we demonstrated that we meet the City’s criteria for affordable housing.  The way we do it, being a housing cooperative, doesn’t fit the norm,  thereby making us something of a curiosity.  The City’s message to us: “we are on the path toward a sale or a lease option under the City’s affordable housing program, we are just not sure what that price should be.”  They requested that we work with CMHC to assemble a costed concept for the deep energy retrofit and the new development with financing scenarios in place.  They want to see that we can develop a formula that keeps us more than 10% under market rents for our part of Calgary and able to provide the subsidy-surcharge program as we do today.

April 30th - Sunnyhill says good bye to its old, expensive, mortgage - We submitted our letter of acceptance to “avail ourselves of the Mortgage Loan Pre-payment Initiative”.  We are now permitted to pre-pay our existing mortgage on the terms and conditions outlined in the agreement - and we need to by June 30 or face penalties -  but to do this we need to refinance.  See below.  

In process - Sunnyhill is negotiating a “bridging mortgage” with First Calgary Financial.  The loan will allow us to pre-pay our existing mortgage and thereby end our current housing agreement with CMHC.  And the loan itself will be at an interest rate that is much lower than what we have been paying - the margin of difference in interest rate, or the saving, will be 5% or approximately $4,000/month. 

It’s a “bridging” solution because: a) we don’t yet know exactly what we need to borrow to finance our improvements and, b) we can’t get the best rates until our land security is sorted with the City either through another lease or a sale.  What is up in the air right now is the amount we need to borrow in the short run and the term of the loan.  We have organized a General Meeting ahead of the June 30th deadline so that we can agree on the best scenario based on options that will be prepared by Planning and Development and the Board.

In process - three bits of research -

a) technical specifications and costs for installing solar panels,

b) a study of the feasibility of replacing hot water tanks with water on demand systems, and

c) an exploration of land trusts as an alternative land security arrangement to the lease or sale options. 

More on these as the news comes in…

Planning and Development Committee Update

Submitted by Phil Cox

Our mortgage pre-payment application has been submitted to CMHC.  With the help of Communitas, we made the deadline of February 1st.  

If  successful, Sunnyhill will be free of its original mortgage that came with a high interest rate. 

Of course we still have principal to pay and that will happen through financing from First Calgary Financial.  It is the margin between the interest we have paid up to now (a little lower than 10%) and the interest on the new financing (closer to 3%) that is the savings to us.  

We have the option to borrow additional funds to help pay for the upgrades we want for Sunnyhill, but we are a bit limited at the moment in what we can borrow because of the time horizon on our lease.  

So, about the lease;  On February 1st, we met with Councillor Druh Farrell, her team and representatives of their leasing department and Calgary Housing (the City’s own corporation mandated to provide safe and affordable housing solutions).  

We are excited by the outcome.  Here are the main points:

  • Our lease is clear in stating that the land is to be returned to “commercial”.
  • As it happens, there are alternatives where land agreements are being made to satisfy City goals
  • Calgary Housing has mapped out affordable housing needs in the City (including in Sunnyside) and Sunnyhill shows up
  • The study also shows a deficit of affordable housing stock in Sunnyside
  • Calgary Housing can make land available at under market rates based on an affordability formula that takes into consideration two things: a)  rent in comparison to market thresholds, b) number of households requiring affordable housing
  • We do very well on the first criteria, our housing charges are well under market values for this part of Calgary even at the surcharge end of our subsidy-surcharge continuum.   
  • What complicates things from their perspective is that living here is also a lifestyle choice.  And the very idea that we choose to operate a voluntary subsidy surcharge system is, well, unique
  • All this to say that, as a housing cooperative, we don’t quite fit the affordable housing mold; a getting acquainted process is clearly needed

So that is where we are at today.  Druh suggested the process of building a case and getting a request before City of Calgary could take as long as a year.   The good news is that we have a strategy to do just that and with all the key players in the City on side. 

Next up… we need to clarify our options under the National Housing Strategy.  There are two parts to this.  One is to understand whats available, the other is to figure out what we want.  We have Communitas with us for a few more weeks to help us through these steps.  Stay tuned.

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