Submitted by Jacky Durrie
Make sure your federal co-op responds to CMHC survey on subsidy
Housing co-ops with federally-administered operating agreements recently received a survey from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
CMHC wants your co-op’s input on the program that will continue subsidies to low-income co-op households from 2020 to 2028. This program is called the Federal Community Housing Initiative, Phase 2 (FCHI-2).
CHF Canada urges co-ops to reply to the survey because CMHC needs to hear the co-op point of view. In a briefing note sent last week to every federally-administered co-op, we have laid out some issues that co-ops and local federations have raised. Here are some of the key issues to consider while completing the survey:
We want the new program to subsidize low-income units without a burdensome regulatory and administrative system.
The government should, at a minimum, maintain the same level of support for the same number of households.
Co-ops whose operating agreements expired before April 2016 were not offered agreement extensions. CMHC should re-enroll these co-ops in FCHI-2 so more vulnerable Canadians can have a place to live.
Co-ops need government to play an ongoing role in providing support to low-income households. We do not want subsidies to be phased out after 2028.
FCHI-2 be delivered as a rent supplement. Rent supplements meet deep member need and are easier to administer.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Douglas Wong, Program Manager, Policy and Government Relations at dwong@chfcanada.coop.
Video footage of the AGM plenary Vision Panel now online
For those who missed CHF Canada’s 50th anniversary Annual Meeting in Victoria last spring, or for those who’d like to review a session that many participants said was a valuable highlight, we’ve produced a video of the Vision Panel keynote session now available on CHF Canada’s YouTube channel.
There is both a short 3-minute highlights video and a one hour video covering the entire panel discussion. Both videos include captions in English or French.
The Vision Panel, sponsored by Vancity Credit Union, was a special exploration of Canada’s urgent housing needs. Held during the anniversary plenary and moderated by co-op member Darrah Teitel from Abiwin Housing Co-op in Ottawa, it featured panelists Margaret Pfoh (Aboriginal Housing Management Association), Paul Kershaw (Generation Squeeze) and Shachi Kurl (Angus Reid Institute).
We hope you will share these videos with members of your co-op to rally support for action on the goals and objectives of our new shared vision of “Co-op Housing for All”.
If you would like to receive a link to download a high resolution version of the video to show at a co-op meeting, contact CHF Canada’s Program Manager, National Communications, Scott Jackson at sjackson@chfcanada.coop.
Preston Heights Co-op celebrates successful refinancing and renovations
It's a special day when a Member of Parliament, a Mayor, a city councillor and many municipal election candidates turn up at a co-op event. When the event marks the complete replacement of the co-op's roofs, siding and doors, along with newly renovated kitchens and bathrooms in every one of the co-op's 40 homes, it's exceptional!
On October 19, Preston Heights Housing Co-op in Cambridge Ontario, built in 1984, had plenty to celebrate. After almost a year of construction, members gathered for a barbeque, live band, clown performance, and face painting for the children. They also used the occasion to tell the co-op's story in person to local politicians.
"We were chasing mold for the whole eight years I have lived here," says Bailey Kohls, the co-op's treasurer. "There were so many leaks from our roofs and siding. Our units were in bad shape and we didn't have nearly enough in our reserves to fix them. So, we had to get a new mortgage; we had no choice."
"It has just been fabulous. We were cooler this past summer. The new kitchens and bathrooms are fantastic, and I am so excited."
Co-op manager Allan Steinwell has worked at Preston Heights for four years. Using CHF Canada's Refinancing Program, Allan co-ordinated the work by the board to arrange its new $3.1 million mortgage. After paying out the existing CMHC mortgage, the co-op had $2.1 million to invest in replacing the co-op's building envelope.
"Every year," says Allan Steinwell, "we were spending 70 per cent of our reserves just dealing with leaks and mold."
Webinar Reminder: Securing your co-op's future
How do we plan for the future of our co-op buildings? How do we address members' needs today and also be viable for years to come? Where can we get the funds to do it? And how do we get started on the planning process?
CHF Canada has developed the tools and services to address these questions. Please join us on this special webinar on November 20th from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This session has a limited number of spaces so register now and don't miss this chance to secure your co-op's future!