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Home / Resolutions / National / RESOLUTION 2: Build the Next Generation of Co-operative Housing 2022 Annual Meeting – Halifax

RESOLUTION 2: Build the Next Generation of Co-operative Housing

SUBMITTED BY:                CHF Canada Board of Directors

CONTACT:

Dallas Alderson                                          

Director, Public Affairs and Policy

CHF Canada

225 Metcalfe Street, Suite 311

Ottawa, ON   K2P 1P9

Tel: 1-800-268-2537, ext. 230

Email: dalderson@chfcanada.coop

WE RESOLVE:

  1. THAT CHF Canada work with the federal government to co-develop the new Co-operative Housing Development Program, as a first step in achieving CHF Canada’s bold and ambitious vision to develop at least 50,000 co-op homes.
  2. THAT the Co-operative Housing Development Program advance the sector’s vision of Co-operative Housing for All by prioritizing the co-operative values and principles, by promoting sustainability, scalability and growth of co-operatives, and by promoting equity and inclusion in our efforts to develop new co-op homes across Canada.
  3. THAT CHF Canada ensure the Co-operative Housing Development Program supports both new construction and acquisition of existing market rental building, for their conversion into co-op housing.
  4. AND THAT CHF Canada work with the federal government to ensure the Co-operative Housing Development Program is designed and delivered by the co-operative housing sector through a new division of CHF Canada; in partnership with regional federation and sector organizations.

OUR REASONS FOR THIS RESOLUTION ARE:

  1. Canada is in a housing crisis, which impacts certain groups disproportionately, especially Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, newcomers, people with disabilities, lone-parent families, gender-diverse people, youth, seniors and others. Developing and acquiring new co‑op housing will create housing inclusive of all communities, needs and income levels.
  2. CHF Canada’s members adopted the vision of Co-operative Housing for All in 2018. Our vision imagines a future where the co-op housing sector embraces growth to ensure that significantly more people can call co-op housing home.
  3. CHF Canada’s 2022 budget recommendations to the federal government called for a new, dedicated co-op housing program, resulting in 50,000 new co-op homes over 10 years, through grants and financing delivered through a new division of CHF Canada.
  4. On April 7th 2022, the federal budget committed $1.5 billion for the development of the Co‑operative Housing Development Program. The budget estimates 6,000 new co-op homes will be developed through this program. The budget commits the federal government to co‑developing the new program with CHF Canada and the co-operative housing sector.  This new program represents the first, new dedicated co-op housing program in 30 years.
  5. CHF Canada is a member of Vote Housing, a national, non-partisan coalition started during the 2021 federal election. Vote Housing developed six policies to end homelessness and housing need in Canada, including building and acquiring a minimum of 300,000 units of deeply affordable non-market co-op and non-profit housing over a decade. We know a dedicated approach is needed to see more co-op housing built. Our vision to build 50,000 co‑op homes is a part of this broader goal.
  6. Current National Housing Strategy programs are not building or preserving enough permanently affordable non-market housing, such as housing co-operatives. Therefore, a new approach, starting with the Co-operative Housing Development Program, is needed to meaningfully grow the supply of co-op homes, which will be permanently affordable, including a portion of those homes that will be targeted to households with the greatest affordability needs.
  7. The Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion is mandated by the Prime Minister to make investments and policy decisions to expand affordable housing supply and to extend the model of co-op housing to new communities.
  8. The next generation of co-op housing must be a part of the supply mix as Canada sets itself on a pathway out of the housing crisis, including by ending chronic homelessness. It is also important to preserve existing affordable rental housing by converting it into co-operative housing, because Canada is losing affordable housing faster than it is being built.

WE THINK THAT THIS WILL COST:

Funding for CHF Canada’s federal lobbying, member services and co-operative housing development programs are included in the operating budget. The federal budget committed $500 million in grants and $1 billion in financing to develop co-operative housing. CHF Canada’s proposal to the federal government requested $10.56 billion to develop 50,000 co-op homes over ten years.