Resolution 2: Fix the Funding Formula for Ontario’s HSA Co-ops
SUBMITTED BY: CHF Canada Board of Directors
CONTACT: Simone Swail
Manager, Government Relations
CHF Canada
225 Metcalfe Street, Suite 311
Ottawa, ON K2P 1P9
Tel: 1-800-268-2537, ext. 223
Email: sswail@chfcanada.coop
______________________________________________________________________________
WE RESOLVE:
- THAT co-ops from across Canada call on the Government of Ontario and municipal leaders,
to support a better future for housing co-ops and non-profits under the Housing Services Act
(HSA) in Ontario; - THAT the Government of Ontario fix the funding model so that the mortgage savings of
HSA co-ops at the end of their mortgage can be reinvested in the repair and renewal of these
communities; - AND THAT the Government of Ontario ensures that the funding for rental assistance for
low-income households cannot be clawed back.
OUR REASONS FOR THIS RESOLUTION ARE:
- Across Ontario, there are 21,000 households, approximately, 75,000 people living in HSA co-ops.
- These co-ops are vibrant mixed-income communities that provide affordable homes to lowand moderate-income households.
- After 35 years these co-op homes need repair and renewal, just like federal housing co-ops, so that they can continue to provide good-quality housing for the next 35 years.
- If the funding formula is not fixed, a co-op’s service manager can claw back the entire mortgage savings at the end of mortgage, leaving these co-ops with no ability to reinvest in their buildings and address the capital repair backlog.
- HSA co-ops would be perpetually dependent on grants from governments to look after their buildings.
- Federal housing co-ops in many provinces have been able to access private investment to proactively address capital repair and renewal because the federal or provincial governments committed to providing support for low-income households, and did not claw back this support.
- Across Canada, these co-ops have leveraged over $180 million for repair and renewal, including over $150 million in Ontario alone.
- The Government of Ontario and municipal leaders should learn from the success of federal housing co-ops.
- The Government of Ontario has recognized the need for change in their Community Housing
Renewal Strategy. - With 47 different municipal service managers, the Government of Ontario needs to fix the
funding formula in provincial regulation so that all HSA co-op and non-profit communities
are protected.
WE THINK THAT THIS WILL COST:
Funding for the CHF Canada’s government relations and lobbying activities have been included in the 2021 operating budgets.