Minister Parsa visits Ramer’s Wood Co-op and Ontario re-introduces budget

Published August 12, 2022

Associate Minister of Housing Michael Parsa poses in front of a Ramer’s Wood Co-op home with co-op representatives.

Budget

On August 9, the government of Ontario re-introduced their 2022 Budget, the Plan to Build Act. Most aspects of the budget that was first introduced in May, but not passed before the election, remained the same. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rate and the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities Program maximum monthly amount, however, were both increased by five per cent.

Minister Parsa at Ramer’s Wood

On August 12, the new Associate Minister of Housing, Michael Parsa, visited Ramer’s Wood Co-operative Homes in Markham. This was Minister Parsa’s first visit to a co-op since being appointed in June, and his second meeting with CHF Canada. The tour was led by Ramer’s Wood Co-op’s manager Connie Curia, with members of the co-op’s Board of Directors, CHF Canada’s Vice-President Mary Ann Hannant and CHF Canada staff in attendance.

During the tour the members of Ramer’s Wood Co-op highlighted the importance of co-operative housing to their families, and their hope that the province would partner with CHF Canada to build more co-op housing in Ontario.  The co-op and CHF Canada also thanked the Minister for the new HSA regulation changes which protected the funding for rental assistance at the end of mortgage.

CHF Canada is looking to work with the government to protect and increase the supply of co-op housing in Ontario to help meet the needs of low- and middle-income Ontarians that are struggling to find a place to call home.