MEDIA RELEASE: Kingston Co-operative Homes completes expansion with 38 new co-op homes

Published September 18, 2024

For immediate release (September 18, 2024 – Kingston, ON).  Today, Kingston Co-operative Homes officially opens 38 new homes, welcoming new members into the co-op. These homes are in a new, three-story building, which was constructed on a site adjacent to the existing co-op. The land had been owned by the City of Kingston, who donated it to the co-op for this purpose.

The construction was completed on May 21, 2024 and all new members had moved into their homes by the end of the summer.  The project was made possible because of the financial support of multiple partners, as well as significant investment from the co-op itself. This included $9.4 million in grants and loans from the federal government, $700,000 from the province of Ontario through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative and $4.2 million from the City of Kingston, as well as a $1.3 million contribution from the co-op.

Equally important in realizing the project was the support of community housing sector organisations, including New Commons Development, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the Community Housing Management Network and The Affordable Rental Centre for Housing, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund.

“We’re thrilled to open these new homes and welcome new members to our co-op community” says Kingston Co-operative Homes President Dirk de Boer. “We know that so many people in the City of Kingston are in urgent need of affordable, secure housing. We are pleased to be part of the solution”.

“This project is a great example of co-operative housing communities doing their part to solve the housing crisis,” says Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada Acting Executive Director Patricia Tessier.

“We congratulate and thank the members of Kingston Co-operative Homes, as well as the governments and other partners who provided essential funding and support, without which these new homes could not have been created.  With more projects like this, we can help solve a housing crisis that is impacting all regions of the country, while at the same time build strong communities through the co-op model.”

“Congratulations to the members of Kingston Co-operative Homes for making affordable housing a priority.  Without your hard work, commitment and dedication, we would not be here today” notes Kim Weiman, Executive Director of the Community Housing Management Network.

The prospects for more co-operative housing have been improving, with more governments providing funding to build new homes. This includes the new $1.5-billion federal Co-operative Housing Development Program which launched in June of this year.

For over 50 years, co-ops have been providing good-quality, affordable housing owned and managed by the community members who live there.  Co-operative housing is a well-documented success story, where inclusive communities are fostered, people’s homes are secure and affordability deepens over time.

CHF Canada is the national voice of co-operative housing, representing 2,200 housing co-operatives, home to a quarter of a million people in every province and territory.

For more information please contact: 

Dallas Alderson, Director, Public Affairs and Policy, 613-715-3323, dalderson@chfcanada.coop

For more background on the project, click here.