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Archived News Items
PST Relief Grant program ends June 30The PST Relief Grant for completed work on water-damaged housing co-ops will end June 30, 2010. The entire building envelope remediation does not need to be completed, but portions of the work completed and paid for before June 30 may be eligible. If necessary, supporting documentation can be sent in up until July 23, 2010, but the application must be in by June 30. Please see the Homeowner Protection Office for complete information and application forms. Posted on: Jun 8, 2010 Garry Point Housing Co-op celebrates 25 years!On May 29, 2010, Garry Point Housing Co-op in Richmond celebrated its 25th anniversary. The mayor of Richmond, representatives from CHF BC, the Agency for Co-operative Housing and CHF Canada were present and spoke to members. The co-op printed t-shirts and did a gardening blitz of new plants and flowers in honour of the anniversary. Posted on: May 31, 2010 Semi-annual meeting featured first-ever CHF Canada director electionCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on May 1 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. With 47 delegates, 7 alternates and 34 observers and guests, the meeting was a successful one. Delegates approved the Federation's budget for next year, including a small dues increase. Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2010 will be $3.50/unit/month. Delegates learned more about the Disability Trust and Domestic Violence Relief Fund from Fund Co-ordinator, Amrit Dhadwal. They also heard good news stories about 2020 Vision from Delta Green and Grandview housing co-ops who both successfully completed the 2020 Compass program. And, for the first time, CHF Canada held an election for their regional director here in BC. The process went smoothly and Anne Davidson of Granville Gardens Housing Co-op in Richmond is their new CHF Canada Regional Director for BC/Yukon. For photos of the meeting, visit the CHF BC website. And for copies of meeting reports and other documents, visit the Members' Section of the website. Don't forget to mark November 27 on your calendar so you won't miss CHF BC's AGM. We hope to see you there. Posted on: May 3, 2010 Island Trade Show A Success!Members were enthusiastic and pleased with the first ever commercial services trade show on April 17th. After a delicious breakfast sponsored by our partners, members met Island commercial service partners, looked at products on display and asked questions about service and installation. Sincere thanks to COHO Repair Service and our commercial service partners VanCity, BFI, RONA, Hourigan’s Carpets and Trail Appliances for their great displays, wonderful door prizes and sponsorship of the event. Members have already asked CHF BC to host this event again. We’re listening and have started plans to make next year’s trade show even better. You can help! We’ll be sending you an invitation to fill out an online evaluation of the trade show soon. Your suggestions and comments welcome! Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 CHF BC welcomes Hourigan's Carpets and LinosCHF BC welcomes Hourigan’s Carpet and Linos to its commercial services flooring program specifically for Vancouver Island members. Speak to Hourigan’s to find out how your co-op can save money on quality flooring products and installations. To learn more click here. Posted on: Apr 19, 2010 Home Renovation Tax Credit for housing co-ops - an updateHousing co-op members could be eligible for the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Here's our summary of what CHF BC has learned about your eligibility and how to apply for the tax credit. Posted on: Mar 31, 2010 Mariner Cove hosts announcement of CMHC reno-retro fundingMP for Delta-Richmond East, John Cummins came to Mariner Cove Housing Co-op in Ladner on February 9 to congratulate 13 housing co-ops on the $8 million in stimulus funding they received through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Mariner Cove received the grant money in the first year of a two-year renovation/retrofit program that will deliver $150 million to federally funded housing co-ops across Canada. Mariner Cove heard about this funding opportunity from its COHO coordinator. The co-op’s property committee worked to get bids and estimates and complete the paperwork needed to receive $203,544 to replace windows and sliding doors. Mariner Cove member Bob Christofoli is excited by the announcement. “The planned renovations will not only make our complex more energy efficient, but will also provide an adequate environment for the future of our complex.” Cummins also confirmed that the application process for the remaining $75 million of funding started February 1st and closes February 22nd. For a complete list of the 13 co-ops involved in this announcement, see the CMHC website. Posted on: Feb 11, 2010 COHO Management Services Society celebrates 25 yearsTwo of the founding directors of COHO Management Services Society (Leo Burdak and David Lach) were honoured at a special event January 22, 2009 to celebrate COHO’s 25th anniversary. Current staff were also congratulated for their years of service. Posted on: Feb 1, 2010 Affordable Housing Town Hall popularAbout 60 people turned out for a Town Hall meeting Thursday, January 21st at Killarney Gardens Housing Co-operative in Vancouver to talk about affordable housing with Ujjal Dosanjh, MP for the Vancouver South riding. The discussion tackled issues around the lack of affordable housing, the need for renovation of existing buildings, and the value of co-ops to help with the housing shortages. Dosangh left with a message of the need for a national affordable housing strategy. Posted on: Jan 22, 2010 Stimulus grant deadlines: Apply in Feb, Mar 31 for 2009 spendingCanada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) started accepting second-year applications on February 1 for its $150-million renovation and retrofit funding program. The application deadline will be February 22. Co-ops that received funding in the first year must spend it by March 31. CMHC is sending out packages to federal program housing co-ops right away. Watch for your co-op’s package to arrive very soon. The package will contain details of how to apply for this year’s grants. Housing co-ops that did not receive funding in the first year of the program will be given priority this year. If your co-op needs assistance with applications you can contact CHF BC, by email at dkitchen@chf.bc.ca or call 1.866.879.5111 or 604-879-5111. For federal co-ops whose applications were approved for last year’s stimulus funding, the late roll-out of the funding means it may be difficult to complete construction projects by March 31, 2010. If you believe your co-op may face a significant challenge reaching project completion in time, please contact us at CHF BC and we will try to assist you. You can email dkitchen@chf.bc.ca or call 1.866.879.5111 or 604-879-5111. Posted on: Jan 11, 2010 CHF BC mourns loss of former presidentSavo served on the board from April 2002 to November 2004, including two years as our president. He was a member of City Gate Housing Co-op. Friends are encouraged to write a note of condolence in the legacy.com guest book for Savo Posted on: Jan 4, 2010 CHF BC welcomes Fiona JacksonCHF BC is very pleased to announce that Fiona Jackson will fill the position of Communications Director beginning on January 4, 2010. Fiona has a BA in English Literature from UBC. For the last five years, she has worked as a communications consultant specialising in writing, research, editing and web editing. At present she is working on contract to CHF Canada in its Vancouver office, where she has contributed to the development and launch of the national federation’s new website. Fiona also has an interest in broadcast journalism, having produced and hosted her own show on Co-op Radio for six years (2001 to 2007). Please join us in welcoming Fiona to the CHF BC team in the new year. Posted on: Dec 10, 2009 AGM acclaims five new directorsMore than 100 co-op members, staff and guests packed the Executive Inn in Burnaby on November 28 for CHF BC’s 2009 annual general meeting. Delegates welcomed five new directors to the Federation’s board: Fred Silvergieter (Hillside Place), Kamal Yazbek (Access), Mary McMullan (Oak Bay Kiwanis), Lawrence Boxall (Juniper) and Dave DeRé (Greenland). They join Catherine Porter, Dianne Brubaker, Alana van Dam, Lisa Berting, Isabel Evans, Larry LeSage and Susan Barron on the board. Members heard an exciting report from the board on the events of the past year, including progress made in repairing leaky co-ops, three election campaigns, the 2020 Vision program, leadership renewal, and an update on the Federation’s sustainability efforts. Yaana Dancer, Nick Sidor and Nicholas Gazzard brought members up to date on what's happening at CHF Canada and on the national federation's promising efforts to get the co-op housing message heard at the federal level. Executive Director Thom Armstrong provided an update on CHF BC’s programs and services for members. Auditor Donna Diskos (Grant Thornton) presented a clean audit report, and treasurer Catherine Porter reported the details of a ninth consecutive operating surplus. Members were inspired by the success stories told by Mitraniketan Housing Co-op (Victoria) and Killarney Gardens Housing Co-op (Vancouver). The AGM bade a fond farewell to retiring president Wes Hosler and thanked outgoing directors Azima Buell and Marty Norgren. Mark your calendars now for the Federation’s semi-annual meeting: Saturday, May 1, 2010. At their first meeting after the AGM, the Federation board elected Catherine Porter as its new president. Other members of the executive are Dianne Brubaker (vice president), Alana van Dam (secretary) and Lisa Berting (treasurer). Posted on: Dec 5, 2009 Trail Appliances new CHF BC appliances partnerWe are pleased to announce that CHF BC has awarded the Commercial Services appliance contract to Trail Appliances Ltd. for a three-year term effective immediately. This decision was reached following a comprehensive proposal process and assessment of member feedback about this program. Trail is Western Canada’s largest dealer for many brand name appliances. They are family-owned and operated and have served British Columbia and Alberta for over 25 years. CHF BC staff have worked closely with Trail over the past month to select a package of appliances specially designed to meet your co-op’s appliance replacement needs at preferred discount rates. Here are just a few of the benefits that Trail brings to our program: - Eight showroom locations to serve you including Vancouver, Richmond, Coquitlam, Surrey, Langley, Victoria, and Kelowna and a clearance warehouse on Annacis Island. - Fully integrated sales, service and delivery on the Lower Mainland - In-house sales and delivery on Vancouver Island and the Interior - High quality Whirlpool and Frigidaire products at discounted prices to CHF BC members - Energy Star products where available - Dedicated appliance professionals assist with CHF BC member needs - CHF BC section on Trail’s website
Complete program information will be available on our website in the coming weeks. In the meantime, for more information call Norm Turnbull or Pam Hatch at Trail Appliances 604.534.7461. Posted on: Nov 12, 2009 View Court mourns loss of Peter RoycePeter Royce passed away on November 4 after living with cancer for the past four years. Peter was a passionate social activist and co-op advocate, serving among other roles as a CHF BC delegate and a director and broadcaster at Vancouver Co-op Radio. He remained active in his housing co-op up until the last few days before his death In View Court’s public message, the co-op said “we are deeply saddened by the loss of a truly good friend and beautiful person. His talents, wisdom, energy, good humour and love of life brought a light to all of us. His contributions to View Court and to the co-op movement were outstanding and long-lasting. Peter was a noble and kind man who we will never forget.” Among other causes supported by Peter was environmental stewardship. He served on View Court’s sustainability committee and he was a founding member of the community garden at 7th Avenue and Manitoba Street in Vancouver. As president of View Court, Peter piloted his community through a post-operating-agreement visioning process after the co-op paid off its mortgage. Speaking about this initiative in the Fall 2005 issue of SCOOP (before 2020 Vision was even in place) Peter said “This is where we learn about creating self-managed housing for the long term. It’s like the exciting time when people were creating BC’s first housing co-ops.” CHF BC executive director, Thom Armstrong, said “Peter was one of the first co-op members I met when I moved to Vancouver nine years ago. He was a warm, humble person, always concerned about what was best for his co-op and for the larger co-op community.” There will be a community gathering in remembrance of Peter on November 15th at 5 pm at the Rhizome Café, 317 East Broadway. Posted on: Nov 10, 2009 Island Council Meeting reportCongratulations to Larry LeSage (Washington Co-op) who was re-elected as CHF BC Vancouver Island Director at the October 14 Vancouver Island Council meeting. Larry will begin a two-year director term at the end of CHF BC’s Annual General meeting on November 28, 2009. CHF BC directors Larry LeSage and Avis Michalovsky reported on the AGM, upcoming director elections and the work of the CHF BC nominations committee; leaky co-ops; and the new communications plan to publish two rather than four issues of SCOOP this year. Stan Neumann provided information about the many benefits of RONA service now available to Island members. Island delegates were enthusiastic about a new service provider Rid-of-It. This firm will drop and sort bins at any co-op wishing to clean up units and grounds. Pat McClain will retire from CHF Canada in December 2009 and CHF BC president, Wes Hosler wished Pat all the best in the future! Posted on: Oct 21, 2009 Housing co-op celebrates new playground and moreCHF BC congratulates Killarney Gardens Housing Co-op on behalf of its 236 fellow member co-ops in BC on their new community playground. The playground is the result of funding and support from charitable organizations KaBOOM! and The Home Depot Canada Foundation. The playground was designed in consultation with the children of Killarney Gardens. It will be assembled on October 1, 2009 from 7:45 am to 3:00 pm at 2998 East 54th Avenue, Vancouver, by community volunteers including Home Depot staff and housing co-op members and staff from across the Lower Mainland. When KaBOOM! approached CHF BC in May 2009 looking for a suitable family-oriented co-op in need of a new playground and with available land, CHF BC canvassed its member co-ops. Killarney Gardens’ property management company, COHO Management, brought this opportunity to the attention of the co-op’s board of directors, who then contacted KaBOOM! to make it happen. This playground project is just one of several good news stories for this 227-unit housing co-operative this year. In addition, the co-op qualified this summer for over $500,000 in energy-retrofits through the Province of British Columbia’s LiveSmart BC Efficiency Assistance Program (LEAP). And they have also been shortlisted as a candidate for millions in renovation stimulus funding from the federal government through CMHC. “Killarney Gardens’ success is a wonderful example of how housing co-op members work together within their own co-ops and together with other co-ops as a sector to take care of their buildings and their communities,” said CHF BC executive director, Thom Armstrong. CHF BC, COHO Management, and COHO Repair Services have each donated $100 to help Killarney Gardens meet its commitment to host the volunteer breakfast and lunch. CHF BC partner and LEAP program consultant eaga Canada is donating $2,000 to finance the purchase of trees and shrubs for the playground site. Posted on: Sep 30, 2009 Update on Federal renovation and retrofit programBy now, housing co-ops applying for funding under CMHC’s Renovation and Retrofit program should have received a letter either sending them on to the next stage in the process or telling them that their application wasn’t successful. CMHC sent these letters during the first week of August. If your co-op hasn’t received a letter by August 19, call CMHC right away to inquire about your status (1.800.668.2642 or email retrofit@cmhc.ca). The call for applications produced an overwhelming response, more than anyone anticipated. Many co-ops are getting the good news that they’ve moved on to the next stage, which means that CMHC will be scheduling an inspection of their property very soon. Of course, because of the volume of applications, many others will be advised that their application won’t proceed this year. If your application wasn’t successful and you believe that CMHC made a mistake in interpreting the information you provided, you should bring that mistake to CMHC’s attention right away, using the contact information in your letter. CHF BC is trying to keep track of how BC co-ops fared in the process. Please send a quick email to info@chf.bc.ca to let us know if your application was successful or not. As we look at the bigger picture, the response to this opportunity demonstrates how ready we are to invest in the future of our co-op homes. CHF BC will be working with CHF Canada to make the case for additional government investment in renovating the supply of affordable co-op housing. Posted on: Aug 17, 2009 Ten co-op kids headed to YES Camp!Thanks to support from various co-op and credit union sponsors, virtually every young person who applied for CHF BC's YES Camp prize draw is going to summer camp this year! Every year, CHF BC sponsors two spots for youth age 14 to 16 living in member housing co-ops to attend this one-week co-operative summer camp. "Of the eleven entries, we found full or partial subsidies to send ten people this year," says camp director, Chelsea Lake. "In some cases the person's parents or their housing co-op put up some of the money to send them to camp." "The only reason one candidate isn't going is they had to cancel out due to a medical appointment," says Chelsea. YES Camps are held at beautiful Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island during the third and fourth week of July. For more information, check out their website or call Chelsea at 604.662.3906. Posted on: Jun 30, 2009 Co-op BBQ another huge successOn June 13, well over 200 co-op members gathered at Trout Lake Park in Vancouver for a sunny BBQ, games and prizes. This event, co-hosted by CHF BC and CHF Canada, was well-received by members and their families. Besides lots of great organic food supplied by East Food Co-op (themselves a CHF BC member) there were hundreds of dollars worth of fabulous prizes donated by sponsors. Thanks to our major event sponsors COHO Management, CANA Management, East End Food Co-op and RONA for their incredible support. Thanks as well to all our many prize sponsors: the BC Co-operative Association, BFI Canada, CCEC Credit Union, The Co-operators Insurance, CRS - COHO Repair Services, KBCC Cabinets and Countertops, and Memberguard Insurance. Posted on: Jun 16, 2009 Federal stimulus funding process launched!On Sunday May 24, at a housing co-op in Ontario, the Minister Responsible for CMHC, the Hon. Diane Finley, announced the launch of the federal Renovation and Retrofit Initiative. CHF Canada’s executive director Nicholas Gazzard also took part in the announcement. This new funding will be administered by CMHC’s national office using an online application process. Here are the highlights of the initiative: - $150 million will be available over two years ($75 million per year) to federal-program social housing, including housing co-ops with a current CMHC operating agreement, to a maximum of $28,000 per unit - Funds will be available for renovation, general improvement, energy efficiency upgrade or conversion, regeneration, and modification for persons with disabilities - Priority will be given to well managed co-ops who do not have enough money in their replacement reserves to carry out needed repairs, and who can start and complete work quickly - Work must begin within three months of CMHC approval and be completed (in this first year) by March 31, 2010 - The application deadline is June 26, 2009. There is an Early Bird application process that closes on June 12, 2009 Follow this link for more details, including application guidelines, fact sheets, and the online application feature. If you have any questions, contact CMHC at 1.800.668.2642 or email retrofit@cmhc.ca. We expect that demand for funding will be heavy. Interested co-ops should get their applications in as soon as possible. And congratulations to CHF Canada for putting housing co-ops front and centre among those who will benefit from the government’s Economic Action Plan. Posted on: May 25, 2009 Vancouver Island Council newsPosted on: May 25, 2009 SAGM features provincial election forum on housingCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on May 2 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. 48 delegates, 3 alternates and 25 observers made it a successful event. Delegates approved the Federation's budget for next year, including a small dues increase. Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2009 will be $3.40/unit/month. Delegates also heard good news about the work to repair leaky co-ops, good governance initiatives, the 2020 Vision Project, action on sustainability, and new co-op development. On this last item delegates were greeted by David Fields, president of CHF BC’s newest member, Salsbury Green, a co-op developing as the result of a friendly initiative by the landlord to sell his building to the current tenants. A lively election forum featured Diane Thorne (NDP) the Oppostion Housing Critic and MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville and Carrie McLaren (Green) candidate in the riding of Burnaby-Edmonds. The BC Liberals were a no-show, and were represented during the debate by a white helium balloon. For photos of the meeting, visit the CHF BC website. And for copies of meeting reports and other documents, visit the Members' Section of the website. Don't forget to mark November 28 on your calendar so you won't miss CHF BC's AGM. We hope to see you there. Posted on: May 4, 2009 Federal repair and reno grants: on your mark, get set....Judging from the calls we’re receiving, our members can’t wait to find out more about the housing repair and renovation grants announced in the recent federal stimulus budget. Here's the latest news. Of the $1 billion set aside for social housing renovation and energy retrofits, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will deliver $150 million over two years to federally-administered units in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and PEI. This is welcome news for federal housing co-ops in this province. We expect to hear an announcement from CMHC or CHF Canada sometime soon, maybe sooner than later. We will send that information to you and put it on our website as soon as we receive it. So what’s the best thing you can do right now? The short answer is: get ready! You should be busy bringing any planned capital projects right up to the tender-ready stage. That means fully specified work with engineering or other expert assessments, as appropriate and depending on the scope of work. Your goal should be a project that is fully planned, fully priced, and ready to start as soon as possible. That said, don’t sign any contracts with contractors or anyone else who will be doing the work. Projects that begin before the end of the current government fiscal year (March 31) may not be eligible. We will let you know as soon as we hear any more news. Posted on: Mar 18, 2009 Island members attend new office open houseThere was standing room only at the new offices of CHF BC, COHO and CRS Wednesday evening as member and clients helped celebrate our new location with a glass of wine and great food provided by Food for Thought catering. If you missed the open house please drop by and visit us. We’re now located in suite 330 in the same building at 1105 Pandora Avenue. Posted on: Mar 9, 2009 Report from February 25 Island CouncilIt was a full house at the Vancouver Island Council meeting held February 25. Members welcomed guest speaker Joanne Mick who provided an update on the work of the Agency for Co-operative Housing. CHF BC directors Avis Michalovsky and Larry LeSage reported on the financial results and election of directors at the Federation’s AGM held in November 2008. They also reminded everyone of the progress CHF BC has made to reduce its impact on the environment. CHF BC is proud to be the first carbon-neutral federation of housing co-ops in Canada. Member services director Kerry Panter provided an update on the Federation’s education program. The March 7 Island Education Day is now sold out. Executive director Thom Armstrong reviewed the progress made toward the repair of BC’s leaky co-ops. CHF BC is pleased to welcome RONA as our new commercial services partner. RONA representatives Stan Neumann and Robert Trubenbach described the great products and services now available to members at RONA retail stores on Vancouver Island. Susan Barron, local co-ordinator for the CHF Canada AGM coming to Victoria in May 2009, made an enthusiastic call for volunteers to help with the conference. The next Council meeting will be held May 20, 2009. Mark your calendars now! Posted on: Mar 2, 2009 Federal budget includes significant short-term investment in housingFederal budget includes significant short-term investment in housing The House of Commons passed the 2009 federal budget on February 3. The budget includes a significant short-term investment of more than $2 billion in housing across Canada. This is more federal money than anyone expected to see invested in housing. It will help many Canadians in the short term by improving their housing conditions, and by creating employment (or saving jobs) in the construction and forestry sectors—all welcome news for BC’s challenged economy. It now remains to be seen whether the budget represents good news for co-op housing, particularly in British Columbia. Of the budget’s many housing measures, the social housing retrofit fund is the most promising opportunity for housing co-ops. The government has made it clear that federally administered housing co-ops are eligible for the fund, but project selection criteria are still being developed, and access is conditional on matching provincial funds. There are signs that some provinces are eager to invest in housing retrofits if the federal government is picking up half of the cost, but we have not been able to determine yet if BC is one of them. Some co-ops have asked if the home renovation tax credit can be used to the benefit of co-ops or co-op members. We are looking into the rules that will apply to this measure, and we will let members know as soon as we receive a ruling from Canada Revenue Agency. So what does this mean for CHF BC and its members? We will be working with CHF Canada to learn more about the conditions that will be applied to the delivery of funds under the social housing retrofit program. And we will make the case that co-ops should have access to those funds here in BC. We will also be looking hard for every possible advantage the budget measures might represent for housing co-ops, and we will share our findings with you at the earliest opportunity. Here are some links to different sources of information and reaction to the budget announcement: - the federal Department of Finance budget website - CHF Canada’s media release in response to the budget - a letter from CHF Canada’s executive director published by the National Post - a newsflash from the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association Posted on: Feb 5, 2009 HPO halts funding for leaky co-opsIn a dramatic development, BC’s Homeowner Protection Office has decided to stop offering financial assistance to leaky co-ops. CEO Ken Cameron broke the news to co-ops in a letter dated December 15, 2008. While the HPO will honour its existing financial commitments to 19 co-ops with signed loan agreements, it will not approve additional funding if those co-ops need loan increases, and it will not consider new funding commitments for 33 other leaky co-ops that are still waiting to be repaired. Sixteen co-ops are already fully repaired and unaffected by the HPO’s decision. HPO assistance has been a key element in the financial package available to help leaky co-ops. To date, the HPO has committed roughly $50 million to make the interest payments on building envelope loans for ten years after the co-ops’ construction year. In response to the HPO announcement, CHF BC invited every co-op affected by the decision to a meeting on January 7. The purpose of the meeting was to explain what the decision means, clarify its impact on co-ops at various stages of the repair process, and discuss how to respond. The meeting was well attended by more than 50 people representing affected co-ops, their management companies, and CHF BC staff and directors. CHF Canada executive director Nicholas Gazzard made a special trip from Ottawa to attend. After reviewing the HPO decision and its implications, CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong read a letter from CMHC President Karen Kinsley. In her letter, Kinsley acknowledged the HPO decision and offered assurances that CMHC will continue to work with CHF BC to find solutions for the affected co-ops. According to Kinsley, “…CMHC estimates its mortgage insurance operations will spend an additional $50 million to help these (co-ops).” This is encouraging news. In the discussion following the presentation, co-op members expressed concern over this unexpected development. But they also repeated their determination to find viable solutions to their building envelope challenges. CHF BC and CHF Canada assured everyone present that leaky co-ops are still at the top of their common agenda. The two federations will continue to work in partnership to explore every possible opportunity for leaky co-ops that do not yet have financing arrangements in place. For more information, contact Darren Kitchen or Mandy Yeomans by telephone at 604-879-5111 (1-866-879-5111 outside Greater Vancouver) or by email at dkitchen@chf.bc.ca or myeomans@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Jan 9, 2009 CHF BC goes carbon neutral at 2008 AGMCHF BC officially became Canada’s first carbon neutral federation of housing co-ops at its annual general meeting on Saturday, November 29. Almost 100 people, including 50 delegates, attended the meeting chaired by Geoffrey Dabbs in Burnaby’s Executive Hotel. Executive director Thom Armstrong reported that CHF BC's membership has grown to 236 housing co-ops and 12,276 co-op homes. A record number of members took part in custom workshops delivered by the Federation. And members saved money by doing a record amount of business with CHF BC group buying programs last year. The Federation’s board also gave delegates an update on the 2020 Vision project and spoke about work during the recent Federal election campaign to promote housing co-ops as the answer to Canada’s affordable housing crisis. Treasurer Catherine Porter and auditor Ron Royston brought more good news about the Federation's financial picture. The year ending July 31, 2008 produced an eighth consecutive operating surplus. To continue the sustainability focus of the meeting the afternoon included a member discussion on how housing co-ops can become more environmentally friendly. Delegates re-elected two directors: Dianne Brubaker and Catherine Porter. We also welcome four new directors to the board: Lisa Berting, Peter Brennan, Isabel Evans and Avis Michalovsky. Avis was elected by Vancouver Island delegates at the Council meeting held on October 15th. Retiring from the board are Doreen Aquino, Candice Bunting and Wayne Callaghan. Ferhan Kassam was elected to serve on the finance committee. Delegates also gave unanimous approval to a late resolution in support of Thornhill Green Co-operative Homes in Ontario, which is fighting the sale of its co-op to the York Region’s housing company. You can download the AGM reports and documents from the 'member meetings' area in the members section of this website. Mark your calendar for our semi-annual general meeting on May 2, 2008. We hope to see you there. Posted on: Dec 2, 2008 News from Vancouver Island Council Meeting - Oct 15Avis Michalovsky of North Ridge Co-op was elected to the position of Vancouver Island Director. Avis will assume her duties at the conclusion of CHF BC’s November 29 AGM. Island Directors Candice Bunting and Larry LeSage reported on the federal election, leaky co-op progress, the upcoming AGM on November 29, Rooftops Canada, succession planning and sustainability initiatives to make CHF BC the first carbon neutral federation in Canada. Members thanked outgoing Island Director Candice Bunting for her dedication and hard work. Frances Gardens Directors Leanne Coxford and Stacey Chislett shared their co-op’s experience as the first co-op in Canada to complete the 2020 Compass process and to register on CHF Canada’s website as a co-op pursuing the 2020 Vision certification for co-op excellence. The meeting also featured a presentation on the Victoria Community Health Co-op by Dr. Mark Sherman. The CHF Canada report, given by Regional Director for BC/Yukon, Yanna Dancer focussed on the CHF Canada AGM to be held in Victoria May 28 – 30, 2009. Susan Barron, the local conference co-ordinator, invited Island members to join the planning committee and volunteer at the conference itself. Posted on: Oct 20, 2008 2020 Compass service launched in BCCHF BC is pleased to announce the newest addition to the 2020 Vision tool kit and the launch of a new federation service: the 2020 Compass. The 2020 Compass is a facilitated, step-by-step process that will help co ops chart a course for their future beyond the expiry of their operating agreements with CMHC or BC Housing. The 2020 Compass is a key part of CHF Canada’s 2020 Vision project. CHF BC has partnered with CHF Canada to assemble an expert team of 2020 Compass facilitators. Soon we will offer free information sessions on the 2020 Compass to show you how it can work for your co-op. Check out our website for the dates of these sessions. For more information on how your co-op can arrange its customized 2020 Compass consultation, contact CHF BC at 604-879-5111 (1-866-879-5111 outside Greater Vancouver) or info@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Oct 18, 2008 Election campaign resultsCanadians have voted and the result is another Conservative minority government. Subject to recounts, the seat counts are as follows: Conservatives 143; Liberals 76; Bloc 50; NDP 37 and 2 independents. CHF BC and CHF Canada worked hard during this election campaign to raise the issues important to co-op housing and to the millions of Canadians who still don't enjoy safe, secure, affordable housing. We set up websites and sent information and campaign tools to members. In BC, we co-sponsored three meet-the-candidates events, and our election co-ordinator met with many of the candidates. "We're pleased to note that housing -- and co-op housing in particular -- received increased attention from all the parties during this campaign," said CHF BC government relations director, Darren Kitchen. "CHF BC and CHF Canada will continue to work tirelessly to build on this momentum and achieve results for co-ops in the next Parliament." Our thanks to the many co-op members who mentioned co-op housing to candidates, attended our "meet and greet" events, and voted with housing in mind as an election issue. Stay tuned to our election central webpage for more interesting and important campaigning to come. There will be provincial by-elections in Vancouver Burrard and Vancouver Fairview on October 29. Municipal elections will be held in BC on November 15, and we will have a provincial election in May 2009. Posted on: Oct 16, 2008 Conservatives commit $1.9 billion to extend housing programsCHF BC welcomed the Conservative Party’s commitment of $1.9 billion over the next five years to extend the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI), the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) and the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. These important programs have helped provide and upgrade homes for many Canadians. The housing sector, including CHF BC, CHF Canada and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA), has lobbied hard for such an announcement. "This is very good news for housing, but there is still more to do,” said CHF BC executive director, Thom Armstrong. "We call on all five of the parties to make a clear commitment during this election campaign to help increase the supply of safe, secure, affordable housing for the four million Canadians who lack it. Housing co-ops look forward to hearing about the role they may be called on to play in a new national action plan on housing." Posted on: Sep 18, 2008 Co-ops welcome Liberal commitments on retrofits and promise of more on housingHousing co-ops welcomed Liberal leader Stéphane Dion’s promise of funds to help co-op members and other Canadians renovate their homes to conserve energy. In a discussion with housing co-op members, the Liberal leader also promised to reveal his plans for social and co-op housing later in the campaign. "Housing co-ops have been leaders in sustainability," said Thom Armstrong, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC. "The announcement of green mortgages and the Low-income Homes Retrofit Partnership Fund will help older co-ops improve their energy use and combat climate change. The cost savings will help lower-income Canadians. Meeting both of these important goals in one announcement is very good news." Co-op members who met with Dion at Pine Ridge Housing Co-operative in Burnaby on September 12 also urged the Liberal leader to make a commitment to help the 4 million Canadians who need affordable housing. "Time is running out to help these people," said Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. "Communities across Canada are seeing more and more homelessness, and many more Canadians are living in poor quality housing or paying more than they can afford. We are asking all parties in the federal election how they plan to address this crisis. We look forward to Mr. Dion’s upcoming announcements and to hearing from the other parties in this election." In the October 14 federal election, housing co-op members are asking candidates for: permanent federal funding for new affordable co-op housing; new federal investments to preserve or redevelop old, damaged and leaky co-ops; more rent-geared-to-income subsidies so co-ops can house more low-income Canadians; and a loan fund to help co-ops invest in energy savings and environmental sustainability. Posted on: Sep 12, 2008 Co-op housing federations launch coordinated campaign for federal electionThe federal campaign in support of housing co-ops is up and running on day two of the 2008 election. CHF BC is working together with CHF Canada and other regional federations to promote a consistent set of messages and proposals. The main theme is that the federal government needs to take action to help the four million Canadians who need decent, affordable housing. Posters and campaign briefing cards are going in the mail to co-ops across the country this week. The election central section of CHF BC's website contains tools to help you get involved. You'll find electronic versions of the print materials, news, events, an election blog, and links to riding and election data. You can use these tools to persuade the candidates in your riding to support housing co-ops and new affordable housing. Together we can be a strong voice for housing on October 14. Posted on: Sep 9, 2008 Vancouver extends another co-op leaseOn July 22, Vancouver City Council approved a 20-year lease extension for Grace McInnes Housing Co-op, clearing the way for building envelope repairs. "We thank the Mayor and Councilors, as well as Cameron Gray and staff of the City Housing Centre, for their support," said CHF BC executive director, Thom Armstrong. "This lease extension will help ensure that Grace McInnes Co-op continues to provide desperately needed affordable housing in Vancouver for years to come." The lease extension, with a market value of approximately $500,000, is free of cost to the co-op. In December 2007 Vancouver City Council granted a similar lease extension to Paloma Housing Co-op, allowing Paloma to commence its building envelope repairs. Posted on: Jul 23, 2008 Two cabinet shuffles, housing ministers unchanged.June cabinet shuffles at both the provincial and federal levels of government have left the ministers responsible for housing unchanged. In BC, Minister Rich Coleman remains responsible for housing, although he has a new job title. Previously Minister of Forest and Range and Minister for Housing, he is now Minister of Housing and Social Development. Describing the recent cabinet changes Premier Campbell had the following to say: "This new cabinet will continue to enhance partnerships and services that build strong, safe communities in both rural and urban British Columbia by providing supports in key areas of housing and homelessness". CHF BC president Wes Hosler notes that "CHF BC congratulates Minister Coleman on his new position and looks forward to working with him to fulfill the Premier's vision of strong, safe communities, a vision CHF BC shares and in which co-ops have an important and well-documented role." At the Federal level, Prime Minister Harper's cabinet shuffle on June 26 left Monte Solberg as the Minister Responsible for CMHC. One new familiar face in the cabinet is that of BC MP James Moore. Moore becomes Secretary of State for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, the 2010 Olympics, and Official Languages. Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 Cyclists ride for a 'world of better housing'On June 19, cyclists Patrick Mason, Mike Shives and Jan Gorski , university students from Ottawa, set out from Vancouver on a cross-Canada bike trip to raise awareness about Rooftops Canada and its work to provide more affordable housing around the world. To find out more about this exciting project, how you can support it, and to follow the cyclists' journey visit their Facebook site: Rooftops Canada: Coast 2 Coast for a World of Better Housing. Posted on: Jun 20, 2008 Co-op Housing BBQ a huge success!Over 200 people enjoyed fun in the sun at the Co-op Housing Spring Barbecue at Trout Lake Park in Vancouver on Saturday, May 31. CHF BC and CHF Canada cohosted this fun member event -- featuring free food, games, and prizes -- which drew a large co-op crowd, including over 40 children. Thanks to the following event and prize sponsors for helping make Saturday such fun: COHO Management Services Society, CRS (COHO Repair Services), Cana Management, Memberguard, Pacific Wholesale Appliances, Terra Property Management, and The Co-operators. Don't miss the photo slideshow of the event by clicking on the main photo on the homepage of this website. Posted on: Jun 2, 2008 SAGM hosts candidate selection forum and equity co-op discussionCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on May 3 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. 43 delegates, 5 alternates and 24 observers made it a successful event. Delegates approved the Federation's budget for next year, including a small dues increase. Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2008 will be $3.35/unit/month. Delegates also heard good news about the work to repair leaky co-ops, improvements in CHF BC's education program, good governance initiatives, the 2020 Vision Project, action on sustainability, new co-op development, and plans to make our voices heard in coming municipal, provincial and federal elections. A lively member forum featured a discussion about whether equity housing co-ops should be invited to join CHF BC. And CHF Canada members attending the meeting selected Yaana Dancer of Sitka Co-op as their candidate for the position of BC/Yukon Regional Director on the CHF Canada board of directors. Yaana will be BC's nominee in the election to be held at the CHF Canada AGM in Toronto on June 14. For photos of the meeting, visit the CHF BC website. And for copies of meeting reports and other documents, visit the Members' Section of the website. Don't forget to mark November 29 on your calendar so you won't miss CHF BC's AGM. We hope to see you there. Posted on: May 6, 2008 Feds disappoint at housing ministers' meetingA rare meeting of federal, provincial and territorial housing ministers held April 2 in Ottawa produced nothing to help the 1.5 million Canadian households in need of safe, affordable housing. "Though Minister Monte Solberg kept his promise to meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts, he did not show any indication that the federal government is interested in helping to address Canada's housing crisis," said CHF Canada executive director, Nicholas Gazzard. (See CHF Canada's press release). "He did not address the principles that were agreed to in 2005 calling on the federal government to provide 'adequate, predictable and sustainable federal funding to the provinces and territories'." Major federal housing programs, including the National Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program, and Affordable Housing Initiative are set to expire at the end of March 2009. "A crisis is looming," said the Federal Liberal Social Development Critic, Ruby Dhalla, and Cities and Infrastructure Critic, Paul Zed, in their press release. "The provinces and territories deserve a commitment and need predictable funding in order to continue to work with municipalities to build and maintain affordable housing for Canadian families." "BC is particularly vulnerable to uncertainty in federal funding," said Thom Armstrong, CHF BC's executive director. "BC has the highest rate (15.8%) of households in core housing need of any province in Canada. That's 250,000 households who can't find a safe, affordable place to live. We need to maintain federal and provincial investment in community housing just to prevent the problem from getting any worse. And we need even more investment from every level of government to solve it." Posted on: Apr 4, 2008 CHF BC meets Quadra by-election candidate Rebecca CoadCHF BC met with the NDP candidate in the Vancouver Quadra by-election early this week. Rebecca Coad, an Ethics and Political Science student at UBC, stressed her party's long-standing commitment to affordable housing and to co-ops in particular. After noting that it was NDP pressure that forced Paul Martin's Liberal government to invest $1.6 billion in housing in their last budget, Coad said that while one-off measures are better than nothing, what is really needed is a long-term national housing strategy, something that Canada is alone among developed nations in lacking. Coad had recently reiterated this point in a press conference will Bill Siksay, the NDP's housing critic: "Our communities cannot afford to wait any longer for safe housing they can afford, Vancouver-Quadra needs affordable housing now, and we call on the Harper Conservatives to make a national housing programme a priority in this budget." Coad pointed to the NDP's plan to build 200,000 new units of affordable and co-op housing over the next ten years and to subsidise an additional 40,000 units as evidence of this commitment. Coad agreed with CHF BC and CHF Canada's proposal for a Green Building fund to help pay for environmental up-grades to existing co-ops, noting that as buildings account for about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions - about the same as transportation - it makes good environmental sense to deal with the issue. Voters in Vancouver Quadra go to the polls on Monday, March 17. CHF BC has contacted both the Liberal and Conservative candidates in Vancouver Quadra, but has not yet received a reply. Posted on: Mar 11, 2008 No housing commitments in federal budgetHousing groups across the country roundly criticized today's federal budget for again missing an opportunity to eliminate Canada's housing crisis. "Yet again, four million Canadians living without safe, affordable shelter, were let down by the federal government," says CHF Canada in its news release today. "Today's budget missed an opportunity to begin reducing chronic housing need in Canada, and it is low-income Canadians who will keep paying the price," said CHF Canada executive director, Nicholas Gazzard. CHF Canada, CHF BC and other community housing stakeholders have been urging the federal government to take a leadership role - with a renewed commitment to maintain spending levels to create new housing, and to re-invest in existing programs, including co-op housing programs, where federal commitments will soon expire. In a separate news release by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA), president Karen Charlton points out that "It's not good enough to say that we can't afford it, we don't have the room for this kind of spending, when this government has clearly chosen a tax cut agenda at the expense of the well-being of vulnerable children, immigrants, people on worker disability support, seniors who have worked their whole lives for this country, and others who through no fault of their own need some help to access affordable housing." CHRA recently released a report that shows that government spending on affordable housing declined steadily between the mid-1990s and 2001 for a loss of $700 million in annual investment. Since 2002, the federal government has re-invested some of that loss, but it has fallen far short of what is needed to meet the demand that built up over the previous decade. The CHRA report demonstrates that if the federal government simply committed to maintain today's investment level over the next twenty years, without investing a penny more than it does today, it would provide affordable housing developers with the stability they need to house thousands of Canadian families every year, and the number would increase over time. But the Harper government has not committed to this stable funding, and many of these programs are set to expire soon. Posted on: Feb 26, 2008 CHF Canada BC director to step down: CHF BC plans discussion on future electionsMike Alsop, CHF Canada's BC/Yukon regional director, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election at the national federation's AGM in June. Mike has been an outstanding representative and advocate for BC housing co-ops since his election to the board in 2006. "This was a really tough decision for me," said Alsop, "but I'm proud to have been part of a team of three directors from BC who have played such a strong leadership role in national affairs. We have been united in our support for leaky co-ops in BC and for challenges facing co-ops in other regions, such as the Social Housing Reform Act in Ontario." There are currently two other CHF Canada directors from BC: Isabel Evans and Wes Hosler. Both Evans and Hosler serve as at-large directors. The position being vacated by Alsop will be filled by a vote of CHF Canada delegates from BC. "On behalf of CHF BC, I thank Mike for his dedication and hard work for co-ops," said CHF BC president Wes Hosler. The new BC/Yukon regional director will be elected by BC delegates at CHF Canada's 2008 AGM, to be held in Toronto. But there is another way under CHF Canada's by-laws to elect regional directors, and the CHF BC board wants to ask members which option they prefer. Wes Hosler explains: "Members can continue to elect their regional director by a vote of delegates at the CHF Canada AGM, or they can decide to elect the regional director at a meeting held in BC before the AGM. We want to know which method our members prefer, so we're going to ask by starting a discussion on BC Talk and running a poll on our website. The 2010 AGM would be our first opportunity to make a change, so we have lots of time to decide." You can participate in this on BC Talk, and you can go to our homepage to cast your vote in the web poll. Posted on: Feb 13, 2008 Vancouver City Council grants lease extension to leaky co-opMembers of Paloma Housing Co-op have good reason to celebrate this holiday season after Vancouver City Council approved an extension of the co-op's land lease on very favourable terms. The City's decision clears the way to start design work that will lead to a full repair of Paloma's building envelope. In March of 2007, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation agreed to implement an enhanced lending framework to help leaky housing co-ops get fixed. Many co-ops have been repaired or approved for the necessary loans. But some co-ops, including Paloma, require lease extensions to match the time they need to pay off those loans without adding to the cost of their land. After hearing from speakers and asking a few questions at their meeting on December 13, councillors gave unanimous approval to a 20-year lease extension. In her presentation to Council, co-op president Carolyn Combs said "Paloma is a diverse group of people committed to producing a strong and supportive community. We are elderly and young; disabled and abled; low and middle income. We speak several languages and represent several ethnicities. We currently provide some level of subsidy to over 40% of our households. Our membership is dedicated to remediation and to maintaining our community." "This is wonderful for news for leaky co-ops to end the year with. It not only helps Paloma, but will serve as a precedent to help other leaky co-ops in similar circumstances," said CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong. "We would like to thank Vancouver City Council and Cameron Gray of the City's Housing Centre for their support." "But above all, I want to thank and congratulate the members of Paloma Housing Co-op," continued Armstrong. "They have endured living conditions for several years that many of us cannot even imagine. Through it all, they have maintained a caring, affordable, co-operative community that is a credit to the entire co-operative housing movement." Posted on: Dec 14, 2007 Liberal Pink Book advocates shelter allowances instead of housingThe national Liberal Women's Caucus has given advocates of co-op and non-profit housing across Canada a lump of coal for their holiday stockings. It remains to be seen if Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion plans to do likewise when he announces his election campaign platform. In The Pink Book: A Policy Framework for Canada's Future (vol 2), the Caucus, chaired by MP Belinda Stronach, urges a major reversal in Liberal Party housing policy. They champion the idea of a "portable shelter subsidy" as a better alternative to building new social housing. Not surprisingly, this approach to housing policy has long been favoured by private sector landlords, since it puts government money directly into their pockets. The Caucus attacks "social housing" as inflexible, expensive to build, poorly targeted to those in need, claiming also that it stigmatizes its residents. This will be news to more than 90,000 co-op households in Canada and the thousands more on co-op waiting lists who wish they could move into a new co-op home tomorrow. If adopted, the Caucus position would be a shocking Liberal about-face. In the last election, the Party's platform promised a new framework of funding and intergovernmental co-operation to reduce core housing need in Canada. It specifically recognized "the importance of the co-operative housing sector" and promised to "ensure that federal housing programs developed within the framework are available to new and existing co-ops." When new Liberal leader Stéphane Dion visited Pine Ridge Housing Co-op in Burnaby last spring with three Liberal MPs, he promised to keep the concerns of the co-op housing sector in mind when creating a new Liberal housing strategy. The largest federations of housing co-ops in the country were quick to respond this week when the National Post published a glowing endorsement of The Pink Book's recommendations (Vouchers Look Pretty in Pink, December 10, page A15). The executive directors of CHF BC, CHF Toronto and CHF Canada sent a joint letter to the editor expressing their grave concerns about the Caucus recommendations. Portable housing subsidies will do nothing to replenish the dwindling supply of affordable rental housing or to ease the low vacancy rates in Canada's major urban centers, they argued. "We'll be working hard to convince the Liberals that this is not the way to go," says CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong. "In the meantime, we urge our members to contact their MPs and tell them not to buy into this simplistic notion that the private market alone will solve the housing crisis. We need them to work with us to ensure a continuing supply of affordable housing for the millions of Canadians who desperately need it." Posted on: Dec 12, 2007 25th Anniversary Dinner & Dance a great successFederico's Supper Club on Commercial Drive was packed full of co-operators on November 24 after CHF BC's annual general meeting. President Wes Hosler welcomed more than 150 members and friends to the grand finale of our 25th anniversary celebrations. Guests enjoyed a delicious five-course meal in Federico's elegant and intimate dining hall. Everyone was in a splendid mood and the dance floor was packed shortly after the live entertainment started. To cap off the fun, Wes, accompanied by Merrilee Robson, who served as CHF BC?s president in 1985, jumped out of a huge cake and led members in singing happy birthday to the Federation. For pictures of this event, and the AGM, click the 'more photos' link on the homepage. The warmth and spirit of the event clearly put people in a generous mood. Doug Perry of Cana Management started things off with a $500 donation to Domestic Violence Relief Fund and a challenge to other sector organizations to match it. Not to be outdone, COHO Management and CHF Canada each pledged $1,000 to help women leaving abusive relationships buy membership shares in housing co-ops. Thanks to everyone for supporting CHF BC's 25th anniversary in such grand style. Posted on: Nov 27, 2007 News from the 2007 AGMCHF BC held its annual general meeting on Saturday, November 24 in Burnaby's Executive Hotel. 101 people, including 62 delegates, attended the meeting chaired by Geoffrey Dabbs. Executive director Thom Armstrong reported that CHF BC's membership has grown to 232 housing co-ops and 11,993 co-op homes. A record number of members took part in the Federation's education program and saved money in the group buying program last year. The board of directors reported more good news on the leaky co-op front. More than half of the leaky co-op portfolio is either repaired, under construction, out to tender, in design, or in receipt of loan approvals from CMHC. The board also gave delegates an update on the 2020 Vision project and spoke about plans to explore new co-op development. Treasurer Suzann Zimmering and auditor Richard Marsh brought more good news about the Federation's financial picture. The year ending July 31, 2007 produced a seventh consecutive operating surplus. Jamie Ritchie spoke on behalf of Rooftops Canada about how Canadian housing co-ops can support plans to build new co-ops through micro-financing programs in developing countries. The afternoon included a 25th anniversary retrospective. The Federation's first three presidents -- Herb Barbolet, David Lach and Merrilee Robson -- spoke about CHF BC's early years. Delegates then shared their own ideas on CHF BC's past accomplishments and future challenges. Delegates re-elected three directors: Wes Hosler, Marty Norgren and Carolyne Withrow. We also welcome five new directors to the board: Dianne Brubaker, Azima Buell, Lise Stewart, Alana van Dam and Larry LeSage. Larry was elected by Vancouver Island delegates at the Council meeting held on October 17th. Retiring from the board are Bui Petersen, Debbie Bailey, Gino Gamboa, Larry Maralia and Suzann Zimmering. Elected to serve on the finance committee is Colin Chan. Delegates also gave unanimous approval to a late resolution calling on the board to make CHF BC's own operations more environmentally friendly . You can download the AGM reports and documents from the 'member meetings' area in the members section of this website. Mark your calendar for our semi-annual general meeting on May 3, 2008. We hope to see you there. Posted on: Nov 27, 2007 British Columbia the worst province for housing needA detailed report released by CHF Canada on the almost 1.5 million Canadian households without acceptable housing shows that 15.8% of British Columbia households are in core housing need -- the highest percentage among the provinces. Only two territories have higher rates of households in need: (Nunavut,38.8%; and Northwest Territories, 17.4%). The Yukon is tied with B.C. Among the provinces, Nova Scotia (15.2%) and Ontario (15.1%) are next. The Canada-wide rate is 13.7%, with the lowest rate in Alberta at 10.5%. The report also shows renters, new immigrants, lone parent families, young adults, the elderly, and Aboriginal households are hardest hit by the lack of affordable housing. "This report shows that the rate of core need in British Columbia is among the worst in the country," said Thom Armstrong, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC. "It confirms what those of us who work in co-op housing already know -- the lack of affordable housing is doing real damage to millions of Canadian families." Written by economics researcher Will Dunning, the report, entitled "Dimensions of Core Housing Need in Canada," looked at the most recent housing data (2001) from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It uses the CHMC definition of Core Housing Need, which considers a household to be in need if its housing is over-crowded, sub-standard or unaffordable (costs more than 30% of before-tax household income.) Renters account for 68.1 % of core housing need. Lone-parent families have a rate of 30%; double that of other Canadian households. Immigrants have higher rate of need than non-immigrants; for those households who have recently arrived in Canada, the rate is triple that of non-immigrants. Rates are also high among those aged 15-24 and those over 75. Across Canada, the incidence of core housing need for Aboriginal households is 78% higher than for non-Aboriginals. "This report paints a human picture of why we need to maintain the federal and provincial investment in community housing," said Armstrong. "It is a first important step towards resolving the core housing need that affects so many Canadians." The Dunning report indicates that affordability is the most common difficulty in finding acceptable housing, with more than 89% of the 1.5 million households claiming it as a problem. The full text of the report is available on CHF Canada's website. Posted on: Nov 21, 2007 Many new members at well-attended Fall Education ConferenceCHF BC's Fall Education Conference attracted another huge crowd of co-operators on Saturday, October 27. There were lots of new faces among the 177 co-op members helping to almost tie our all-time attendance record set last March. One conference record was broken, for the most participants in a single session, with 50 people attending a workshop called, ironically, "The End of Participation". Everyone received a copy of CHF Canada's new booklet "Getting our Co-op Principles Right". If you were at the conference and didn?t sign up to receive a copy of "Getting Management Right" and "Getting Governance Right", please email info@chf.bc.ca and we will mail them to you. Be sure to mark your calendars for more exciting education events coming soon: Membership Terminations on November 7 in Vancouver and on January 21 in Victoria, and the Spring Education Conference on March 29 and Island education Day on March 8. Posted on: Oct 30, 2007 Roofs and Roots: new housing co-op created in VictoriaOn October 20, co-op members, community partners and government representatives celebrated the conversion of an existing apartment building to co-operative housing. "Roofs and Roots Housing Co-op will provide low-income families and individuals with more affordable housing options in Victoria," said Ida Chong, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. "Innovative projects such as this one wouldn?t be possible without strong partnerships between all levels of government and non-profit and private sector housing operators." The development is operated by the Roofs and Roots Housing Co-operative, and houses a mix of families and single adults. As part of its co-operative status, the apartments will remain affordable, with rents below market rates. "We want our residents to have access to affordable housing,": said City of Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe. "We fully support organizations like the Roofs and Roots Housing Co-operative in their goal of providing affordable rental housing." "The CRD Housing Trust members are honoured to be part of the opening celebration for the Roofs and Roots Housing Co-op," said Dean Fortin, chair of the Capital Regional District Housing Trust. "All levels of government, joining with local businesses, have stepped forward to work together to support wonderful local residents in creating this truly unique affordable housing for families." Roofs and Roots Housing Co-operative began their search for a building to buy in 2001, and early supporters of the project were Vancity Credit Union and the Vancity Community Foundation. :Helping non-profits and co-operatives thrive and prosper as well as supporting affordable and accessible housing are key areas of focus across the Vancity Group," commented Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancity. "The Roofs and Roots Housing Co-op is the model for what can be achieved when everyone comes together to find creative solutions to housing challenges." "We are thrilled to be announcing our first building which officially launches our housing co-op," said Sol Kinnis, director of Roofs and Roots Housing Co-operative. "We are committed to providing housing that is affordable, ecologically sustainable and healthy for the members who live in our buildings." Posted on: Oct 25, 2007 Historic Council Meeting!Island members held their first-ever election at the Vancouver Island Council Meeting on October 17, 2007 to choose a Vancouver Island Director for the CHF BC Board of Directors. Congratulations to Larry LeSage (Washington Housing Co-op) who was elected for a two-year term. Larry's term will begin at the end of CHF BC's Annual General Meeting on November 24, 2007. Executive director Thom Armstrong and BFI Canada representative Ken Proud were pleased to announce that the waste collection and recycling contract with BFI Canada has been renewed for another three years. Some Island co-ops are saving more than triple their CHF BC dues with BFI. In all, 18 Island co-ops belong to the program. Guest Chris Birchall provided an overview of the Affordable Warmth BC Program. Frances Gardens Housing Co-op is the first Island co-op to take advantage of the program. Chris invites interested co-ops to get in touch with him by email to environment@citygreen.ca or phone 250.381.9995. Thom Armstrong reported that Frances Gardens has also agreed to be a pilot co-op for the 2020 Compass, part of CHF BC's and CHF Canada's 2020 Vision Project. Island director Candice Bunting delivered the board report, announcing excellent progress in the effort to repair leaky co-ops. She also brought the good news that CHF BC's membership now stands at 231 co-ops and almost 12,000 co-op homes. This includes 33 of the 35 Island co-ops. During a break in the meeting, delegates enjoyed cake and other refreshments to celebrate CHF BC's 25th anniversary and thank members for their support. Posted on: Oct 22, 2007 Housing experts say Throne Speech must maintain funding to fix housing crisisAnnual funding for affordable housing has declined by $700 million according to a new report released on September 27 by representatives of Canada's major community-based non-profit housing organizations. The housing experts are asking the federal government to use the coming Throne Speech to commit to maintain the current investment in community housing. "In this Speech from the Throne, the federal government must, as a first step, keep its current funding for affordable housing to help the 1.5 million Canadians in desperate housing need, " says Karen Charlton, President of Canadian Housing Renewal Association (CHRA) and Manager of Social Development for he City of Medicine Hat, Alberta. "Where's the Money Gone? An Analysis of Declining Government Housing Expenditures" by housing analyst Steve Pomeroy, shows annual spending on affordable housing has been in a sharp and steady decline since the early 1990's, falling from the peak in 1993 to a low in 2002. "This report substantiates what we have been saying for years, says Sharon Chisholm, Executive Director of CHRA. "It's crucial for government to commit to keeping current funding levels in place. There's much more to be done, but this first step will keep Canada's existing community housing affordable and in good shape - and start new housing for those in core need". "The good news for government is that they can begin helping the millions of Canadians who need housing - working poor, families, seniors, new Canadians, Aboriginal peoples - just by continuing current spending," says Derek Ballantyne, CEO of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Canada's largest owner of social housing. "If this government takes leadership to stop the hemorrhage in housing budgets, we will not only be able to preserve existing affordable housing, but it also will result in $1.6-billion annually at the federal level alone to create more community based non-profit housing," says Sharad Kerur, Executive Director of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association. Investing in community housing will help the government's goal of making Canada competitive, according to Nick Sidor, Director of Corporate Affairs for Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. "If the federal government fails to maintain current funding levels, our cities will struggle to remain competitive and to support economic expansion. We must catch up with other western countries that are now well ahead of us." Savings from expiring community housing agreements must be reinvested in housing, say housing experts. "The provisions of both the 1993 and 1996 budgets required that savings be reinvested in social or affordable housing," says Karen Stone, Executive Director of the British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association. "There have already been substantial savings - mostly from declining mortgage interest rates - but they have not been re-invested as required by Parliament." Representatives from community-based non-profit housing organizations across Canada will be meeting with politicians and the government in the coming weeks to ask for a Throne Speech commitment to maintain the current investment in affordable housing. The text of the full report is available at www.chra-achru.ca Posted on: Sep 28, 2007 CHF BC seeking resource groups to assist co-ops with redevelopmentThe enhanced workout framework for leaky co-ops includes provisions for co-ops that need to be redeveloped. To help our members in this process, CHF BC has developed an Expression of Interest for Resources Groups. . The EOI will provide a standard format to enable co-ops to accurately compare the services offered by the various groups and help them in picking the group most suited to assisting their co-op to a successful redevelopment. Posted on: Sep 21, 2007 Free energy assessments for co-ops in Vancouver and Victoria regionsCity Green Solutions has just launched Affordable Warmth BC, a project sponsored by Environment Canada to offer no-cost energy assessments to a limited number of multi-unit residential affordable housing developments, including housing co-ops, in the GVRD and Capital Regional District. They will also provide technical assistance and support, organize energy efficiency workshops, and develop an Affordable Warmth tool kit to assist housing providers with improving building energy efficiency. Last year City Green worked with several housing co-ops, offering similar services as part of an initial pilot project. You can read one example of their success, with Ford Road Housing Co-op in Pitt Meadows, in the 2007 green issue of SCOOP. To qualify for the Affordable Warmth BC program, co-ops must be members of CHF BC. For more information or to register, contact City Green at 1.866.381.9995 or visit www.citygreen.ca. Posted on: Sep 14, 2007 CHF BC welcomes new staff membersTwo new faces have joined CHF BC's roster of permanent staff this summer. We are happy to extend a warm co-op welcome to Grace Bauer and Michelle Iversen. Grace Bauer, familiar to many members in her role as CHF BC's Administrative Assistant over the past year, has accepted a permanent role in the new position of Office and Program Assistant. Grace is a professional actor, and brings a great creative energy to CHF BC's staff team. Michelle started her new role as Executive Assistant on August 20. Michelle comes to us with nine years of experience as an executive assistant and administration manager at a social services organization specializing in providing youth and adult justice services and services to children and families. One of Michelle's references remarked that the best thing about working with her is her sense of humour, so no doubt she'll fit right in with her new colleagues. To contact Grace, Michelle or any other CHF BC staff, visit the staff list page staff list page of CHF BC's website. Posted on: Aug 23, 2007 MPs write to Federal MinistersFollowing their meeting with CHF BC directors, delegates and co-op members at Halston Hills on June 29th, the Lower Mainland NDP MPs have written to federal Ministers Solberg (responsible for CMHC), Baird (Environment) and Flaherty (Finance). Their letter urges the federal government to adopt measures to help co-ops build more units, carry out environmentally friendly renovations and build new co-op housing to ease Canada's affordable housing crisis. To get involved in this effort, please visit CHF Canada's new Co-op Housing Action Centre and send a message to your Member of Parliament. Posted on: Aug 2, 2007 Members meet with NDP MPsOn June 29, members met at Halston Hills Co-op in Burnaby for a Conversation on Co-op Housing with NDP MPs Dawn Black (New Westminster-Coquitlam), Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) and Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas). More than 20 members turned out to share ideas. Posted on: Jul 4, 2007 25th Anniversary BBQ wet but wonderfulCool, wet weather didn't dampen the spirits of more than 200 co-op members determined to celebrate CHF BC's 25th anniversary at Trout Lake Park in Vancouver on Saturday, June 16. This family-friendly member appreciation event -- featuring free food, games, prizes and live entertainment -- attracted record attendance for a CHF BC event. And the weather wasn't the only reason that some people got wet. Held at the picnic area next to Trout Lake -- with tents and games stations with something for everyone -- the BBQ drew a huge co-op crowd, including 60 children. It all made for a wonderful carnival-like atmosphere. Be sure to check out the pictures from the event by clicking the link on the photo caption on the homepage. CHF BC's board of directors and staff took turns at the barbecues and games tents to make sure that co-op members had a great time and felt truly appreciated for supporting CHF BC. Sector partners also supported our anniversary event. Thanks to the following companies and co-operative organizations for helping make Saturday such a success: Terra Property Management, Pacific Wholesale Appliances, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Emelle's Catering, East End Food Co-op, COHO Management Society, COHO Repair Services, CD Contract, Cana Management and CHF Canada. Feedback from members has been very positive. "My daughter, granddaughter and myself had a wonderful time at the picnic Saturday at Trout Lake," wrote Mary Strickler of Riverside Landing Housing Co-op. "Thanks to all who made such an effort so that we could enjoy the food, activities, and above all, the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people." We look forward to seeing members again in the fall for CHF BC's other big anniversary event, the dinner/dance on November 24 at Federico's Supper Club. There are still tickets remaining for this not-to-be-missed anniversary party, which follows the Federation's annual general meeting. To get yours, send a cheque for $25 per ticket (maximum two per order) to CHF BC's Vancouver office. Posted on: Jun 19, 2007 Island anniversary barbecue reportIsland members celebrated CHF BC's 25th anniversary on May 26 with a Member Appreciation barbeque. The day was a great success with 60 people turning out a sunny Saturday afternoon to enjoy delicious barbeque food, games, cake and ice cream, popsicles, prizes and more. CHF BC directors Candice Bunting, Larry Maralia and Wes Hosler and executive director Thom Armstrong barbequed non stop to keep plates full and everyone happy. President Wes Hosler welcomed and thanked people. Children enjoyed crafts and face painting and the young and young-at-heart took away goody bags and lots of great door prizes. Many volunteers and sponsors helped to make the barbeque a success. Sincere thanks to all. Island members are phoning and emailing to say how much they enjoyed the event and especially the opportunity to play and socialize together. Several members suggested a barbeque would be a fun annual event. Posted on: May 30, 2007 Report from May 23 Vancouver Island Council meetingDelegates representing more than half of CHF BC's Island members packed another Vancouver Island Council meeting on May 23rd. Island Directors Candice Bunting and Larry Maralia reported on CHF BC's recent Semi-Annual General Meeting, progress on leaky co-ops, steps being taken to get ready for a federal election campaign, the Federation's budget for next year, and plans to celebrate CHF BC's 25th anniversary. Julie Hunter, Commercial Services Director, outlined the many group buying opportunities available to Island co-ops. Some co-ops are already saving more than the cost of their membership dues by using the Federation's programs. Contact Julie at 1-866-879-5111 #138 (jhunter@chf.bc.ca) or Kerry Panter at 384-9444 kpanter@chf.bc.ca to find out how your co-op can use Federation services to its advantage. James Quaife (Tyee) was re-elected as Council chair and Margaret Ransford (Twin Oaks) was elected vice-chair. Sol Kinnis (Mitraniketan) provided an interesting presentation about Roofs and Roots Housing Co-operative, a new Island housing co-op in the development stage. The next Council meeting will be held on October 17th. Mark your calendars now! The first ever election of a CHF BC Island director will take place at this meeting, and members will celebrate CHF BC 's 25th anniversary in style. See you there! Posted on: May 24, 2007 CHF BC members meet Stéphane DionFederal Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion met with members of CHF BC on May 22 at Pine Ridge Housing Co-op in Burnaby. Dion toured a Pine Ridge co-op home, then met with 33 co-op members representing 14 Lower Mainland housing co-ops. MPs Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre), Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver South), and Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta) accompanied Mr. Dion on his Pine Ridge visit. Burnaby Douglas Liberal candidate Bill Cunningham arranged the stop on Dion's busy schedule. During Stéphane Dion's successful bid for the Liberal leadership last December, he ran on a program of economic prosperity, social justice and environmental sustainability," said CHF BC president Wes Hosler during his opening remarks. "These are also important issues for housing co-ops, and we have invited Mr. Dion here today so that we can hear his views?and so that he can hear ours?on how we can work together to achieve those goals for members of housing co-ops across Canada." In his address to co-op members, Mr Dion said "I would be greatly interested indeed to see how, with you, we may do something that will be strong from a social perspective, strong from an environmental perspective and where the federal government will be a good partner for you and a good partner with the provincial government and municipalities." Dion did not make any specific promises other than to consider the proposals given to him from CHF BC and CHF Canada representatives at the meeting. These proposals include a federal investment to create more co-operative housing and a 5-year, $30-million program of loans and incentives to make housing co-ops more environmentally sustainable. After a formal question and answer session, Mr Dion took questions and comments from the audience of attentive co-op members. Jennifer Gray-Grant of Pacific Park Place Housing Co-op in Vancouver offered several examples of how the volunteerism and community work in her co-op saves money on other public expenses like health care and social services. Wendy Pedersen of Four Sisters Housing Co-op in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver, described how her co-op is a very positive force in her community. She urged Dion to work to fulfill the housing promises made in conjunction with the 2010 Olympics bid. Co-op members were pleased to have a chance to exchange ideas about co-operative housing with Mr. Dion, and they are looking forward to more dialogue during the next federal election campaign. Posted on: May 23, 2007 Good news SAGM well-attendedCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on April 28 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. 54 delegates, 10 alternates and 37 observers made it a memorable event. Delegates heard good news in the fight to find solutions for every leaky co-op in BC. They also heard reports on the 2020 Vision Project, election readiness and opportunities for new co-op development. The board outlined its plans for celebrating this year's 25th anniversary in style with free, family-friendly member appreciation events in Victoria on May 26 and Vancouver on June 16. They also announced the venue for the Gala Dinner/Dance on November 24: Federico's Supper Club. Dinner/Dance tickets went on sale at the SAGM and, at a bargain price of only $25 for dinner, wine and entertainment, are going fast. Contact CHF BC to get yours before this fantastic event sells out. The keynote speaker was John Restakis, executive director of the BC Co-operative Association. His insightful and inspiring speech. on the success and potential of co-ops for civilizing the economy was very well received. Delegates also approved a budget for next year with a dues increase of 10 cents per unit per month. Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2007 will be $3.25/unit/month. Copies of meeting reports and the keynote speech can be downloaded from the Members' Section. of this website. Mark November 24 on your calendar for CHF BC's AGM and anniversary dinner/dance. We hope to see you there. Posted on: Apr 30, 2007 First of three anniversary events attracts members to KelownaOn April 21, twenty members from BC Interior housing co-ops joined CHF BC president Wes Hosler, member services director Kerry Panter and education director Sue Moorhead for an anniversary wine and cheese reception held at Desert Breeze Co-op. CHF BC is celebrating its 25th year by holding member appreciation events this spring in the Interior, Vancouver Island and Vancouver. Wes welcomed everyone and told members how much CHF BC appreciates their membership and support. He said CHF BC is committed to serving co-ops well across the entire province, and he invited everyone to join CHF BC at the upcoming semi-annual General Meeting on April 28 and the AGM and anniversary dinner/dance scheduled for November 24 in Vancouver. Thanks to everyone who attended, and special thanks to Desert Breeze for hosting this event and the Interior Education Day, and to Corinne Snape and Marit Carlson for their wonderful assistance and hospitality. Posted on: Apr 24, 2007 Report from Adapting Our Homes sessionThe Adapting Our Homes session held on April 23 attracted members representing ten Island co-ops interested in learning how to adapt co-op units to better accomodate seniors and persons with disabilities. Kim McLean of CMHC provided an overview of two programs: HASI (Home Adaptations for Seniors' Independence) and RRAP (Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Persons with Disabilities). She outlined eligibility and application requirements, timelines and assistance available from CMHC, and the kind of adaptations possible through these two programs. Nola Tonkin of Heritage Housing Co-op in Vancouver described the adaptations completed by her co-op in units occupied by senior members using the HASI program. Nola said the assistance and support from CMHC was wonderful and it was a positive experience. Many thanks to Kim and Nola for visiting and sharing this information with Island co-ops. For more information on HASI and RRAP-Disabilities, search www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca or call CMHC at 1.800.639.3938. Posted on: Apr 24, 2007 National housing groups give thumbs-down to federal budgetNational housing groups condemned the lack of new funding for affordable housing in the federal budget tabled on March 19, saying it was a missed opportunity to help the 1.5 million Canadian households in core housing need. "Every federal budget needs to include additional funding so this urgent need can be addressed," said CHF Canada executive director, Nicholas Gazzard, in a budget day news release entitled "Budget missed chance to help house 4 million Canadians". "Cuts to housing budgets means more homelessness and increased desperation for those individuals and families that need help. Canada can do better," said CHRA president Karen Charlton in their budget release entitled "Budget 07 - not a penny for housing". Posted on: Mar 20, 2007 Co-op members discuss 'vision and values' at Island Education DayMembers at the March 10 Island Education Day took a look into their future at a workshop on the 2020 Vision project. 2020 Vision is a joint project of CHF BC and CHF Canada and is about mapping a future for co-ops and giving them the tools and support they need to make that vision a reality. CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong led the session attended by 17 members from eight co-ops. Armstrong has led several 2020 Vision sessions in BC and elsewhere in Canada. He was impressed by how aware Island co-op members are of the issues they'll face in the years ahead. "The members who attended Saturday's session had a keen grasp of the challenges and opportunities our co-ops will face between now and in 2020. It's up to us to work together to create the best possible future for co-op communities everywhere." After lunch, members turned their attention to the subject of the ethical conduct and principled leadership we expect from housing co-op directors in a workshop led by Kerry Panter and Thom Armstrong. The next Island education will be held on Saturday, November 3. Mark your calendars now! Posted on: Mar 15, 2007 Good news for BC's leaky co-opsWe are very pleased to report the results of discussions between CHF BC, CHF Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on how best to help federally assisted co-ops suffering from premature building envelope failure (leaky co-ops). CMHC has enhanced its workout framework for federally assisted CMHC-insured co-operatives committed under the Pre-86 Program with confirmed premature building envelope failure. A more flexible workout framework will help more co-ops return to financial viability over the long term. "Helping co-ops with serious building envelope problems has been CHF BC's top priority for many years. These enhancements are a significant step forward in that effort." said Thom Armstrong, Executive Director, CHF BC. A number of these enhancements will also be applied where helpful and appropriate to other federally administered CMHC-insured projects in difficulty across Canada. "This new workout framework is very good news, not only for the leaky co-ops in BC that will now be able use it to finance their building repairs, but also for federally administered CMHC-insured co-ops elsewhere in Canada," said Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director, CHF Canada. The enhancements are to be implemented immediately, where more flexibility can lead to a viable long-term workout arrangement. "For eligible co-ops, the enhanced framework will increase the amount of borrowing permitted in a workout and offer more flexible repayment terms for those loans," said Sharon Matthews, Vice-President of Assisted Housing for CMHC. "We are grateful to CHF Canada and CHF BC for co-operating with us on this initiative." Where redevelopment of existing co-ops is a more cost effective solution, Enhanced Assistance will still be available, along with Seed Funding to help cover the costs associated with the early stages of redevelopment. These enhancements build on work already undertaken by CMHC and the co-operative housing sector to find workable, affordable solutions to help members of housing co-operatives continue to live in safe, affordable co-op homes. For details, you can visit the CMHC website Posted on: Mar 7, 2007 CHF BC launches leaky co-op resources onlineCHF BC is very pleased to announce the launch of a new and comprehensive selection of resources for housing co-ops tackling the challenge of building envelope remediation. You will find this valuable new material in the member section of the Federation's website at www.chf.bc.ca/pages/resources-leaky.asp. Mandy Yeomans, CHF BC's leaky co-op liaison officer, took the lead in putting these resources together for our members. The leaky co-op liaison officer is a position funded by CMHC for the purpose of facilitating the building envelope repair process for BC's leaky co-ops. For more information about these and other CHF BC tools and services for leaky co-ops, contact Mandy Yeomans, at myeomans@chf.bc.ca or at 604.879.5111 x 132 or toll-free at 1.866.879.5111. Posted on: Feb 28, 2007 Island delegates give CHF BC top marksMember turn out to Island Council is consistently high. The meeting, held on February 22 at the Howard Johnson Hotel, featured an enthusiastic member forum on the five-year merger check-up. Island delegates gave the Federation top marks. They concluded that Island co-ops are well represented and well served by CHF BC and that membership in CHF BC provides good value for dues. They provided some excellent feedback and suggestions, including supporting priorities such as fixing leaky co-ops and building new co-ops. Other meeting highlights included an update from CHF BC commercial services partner, Sherri Madden of Pacific Wholesale Appliances. Members asked questions and were pleased to learn about the benefits and off-menu tailored service available through PWA. The meeting also featured a CRS update and comments by visiting CHF Canada director for BC and Yukon, Mike Alsop. The next Council meeting is May 23 - mark your calendars today! Posted on: Feb 26, 2007 "Housing" budget ignores low- and moderate-income working familiesThe Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) announced today its reaction to the 2007 BC budget, saying that it is really less about housing than tax cuts. Yesterday's budget, presented by Finance Minister Carol Taylor as the "housing budget" contained several initiatives billed as a solution to the crisis of housing affordability in BC. "We congratulate this government for calling housing its top priority," said CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong, "but the details of the budget reveal a major gap in the solution, namely the lack of any sort of real housing relief for low- and moderate-income working families." The budget's housing provisions appear to help people on the extreme ends of the income spectrum, with 900 shelter beds to help alleviate homelessness, and with increased maximum home values for first time homebuyers to qualify for tax relief. The only provision for those earning a low or moderate income and who cannot afford to purchase their own home is an expansion of the Rental Assistance Program to help families earning under $28,000. This type of housing allowance works well in rental markets with a healthy vacancy rate. But in Vancouver the vacancy rate is under 0.7%, making it difficult to ensure that the allowances won?t simply be cancelled out by higher rents. More than 61,000 BC households risk homelessness since they pay over 50% of their income towards rent. In most cases, the RAP allowances would provide negligible relief for these renters. Furthermore, one initiative in the budget -- $45 million over four years to convert current social housing stock into supportive housing for seniors -- will actually reduce the number of affordable homes available to moderate-income families. "We need a renewed commitment on the part of all levels of government to create new non-profit and co-operative housing," said Armstrong. "With the strength of BC's economy, the province could invest in a new housing supply program without sacrificing its 10% tax cut." There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops in BC providing just over 14,000 affordable co-op homes to their members. CHF BC is the provincial federation representing BC housing co-ops. Posted on: Feb 21, 2007 CHRA rallies support to renew cancelled EnerGuide programThe Canadian Housing and Renewal Association is calling on housing sector organizations to push the Harper government to renew Canada's home energy efficiency programs. The Conservatives cancelled the EnerGuide program last year. "It is time," says CHRA, "for Canada's housing sector to remind the Harper Government of the important part home energy efficiency programs, including a low-income program, can and should play in a comprehensive national greenhouse gas reduction strategy." CHRA partner, Green Communities Canada, has compiled a list of five key points that you can include when you writing or e-mailing the government about this issue. Posted on: Jan 16, 2007 CHF BC receives grant from VancityVancity Savings Credit Union has given CHF BC a $20,000 grant as part of its Financial Capacity Grant Program. The program is designed to help non-profit, community-based organizations become more viable and financially self-sufficient. The grant will help cover the costs of the Federation?s information technology upgrade, which includes an investment in "customer relationship management" software to improve member service. Posted on: Jan 15, 2007 Solberg now responsible for CMHCHon. Monte Solberg, MP for Medicine Hat, is the new minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in Stephen Harper's government. Solberg is also Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. He was first elected to Parliament in 1993. CHF BC looks forward to meeting with the Minister to support and improve co-operative housing and other forms of affordable housing in Canada. Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 Co-ops hit by BC wind stormsCHF BC has received reports from several co-ops damaged by the wind storm that hit BC in the early morning of December 15. Co-ops affected include Falcon Crest, Still Creek, and Killarney Gardens. "At about 3:30 to 4:00 am last night, a very large tree branch fell on two units at Falcon Crest" reports the co-ops COHO coordinator, Laura Soucy. "Most of the damage is to the one unit only. Thankfully no one was hurt. We've filed a claim with The Co-operators. They are sending a restoration company to assess and tarp as there is a hole in the roof." Creekside Housing Co-op in North Vancouver suffered severe damage to two units, with trees crashing through the roof. window damage, and burst pipes. The unit with the most damage is the home of Peggy Bell, a founding member of Creekside. "The members have been wonderful," report Creekside's COHO coordinator, Liz Chaput. "They worked together to make sure everyone was safe. Power was out in the whole complex, but members had the foresight to turn off power at the box to the damaged units, in case power was suddenly restored." "We called The Co-operators on Friday at 9:30 and an adjuster was out the same day. The City of North Vancouver hired a contractor to remove the fallen trees, because they actually came from city property. By late Friday afternoon, a restoration company was on site. It appears that the City's insurance will cover the majority of the damage." "When a tree falls on a co-op, CRS hears it" says John Waldo, director of client services for COHO Repair Services. "Last night we received numerous emergency calls from our clients, 14 calls resulting from falling trees alone." The CRS maintenance and staff supervisor, Rick Thomson, was on call and at his home in Burnaby. When he went to respond to the first call he realized he had an emergency on his hands at his own home. A 60-foot tree had crashed down in front of his truck, downed powerlines and fallen trees were all over his neighbourhood. Rick got on his cellphone and began coordinating emergency response teams for our clients. Trades companies who have developed a great relationship with CRS responded to Ricks calls. "Ironically," says John Waldo, "all of our clients' emergencies were solved and Rick remains trapped in his neighbourhood waiting for BC Hydro and City removal crews." Other co-ops were similarly affected by the first wind storm to hit the province on November 28. Hoy Creek Housing Co-op in Coquitlam a city owned tree fell on co-op property. Posted on: Dec 16, 2006 BC Court releases key decision for housing co-opsOn December 13, the BC Court of Appeal released its decision in the matter of Corbett v. Still Creek Housing Co-operative. The decision is good news for every housing co-op in BC that is using CHF BC's Model Rules. The case concerned a member of Still Creek Housing Co-op in housing charge arrears. The co-op terminated his occupancy agreement, which is based on the Federation?s Model Rules. The Model Rules attach the occupancy agreement to the Rules as a schedule. The member refused to give up possession of his unit, arguing that the co-op had not followed all of the procedures for termination of membership as set out in the co-op's Rules and in sections 35 to 39 of the Cooperative Association Act. The co-op argued that it was under no such obligation because it had not terminated his membership. Instead, he was considered to have withdrawn from membership when his occupancy agreement was terminated, and the co-op had followed the procedures set out in the agreement. The case went to the BC Supreme Court in November 2004. CHF BC and CHF Canada covered the co-op's legal expenses and retained additional counsel to represent CHF BC as an intervenor. We did this because the case raised important questions about how the Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement were written and about whether our advice on procedures for terminating an occupancy agreement was correct. The Supreme Court found in favour of the co-op in February 2005. The member then took his case to the Court of Appeal. Again, CHF BC and CHF Canada agreed to cover the co-op's legal expenses because of the potential implications for the Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement. The Court of Appeal hearing was held on November 20, 2006. The judgment and reasons were released on December 13, and the appeal was dismissed with an award of costs in favour of the co-op. More detail on this decision and its implications for co-ops will appear in the Winter issue of SCOOP, coming to co-ops in January. In brief, the Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement have passed a significant legal test. Co-ops can attach their occupancy agreement as a schedule to their Rules with full confidence that this model has been upheld by the court. They can also follow the procedures for terminating an occupancy agreement, where termination is warranted, and then consider the member to have withdrawn from membership in the co-op. CHF BC thanks the directors of Still Creek Housing Co-op, who stood up for the Model Rules through two court cases. We also thank lawyers Geoffrey Dabbs, who represented the co-op, and Grant Haddock, who represented the Federation in the original Supreme Court case. Posted on: Dec 16, 2006 Resolution approves new board election process for Vancouver IslandDelegates at CHF BC's 2006 annual general meeting gave unanimous approval to a resolution allowing Vancouver Island board members to be elected regionally at Vancouver Island Council meetings in Victoria. The rational behind this resolution is that allowing elections to occur in Victoria for the two Vancouver Island seats on the CHF BC board would allow more Island co-ops to have a vote and to make it easier for candidates to run. The last several AGM elections for Vancouver Island directors have resulted in acclamations with only one candidate running. During the past year, Island delegates have twice selected replacements for Island directors who have resigned. These selections took place successfully at Vancouver Island Council meetings held in Victoria but the selections were not official until ratified by CHF BC's board. Posted on: Nov 27, 2006 News from the 2006 AGMCHF BC held its annual general meeting on Saturday, November 25 in Burnaby's Executive Hotel. 95 people attended the meeting chaired by Jamie Ritchie. Executive director Thom Armstrong reported that CHF BC's membership has grown to 225 housing co-ops and 11,800 co-op homes. Membership is expected to exceed 12,000 units by the end of the current fiscal year. CHF BC's Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award was presented to David Reay of Klahanie Housing Co-op for his contributions to co-op housing and the community of Richmond. Delegates held a member forum on the 2020 Vision project: a national to map a vision for the long-term future of housing co-ops and the co-op housing sector. Delegates gave unanimous approval to a resolution allowing members on Vancouver Island to elect Vancouver Island Directors at Vancouver Island Council meetings in Victoria. Treasurer Suzann Zimmering and auditor Richard Marsh brought more good news about the Federation's financial picture. The year ending July 31, 2006 produced a sixth consecutive operating surplus. Rooftops Canada presented a short video documentary of the slum clearances that took place in Zimbabwe in 2005. For more information on this topic you can visit the Rooftops Canada website. Or for a DVD of the video you can contact Sue Moorhead at smoorhead@chf.bc.ca. Delegates re-elected two directors: Doreen Aquino (at-large), and Candice Bunting (Vancouver Island). We also welcome four new directors to the board: Debbie Bailey, Wayne Callaghan, Bui Petersen and Catherine Porter. Retiring from the board are Georgia Andrews, Glen Armstrong, Dianne Cook and Victor Mogollon. Re-elected to serve on the finance committee is Robert Klein. You can download the AGM reports and documents from the 'member meetings' area in the members section of this website. Mark your calendar for our semi-annual general meeting on April 28, 2007. We hope to see you there. Posted on: Nov 27, 2006 Education rates high in member surveyThe results are in from our evaluation CHF BC's education services. More than 500 people participated in the survey and telephone interviews we conducted this summer. An overwhelming number of members who have used CHF BC's education resources were satisfied with them. They found them relevant, interesting and useful. In response to feedback from the survey, CHF BC's board has voted to pursue several priorities to keep the education program fresh and relevant. These include: - enhance our focus on core governance, management and leadership skills members need to run their housing co-ops - recruit, train and maintain an ample pool of education program instructors - expand efforts to reach co-ops outside Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island more directly - enhance our capacity to deliver program resources over the Internet, and - extend our reach to members who are not currently using the education program. Thanks to all who participated for your valuable feedback and suggestions. Posted on: Nov 22, 2006 Sector loses co-op developer : John VanceJohn Vance, educator, instructor, affordable housing developer and passionate advocate for social justice, died Sunday, November 5, 2006. John was a past member of Broadview and Eburne Landing Housing Co-operatives and instrumental in the development of over 50 affordable housing projects in BC while working for accredited resource groups BILD (Building Independent Living with the Disabled) and Access Building Association beginning in 1982. He will be greatly missed. Posted on: Nov 8, 2006 CHF BC to meet with CMHC president - leaky co-op solution on the agendaCMHC president Karen Kinsley has invited CHF BC representatives to a meeting in Ottawa on November 16. The main topic of discussion will be a new lending framework for BC's leaky housing co-ops. The new lending framework has been under discussion for several months. While 24 leaky co-ops are either repaired, under or near construction, or have funding approved, another 37 are at some earlier stage in the process. Of those, at least 14 cannot be refinanced and repaired under the current lending framework. Posted on: Nov 1, 2006 CHF BC board appoints new Island director: Larry MaraliaLarry Maralia of Craigflower Housing Co-op in Victoria is the newest member of CHF BC's board of directors. He was appointed by the board on October 30 after being selected by Island delegates at the Vancouver Island Council meeting on October 11. Maralia replaces Sean Berard who was appointed in a similar manner last spring to replace resigning Island director, James Quaife. Berard resigned in the summer after deciding to move to Alberta. Maralia's term on the board therefore expires in November 2007. A resolution at this year's AGM on November 25 proposes that, in future, Island directors be elected at Vancouver Island Council meetings to allow more Island co-ops to participate in the process. Posted on: Oct 31, 2006 Co-ops eligible for energy efficiency grantsBC's Energy Savings Plan and City Green Solutions are offering financial and technical assistance to housing co-ops willing to undertake an energy efficiency upgrade prior to February 1, 2007. Incentives, up to a maximum of $23,000 are available for co-ops that will be upgrading items such as hot water tanks, windows, heating systems, gas fireplaces, insulation, weather proofing, lighting or appliances. They will also help participants access other complementary energy efficiency incentives and rebates beyond ESP. This is a first-come, first-served program, conditional on the amount of technical assistance required and energy savings achieved. To be eligible, buildings must be located in the Lower Mainland or Southern Vancouver Island regions and must complete an energy assessment with City Green Solutions by November 30, 2006. Visit the City Green website for more information or call them at 1.866.381.9995. Posted on: Oct 27, 2006 Education Conference sold outCHF BC's fall education was completely sold out with 171 registrations from 65 co-ops -- a six-year record for this event. Click here for photos of this event. "This is wonderful," said CHF BC Education Director Sue Moorhead. "We even expanded some of the sessions to accomodate more co-op members." Posted on: Oct 23, 2006 Vancouver Sun prints CHF BC editorial on rental housing crisisHow to tackle the crisis in rental housing Government must invest in the best options: co-op and non-profit housing Thom Armstrong Special to the Sun Wednesday, October 18, 2006 When Housing Minister Rich Coleman unveiled the government's new housing strategy earlier this month, he missed a golden opportunity to address the biggest problem in British Columbia's hot real estate market -- the dwindling supply of affordable rental housing. Instead, Coleman introduced a new rental assistance program, featuring portable housing allowances for low-income working families. There's no doubt that the new program will help some renters. Under the right conditions -- a stable supply of rental housing and healthy vacancy rates being the most important -- housing allowances can be effective as part of a broader housing and income supplement strategy. On its own, a housing allowance scheme is more likely to be too little help for too few in need. Consider a family of four earning $22,000 a year. By the government's measure, an affordable rent for that family is $550 a month. They may be forced to pay twice that or more in today's market, but they won't qualify for help under the new program because they earn too much. They're not alone. More than 61,000 households in B.C. spend more than half of their income on rent. More than 14,000 households remain on the BC Housing waiting list. The problem seems obvious enough: There's not enough affordable rental housing to go around. In fact, the rental housing supply is shrinking, as older stock is redeveloped to build condos or renovated so that landlords can raise rents. Recently the city of Vancouver reported that the south Granville area has lost more than three per cent of its rental stock in the past year. The solution seems just as obvious: The government must invest in a continuing supply of affordable rental housing. And its best option, by far, will be to build more co-op and non-profit housing. The knock on housing supply programs is that they're expensive and take too long to deliver results. Besides, critics claim, it's the private sector's job to build rental housing. But the market hasn't supplied affordable rental housing for decades. And for good reason -- it's not profitable. Housing co-ops, on the other hand, have a 35-year track record of affordable housing in healthy, mixed-income communities. They work because their goal is to provide affordable housing to their members, not to deliver a profit to shareholders. Is it more expensive to invest in new housing supply? At least one recent study suggests that, over time, building new affordable housing is cheaper than maintaining a housing allowance program. And critics of supply programs rarely mention the health and other social costs of failing to ensure that people have a safe, affordable place to live. Of course it will take longer to build new housing than to mail someone a housing allowance cheque. That's hardly an excuse for further delay. We all know that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the next best time is today. And having a longer-term strategy in place to deal with the longstanding problem of housing supply just seems like good planning. For a sobering look at what happens when governments don't think that housing supply is a priority, one need only read the media reports from Alberta, where people with full-time jobs are living in cars because they can't find any other place to live. We have the means to act now on the housing supply problem. Government revenues are healthy. The co-op and non-profit housing sectors have proven track records in building and managing affordable homes. BC Housing is the most effective government housing agency in the country. And the federal government has just pledged an additional $106 million in housing funds to the province. Coleman should take immediate steps to increase the supply of affordable housing by investing in a new co-op and non-profit housing program. Perhaps then the new rental assistance program will be seen as a useful transition to a long-term housing strategy long after it is swallowed up in the next round of market rent increases. Thom Armstrong is executive director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C. Posted on: Oct 18, 2006 Supply of affordable housing key to addressing housing crisisVANCOUVER - The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) responded today to the provincial government's announcement of a new rental assistance program by calling on the government to invest in a new supply of affordable co-op housing as the long-term solution for BC's low and moderate income earners. "We agree with Minister Coleman that housing allowances can help make some rental housing more affordable," said CHF BC president Wes Hosler. "And in healthy markets with high rents and high vacancy rates, they can be very effective." But CHF BC claims that British Columbians struggling to find affordable housing need more than the promised housing allowance. "The real problem," says Hosler, "is that affordable rental housing is disappearing, and there is no new rental housing being built to replace it. If the government doesn't take steps to create new affordable housing, a bad situation is just going to get worse." CHF BC's executive director, Thom Armstrong, describes the current housing market as bleak for people struggling to make ends meet. "In Greater Vancouver, there are more than 28,000 households paying more than 50% of their income on rent. That's 28,000 families who are just one step away from homelessness." Armstrong points to a recent study conducted by Pivot Legal Society, which envisions more than 3,000 homeless people on the streets of Vancouver by 2010, as evidence of the need for a longer term solution. "We understand the benefit that housing allowances offer," Armstrong admits. "They can deliver some help to people who need it in the short term. But housing allowances can't replace the rental stock that is being lost, and that's what the government needs to address." "A good start," adds Hosler, "would be for the province to invest the $106 million BC is set to receive from the federal government in a new housing supply program. Properly invested, that money could generate almost 1,000 new co-op units. That's how we can work together to rebuild a permanent, stable supply of affordable housing." There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops in BC providing just over 14,000 affordable co-op homes to their members. CHF BC is the provincial federation representing BC housing co-ops. Provincial government news release Provincial government - full "Housing Matters" strategy document Posted on: Oct 3, 2006 Agency session well attendedIsland member showing was strong at The Agency for Co-operative Housing meeting held in Victoria on September 26. Members from 19 Island co-ops came out to meet and greet Agency staff and hear more about the Agency's plan for administering co-ops. Penelope Winter, Director of Program Management Services, and Joanne Mick, Team Leader for Western Canada, answered questions and provided an overview of the Agency. Island members were pleased to have the opportunity to meet the two Relationship Managers assigned to Vancouver Island: Shawn Preus and Jennifer Von Riesen. CHF BC is committed to helping co-ops build a strong, productive relationship with the Agency and was pleased to sponsor this meeting. Posted on: Oct 3, 2006 The Agency for Co-operative Housing launches BC officeThe office of the Agency for Co-operative Housing is now open in BC. It is conveniently located in the same building that contains the Vancouver offices of CHF BC, CHF Canada and COHO Management Services. "The Agency for Co-operative Housing is the result of the dreams and hard work of co-op members," says the Agency's Team Leader for BC and the Prairies, Joanne Mick. "Thanks to all of you for making it happen. I know co-op members are hoping for consistent and fair treatment in operating agreement compliance from a body that understands them. And I'm confident that we'll provide that for you." Here is the contact information for the Agency's BC office: The Agency for Co-operative Housing 5550 Fraser Street, suite #001 Vancouver, B.C. V5W 2Z4 Toll-Free: 1.866.660.3140 Phone: 778.327.6017 Fax: 778.327.6016 E-mail: info@agency.coop Website: www.agency.coop Posted on: Sep 11, 2006 Disability Trust makes 200th loanSince it started in 1982, the Disability Trust has helped 200 people enjoy safe affordable housing in co-op communities throughout BC by providing almost $170,000 in loans. Most of those loans have been repaid, and there are currently 52 loan recipients with a total of $36,000 in outstanding loans. In all, members of 83 different co-ops have taken advantage of the program. The Disability Trust provides interest-free loans to help people with disabilities who cannot pay for their shares when they move into housing co-ops. To be eligible for a loan, applicants must be accepted as a member of a non-profit housing co-op in BC, they must have a permanent disability, and they must demonstrate financial need. Click herefor more information, to make a donation or to request and application from the Disability Trust, or contact Mary Boles at mboles@chf.bc.ca or 604.879.5111 ext 141 or toll-free 1.866.879.5111. Posted on: Jul 12, 2006 CHF BC launches surveyThis summer, we are conducting a survey of members of housing co-ops in BC. Click here to take survey for a chance to win some great prizes. This survey will help ensure that CHF BC offers education services that are relevant and useful to you and your co-op. Co-op members who complete the survey are eligible to win one of three great prizes: an iPod nano, a $50 White Spot gift certificate, or a 3-hour portable education workshop from CHF BC. You must enter by July 21 to qualify. You can also take the survey using the printed version that CHF BC mailed to your co-op's main mailing address. If you have any questions, or would like to receive more surveys, please don't hesitate to contact education director Sue Moorhead at 604.879.5111 (toll-free 1.866.879.5111 ext 136) or smoorhead@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Jun 27, 2006 B.C. signs social housing agreement with federal governmentOn June 19, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, on behalf of the Government of Canada, and the Honourable Rich Coleman, B.C. Minister responsible for Housing, announced an agreement to transfer the administration of social housing resources from the Government of Canada to the Government of British Columbia. This agreement does not included 12,650 co-operative housing units, which will remain with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), as well as just over 5,000 housing units on-reserve. There are approximately 72,500 federally-assisted social housing units in B.C. which receive funding from the Government of Canada. This agreement covers some 51,600 units of which about 27,400 of these are already administered by the province. Over the term of the 30-year agreement, the Government of Canada will provide annual funding to the province to support existing social housing units. In the first full year of the agreement, the federal government will transfer $140 million to B.C. The transfer will help streamline and simplify administration in B.C and allow the province to provide access to housing services through one-window delivery. The province can use savings generated through the efficient use of federal funds to maintain the existing stock and to reinvest in housing for low income people. The Province intends to transfer administration of 2,660 off-reserve Aboriginal social housing units to the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). For more information and backgrounder visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2006/2006-06-20-1600.cfm Posted on: Jun 22, 2006 BC increases representation on CHF Canada boardThe number of British Columbians increased on the board of directors and executive of CHF Canada following the national federation's 2006 annual general meeting in London, Ontario on June 10. Mike Alsop replaces Tony Legare as director for BC/Yukon after Legare announced earlier this year that he would not run again. Wes Hosler was also elected to an at-large position, and was later elected treasurer. Hosler is a member of Lore Krill Housing Co-op in Vancouver and the president of CHF BC. Isabel Evans, who is in the middle of her second term as director-at-large, was elected vice-president of the CHF Canada board at its meeting on June 11. Evans is a member of Granville Gardens Co-op in Richmond. Posted on: Jun 13, 2006 Vancouver Island Council selects new director30 people, including 17 co-op delegates, attended the Vancouver Island Council meeting on a warm, May 24 evening in Victoria. Delegates elected a new Council chair (James Quaife from Tyee Co-op) and vice-chair (Sharon Logan from Craigflower). They also selected Sean Berard from Friendship Co-op for appointment as the new Vancouver Island director on the CHF BC board. Agnes Piotrowski and John Waldo delivered an exciting presentation on the new maintenance services available to Island co-ops from COHO Repair Services. Vancouver Island Director Candice Bunting and CHF BC president Wes Hosler reported on the Federation's recent SAGM, spring education events, and progress in repairing leaky co-ops. Hosler presented a plaque to James Quaife in recognition of his service on the CHF BC board. The next Island Council meeting will be held on October 11. Posted on: May 25, 2006 SAGM reportCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on April 29 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. 54 delegates, 7 alternates and 27 observers made it a memorable event. Click here for photos from the meeting. Delegates participated in group and plenary discussions around CHF BC's strategic vision for 2010, heard good news about CHF BC's flooring program. They also approved a budget for next year with a dues increase of 10 cents per unit per month. Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2006 will be $3.15/unit/month. Posted on: May 4, 2006 CHF BC visits co-ops in the BC InteriorWhat better way to celebrate Spring than with a tour of housing co-ops in BC's beautiful interior? That's what CHF BC member services director Kerry Panter did earlier this month. Co-op members in Kelowna, Kamloops, Nelson, Castlegar and Salmon Arm welcomed their visitor with coffee, desserts and lively discussions about life in their co-op communities. The week wrapped up with a full day of workshops at CHF BC's first Interior Education Day, hosted by Desert Breeze Housing Co-op in Kelowna. Co-op members packed the event and made it an exciting day for everyone. "Members in the BC Interior are proud of their co-op communities, and with good reason," Kerry reports. "Each has something special to boast about: acres of green space, beautiful grounds and common rooms, freshly painted homes, garden plots -- the list goes on." Click on this link for a photo tour to see what she means. Like co-ops everywhere, their priorities are keeping up with the maintenance demands of older buildings, funding up-to-date replacement reserve plans, managing a shrinking supply of subsidy and getting their rules and policies in order. Members made good suggestions for how CHF BC can deliver education and other services more effectively to co-ops outside the Lower Mainland. "This was a great opportunity to renew CHF BC's ties with Interior members and to take the Federation's message to the few co-ops that haven't joined yet," says Kerry. "I'm already looking forward to the next trip." Special thanks to Desert Breeze Housing Co-op in Kelowna for hosting our education day, especially staff Cathy Renoe and the co-op's hospitality committee for their hard work and cheerful welcome. Posted on: Apr 21, 2006 The Agency set for launchIn September, the BC regional service centre of The Agency for Co-operative Housing (the Agency) is scheduled to begin working with co-ops in British Columbia. The Agency will replace Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC) as the point of contact on federal program matters. Last May, the federal government signed a contract with The Agency to deliver services to co-ops after ten years of planning and lobbying by the co-op housing movement. A year later, on May 8, 2006, the first regional service centre of The Agency will open in Toronto to serve federal program co-ops in Ontario and PEI. In September, the Alberta and BC regional service centres will begin work with co-ops in those provinces. The Agency is actively recruiting staff for its head and regional offices. Currently a position for BC Team Leader is being advertised with a closing date of April 21, 2006. To find out more about the job postings and other Agency news, visit their website at www.agency.coop. Posted on: Apr 11, 2006 WANTED: One Vancouver Island Director for CHF BC BoardTwo of the 12 directors on the CHF BC board are Vancouver Island Directors. They are elected by Vancouver Island delegates at the Federation's annual meeting. One of those positions is now vacant, due to the resignation of James Quaife. Candice Bunting is the other Vancouver Island Director. Many thanks to James for his contribution to CHF BC. The CHF BC board is asking the Vancouver Island Council to select someone to fill this vacancy at its next meeting. The Council will meet on May 24, 2006 at the Howard Johnson Hotel, 4670 Elk Lake Road, Victoria beginning at 7:00 p.m. The CHF BC Board meets on May 29 in Vancouver, and will appoint whoever the Council selects to fill the vacancy. You can be a Vancouver Island director if you currently live on Vancouver Island and are: -at least 18 years old -a member of a housing co-op that is a member of CHF BC and whose dues are current -not in arrears to your own co-op -not an undischarged bankrupt -of sound mind. This is a great opportunity to get more involved in the work of CHF BC. If you want to nominate yourself or someone else or if you have any questions, contact Kerry Panter at 384-9444 or kpanter@chf.bc.ca. Plan to attend the May 24 Vancouver Island Council meeting to be part of this important decision and much more. Posted on: Apr 3, 2006 CHF BC takes case for co-op housing to Minister ColemanCHF BC president Wes Hosler and executive director Thom Armstrong met with provincial housing minister Rich Coleman on March 9 in Victoria. The 35-minute meeting, CHF BC's first with Minister Coleman, was open and cordial and covered a wide range of issues. Coleman plans to announce his provincial housing strategy soon. It's unlikely that BC's new housing plan will include money to build more housing co-ops. We still face an uphill battle to persuade the province to invest in new housing supply for low and moderate income families. We did find points of agreement to build on, however. Coleman's attitude toward housing co-ops and the co-op model in general is positive. He believes that co-ops offer a form of affordable ownership that is a good alternative to renting. We agreed that more dialogue is needed on how co-ops fit in BC's housing strategy, and we will be looking for ways to promote co-op ownership as a good investment for government. We also took the opportunity to explain to the Minister how drastic the cuts in Section 95 subsidies have been for federally funded co-ops in BC. Coleman agreed to keep housing co-ops in mind when developing guidelines for the new housing subsidies he plans to introduce in the near future. Posted on: Mar 13, 2006 Housing co-ops seek input on new provincial housing strategyCHF BC responded to this week's provincial budget announcement by urging the Minister responsible for housing, Rich Coleman, to meet with housing stakeholders before completing a major overhaul of provincial housing strategy. The 2006 budget presented by Finance Minister Carol Taylor repeated promises of a soon-to-be-released "comprehensive provincial housing strategy that offers new approaches to issues relating to homelessness and affordable housing." But CHF BC's executive director, Thom Armstrong, says that the government hasn't asked for any input from people who know the most about how to build and manage affordable housing. "We hope that the minister will consult with us and other key housing stakeholders in the province before releasing his new plan," said Armstrong. "Co-op housing is a BC success story. We have ideas about how to address the growing need for more affordable housing in our province, and we look forward to sharing those ideas with the Minister." The new budget focuses on support for children. "But protecting children means taking steps to make sure they have a safe, affordable home," said Armstrong. Posted on: Feb 22, 2006 New federal government sworn inThere are four ministers from BC in the new federal cabinet sworn in on February 6, 2006: Chuck Strahl, Stockwell Day, Gary Lunn, and following his surprise move from the Liberals to the Conservatives, David Emerson. CHF BC has found Mr. Emerson to be approachable and supportive of both the Section 95 and Leaky Co-op campaigns and we look forward to continuing that relationship. We also look forward to building positive relationships with the other new ministers. While there is no specific Minister for Housing, the new Minister responsible for CMHC is the Hon. Diane Finley - Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. Ms. Finley represents the Ontario riding of Haldimand-Norfolk. She was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006. Since her election, she has served as Critic for Agriculture and Agri-Food. Prior to her election, Ms. Finley was an administrator in the University of Western Ontario's French immersion school. She later went on to work in the health care, transportation, agricultural equipment manufacturing, publishing and aviation fields. While Ms. Finley worked with the Laidlaw group of companies, she helped build Canada's largest private ambulance service company. She has been board chair of the Brant Community Care Access Centre, and a member of the National Standards Committee of the Paramedics Association of Canada and the Aurora Club. Ms. Finley was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1957. She has a Bachelor of Arts in administrative studies and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. Posted on: Feb 6, 2006 Canadians elect a Conservative minority governmentAfter a hard-fought campaign, the January 23 election resulted in a Conservative minority government. Initial results, subject to recounts, are as follows: Nationally - Conservative 124; Liberal 103; Bloc 51; NDP 29; Other 1. British Columbia - Conservative 17; NDP 10; Liberal 9. With the election behind us, CHF BC and CHF Canada will work with the new government and with all parties in the House of Commons to keep co-op housing working for Canadians. The campaign produced some encouraging signs for co-op housing. Conservative housing critic Ed Komarnicki and more than one Conservative Party MP in BC expressed support for co-op housing during the campaign. Other party platforms made specific commitments for more co-op housing. This is a credit to the work of co-op members right across the country. Thanks to everyone who supported our campaign for co-op housing, voting with co-op issues in mind, sending messages to your candidates, and attending our many campaign events. Together we make a difference. And thanks especially to the housing co-ops that hosted our meet-the-candidates events: HW Flesher, Pine Ridge and Pacific Heights. Stay tuned to our website and watch future issues of SCOOP for more news on how we are following up on our election effort. Posted on: Jan 24, 2006 Co-op members meet the candidatesOver 100 co-op members met candidates at housing co-ops in several BC ridings during the past ten days. CHF BC and CHF Canada co-sponsored four meet the candidates events hosted by housing co-ops. On January 10, our Island event in the riding of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca attracted Troy DeSouza (Cons.), Randall Garrison (NDP), Dr. Keith Martin (Lib) and Mike Robinson (Green). A candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands, Jennifer Burgis (NDP), also attended the meeting. On January 18, candidate Ian Waddell (NDP) met with co-op members in the riding of Vancouver Kingsway at HW Flesher Housing Co-op. And on January 19, there were two separate events. One occurred in the riding of Vancouver Centre at Pacific Heights Housing Co-op where Dr. Hedy Fry (Lib) and Svend Robinson (NDP) attended. The other meeting hosted co-op members from Burnaby Douglas who met with Bill Cunningham (Lib) and Bill Siksay (NDP). Thanks to the all the candidates and to co-op members who attended and helped host these events. Click here for photos from these and other campaign events. Posted on: Jan 20, 2006 CHF BC urges Vancouver Council to keep False Creek affordableCHF BC spoke at hearings held by Vancouver City Council on January 20 regarding the future of housing in Southeast False Creek. The NPA Council wants to reduce its reliance on the City's Property Endowment Fund and that means affordable housing and childcare facilities could be cut severely. CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong was one of 46 people who lined up to speak to the matter. "CHF BC fields more than 1,000 inquiries a month from people looking for affordable housing," said Armstrong in his address to Council. "There are 13,000 households on the BC Housing waiting lists and the challenge is precisely to achieve the housing mix proposed in the current Southeast False Creek plan." "I don't pretend to suggest that it's easy to achieve the promise of mixed-income housing but neither is it acceptable to say to our citizens 'Come and work in Southeast False Creek, serve our coffee, drive our buses, care for our children, just don't expect to live here...ever...because there's no housing here that you can afford.' " "We're making decisions now that will shape the future of this City for generations. Given what's at stake, the length of the build out, and the value of the assets to be held by the City, we suggest that the potential draw on the Property Endowment Fund is reasonable. It's reasonable because it's an investment in our City's present and future quality of life, on a model endorsed by the community after years of intensive work and consultation." "If the current housing mix is preserved, along with the proposed infrastructure and amenities, can anyone think of a development that will capture the local, national, and international imagination more than Southeast False Creek? Especially combined with the fanfare that comes with the Olympic Games." "We suggest that the housing mix currently proposed in the Southeast False Creek plan be preserved and we pledge our support for the effort it will take to make that promise a reality." Posted on: Jan 20, 2006 NDP promises new federal co-op housing programToday the NDP promised a dedicated co-op housing program to build 100,000 new co-op homes over the next 10 years. NDP candidates Bill Siksay, Libby Davies and Bev Meslo made the announcement in front of the Halston Hills Housing Co-op in Burnaby. "Canadian housing co-ops are a huge success story,"said Davies, the NDP's Housing Critic and incumbent MP in Vancouver East. "They have provided a model for community-based not-for-profit housing, based on the principle of mixed income communities, community control and healthy neighbourhoods." The plan details a specific commitment in the first four years of 18,750 new co-op units. It fully commits the 2005 NDP Budget housing dollars and includes a reinvestment of part of CMHC's $2 billion surplus. The initiative would also included dedicated Aboriginal co-op housing, under Aboriginal control. CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong welcomed the news. "With vacancy rates falling and housing costs rising, we need new co-op housing in Canada now more than ever," said Armstrong. "Unless we start building new co-ops now, most of the families on our waiting lists in BC will never have a co-op home of their own." Posted on: Jan 16, 2006 Federal housing minister visits co-opsJoe Fontana, Federal Minister of Labour and Housing, visited several housing co-ops today as part of a campaign swing through the Vancouver area. Fontana met with co-op members to talk about how to replace subsidies taken from Section 95 co-ops, fix all of BC's leaky co-ops, and build new housing co-ops in BC and other provinces. Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry accompanied Fontana to Sojourn Housing Co-op and Pacific Heights Co-op. Later, Fontana and Burnaby Douglas candidate Bill Cunningham met with members of Norman Bethune Co-op. Co-op housing representatives were then invited to a round table on affordable housing organized by David Emerson, Minister of Industry, who is seeking re-election in Vancouver Kingsway. On the issue of leaky co-ops, Fontana welcomed reports that CHF BC and CHF Canada have proposed a new lending framework for leaky co-op repairs to CMHC. When pressed, Fontana said that he is determined to find a way to fix every leaky co-op or, where necessary, rebuild co-ops that cannot be repaired. Confronted by evidence of recent damage at Norman Bethune Housing co-op, the Minister authorized funding for an engineering study and emergency repairs on the spot. On Section 95 subsidies, Fontana told members that their co-ops would benefit from his October decision to make up for lost subsidies as their mortgages come up for renewal. Reminded that some co-ops will find it hard to wait for the next renewal, he promised to work with co-ops to look for ways of getting help to them sooner. Fontana repeated his interest in seeing new housing co-ops developed in Canada. He promised to work with provinces, municipalities and stakeholders like CHF BC and CHF Canada to make new co-op homes a reality. Co-op members were pleased with the chance to raise their concerns directly with the Minister. We will keep raising issues that are important to housing co-ops throughout the election campaign. Posted on: Dec 21, 2005 Reduce the fire risk in your co-op!Nowhere in our preventive maintenance plans is it more important to minimize damage and maximize safety than in the area of fire prevention. A recent news report stated that eight people a week die in fires, 17 percent of fires start in kitchens, 5 percent in living rooms and 20 percent in bedrooms. The Risk Management Binder issued to co-op clients by The Co-operators insurance company reports that 48 percent of co-op claims were for kitchen or grease fires and 65 percent of fires were caused by members. At least two BC co-ops I know of have experienced fires recently, causing great material loss, and displacing and distressing members. Here is a list of common fire risks in co-ops: Improper storage - Curtains, clothes and paper should be kept away from heaters. Flammables and combustibles should be in approved containers, away from any source of heat and kept outside the building in a separate shed. Keep a Class B fire extinguisher near gasoline. Storing too much makes fires spread faster and limits escape options. Common walkways and corridors should be free of obstacles and not used for storage. Poor maintenance of safety equipment- Smoke alarms are often unplugged because they go off too frequently. Try to figure out why rather than disabling such an important lifesaver. Your stove element or toaster plates may need cleaning or the detectors may be too close to the kitchen. Test the battery powered detectors monthly and have extra batteries on hand to replace them quickly. Detectors need to be vacuumed as dust and dirt may affect their sensitivity. Install one on every floor level. Exit lights are needed in case you have to leave in a hurry, and they may be the only thing you can see in a smoke filled area. Be sure to replace burnt bulbs rather than leave them until the annual fire inspection. Ignoring city fire bylaws - Members disable their door closers and prop doors. Door closers are meant to stop fire from spreading. They also keep people from entering the area once a fire starts. Unsupervised use of candles - I?ve cleaned candle wax off of heaters, carpets, floors and countertops. Fire Prevention Canada reported that, in 2000, 500 fires were started by candles or tapers causing $11.3 million in losses and the loss of five lives. Lack of education or planning - Sometimes people just don?t know or they need a good reason to adopt certain habits. For example, don?t plug too many things into one outlet. Instead, use a power bar. Electrical cords should not be put under carpeting, where a short could cause a fire. Though most fire safety is common sense, if we don?t take the time to think about it and plan procedures ahead of time, such as the exit plan, we won?t be ready. Stress shuts the brain down but practicing makes things automatic so that we can react without much thought. The Risk Managment Binder was delivered free to all member-housing co-ops who have Co-operators insurance. The binder also includes sections on reducing risks of water damage and personal injuries, and preventing fraud and theft. Last year I attended a CHF BC workshop on risk management at the education conference. Participants seemed to appreciate the binder as a resource. It?s well worth checking out. Wendy Dragomir does maintenance work for co-ops and is a member of Le Coeur Housing Co-op. Posted on: Dec 16, 2005 Housing Co-ops launch federal election campaignCanadians will vote in a federal election on January 23. We want you to know that your votes can make a difference to the future of co-op housing. For 35 years, housing co-ops have provided safe, secure, affordable housing for thousands of Canadians. Today, many of those homes are at risk. And, outside of Quebec, no one is building new housing co-ops even though 1.5 million Canadian families need affordable housing. The last Parliament ended with some important business left unfinished. In this election, we will be calling on all parties and candidates to make clear commitments to support co-op housing. - Solve the Section 95 subsidy crisis once and for all - Fix every leaky co-op without further delay - Set aside funds to make new co-op housing a reality It's a simple agenda - but it won't happen without your help. On December 14, CHF BC sent co-ops in BC an election package with posters and information cards. Please put up the posters. Distribute the info cards. Visit our election web page at www.chf.bc.ca/election.asp and find out about election events happening in your area. Let's get every co-op member involved in this election. Posted on: Dec 15, 2005 News from the 2005 AGMCHF BC held its annual general meeting on Saturday, November 26 in Burnaby's Executive Hotel. 89 people attended the meeting, which was ably chaired by Jennifer Gray-Grant. Members and guests came from as far away as Fort St. John, Victoria, Ottawa and Longeuil, Quebec. Executive director Thom Armstrong reported the good news that CHF BC's membership has grown to 223 housing co-ops and 11,694 co-op homes. Federation services are more popular than ever among members. The board of directors reported on plans for the federal election, efforts to repair leaky co-ops, and progress toward solving the section 95 subsidy crisis. The board also launched the Aaron Webster Memorial Fund to provide grants to youth for projects promoting respect and diversity in housing co-ops and the community. The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto got things started with a generous donation of $1,000. By the end of the meeting, other donations included $2,500 from CHF Canada and $500 from COHO Management Services. Delegates held a member forum on meeting the challenges co-ops face in 2006. How can we get the best results for co-ops and for more affordable co-op housing during the federal election? As usual, delegates had plenty of good ideas. Stay tuned to our website for more information on the election. Treasurer Suzann Zimmering and auditor Richard Marsh brought more good news about the Federation's financial picture. The year ending July 31, 2005 produced a fifth consecutive operating surplus, and CHF BC's reserves are now more than halfway to the members' target of six months' operating expenses. Delegates re-elected four directors: Gino Gamboa, Wes Hosler, Suzann Zimmering and James Quaife (Vancouver Island). We welcome two new directors to the board: Marty Norgren and Carolyne Withrow. Retiring from the board are Diane Winkler and CHF BC president Mike Alsop. Later in the meeting, Mike Alsop was elected to serve on the finance committee. Mark your calendar for our semi-annual general meeting on April 29, 2006. We hope to see you there. Posted on: Nov 29, 2005 CHF BC honours memory of Aaron WebsterVANCOUVER, November 26, 2005 - The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) has launched the Aaron Webster Memorial Fund, dedicated to the memory of a Vancouver man killed because of his sexual orientation. Aaron Webster was brutally murdered in Stanley Park in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 17, 2001. Several males were involved in the killing. They didn't know him. They bludgeoned Aaron to death with a baseball bat because he was a gay man. At the time of his death, Aaron was the president of Cityview Housing Co-op in Vancouver. This year, the co-op officially changed its name to Aaron Webster Housing Co-op. CHF BC's diversity committee has created the Aaron Webster Memorial Fund to support projects started by young people, age 13-20, living in housing co-ops. The projects will highlight the issue of diversity and help educate co-ops and the broader community on the need for inclusion, respect and understanding in our society. The diversity committee will promote the fund and encourage co-op youth to apply. Awards will be made, finances permitting, at CHF BC's annual general meeting each November. The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto got things started at the AGM with a generous donation of $1,000. By the end of the meeting, other donations included $2,500 from CHF Canada and $500 from COHO Management Services. Donations for the fund may be made care of CHF BC. Donors requiring a tax receipt should contact CHF BC before sending their donation. Posted on: Nov 28, 2005 Section 95 co-ops with 2005 mortgage renewals urged to sign agreementIf your Section 95 housing co-op has a mortgage that renew(ed) in 2005, please take special note. This news applies to you. If not already, your co-op will soon receive from CMHC an addendum to its operating agreement. This is the document that confirms the corrected amount of subsidy you're entitled to receive from CMHC under your Section 95 operating agreement. CHF Canada and CHF BC have reviewed the addendum. It does not involve any commitments to matters unrelated to the Section 95 formula fix. We recommend that you sign it immediately and return it by mail to CMHC with a note asking when the cheques will arrive. This is Step One in our Section 95 subsidy campaign. We will continue to push for immediate subsidy fixes for the 80% of co-ops whose mortgages renew in 2006 and later. This will be one of our top priorities in the upcoming federal election campaign. For more information visit the Section 95 subsidy campaign section of our website at or contact campaign coordinator Darren Kitchen at 604.879.5111 ext. 144 (toll free 1.866.879.5111 outside Greater Vancouver) or email dkitchen@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Nov 23, 2005 Education conference a hit"Please pass on my congratulations and heartfelt thanks for the first-rate job done on the education conference. The degree of professionalism is so high: the organization of courses, lunch, registration - all of it. Well done!" "GREAT! Now if only I could get more of our members to sign up." This actual attendee feedback reflects many of the comments received after the Fall Education Conference held October 22, 2005. 140 people from 54 co-ops across the province attended the conference. 93% of the seats were filled in the ten workshops offered, covering topics ranging from human rights in housing co-ops to organizing a maintenance program. Posted on: Oct 26, 2005 Breakthrough in Section 95 subsidy campaignGood news for section 95 co-ops faced with mortgage rollovers this year! CMHC has finally delivered on a promise made last April by Minister of Labour and Housing, Joe Fontana. Co-ops with mortgage rollovers this year have started receiving letters from CMHC confirming that subsidy transfers will no longer drop by more than the co-op saves on its mortgage payments. On average, co-ops should receive about double the subsidy that they would have received under the usual formula. The new amount is specified in each co-op's letter. More good news: any agreement the co-op must sign to receive full subsidy funding will not contain any conditions not related to Section 95 subsidies. Our joint CHF BC / CHF Canada campaign will now move on to the next objectives. We want the government to: - Help ALL Section 95 housing co-ops. The step just announced benefits the 20% of co-ops that renew mortgages this year. But others will have to wait years for the same help, and that is something their low-income members can't afford. - Work with co-ops to create thousands of affordable homes. Fixing the flawed subsidy formula is a welcome step, but it won't restore more than $100 million in subsidies taken away over the last two decades. With the government's help, we can make 10,000 more co-op homes affordable to people in need. We have started to see success from our efforts, but don't let this good news prevent us from pushing for more. Please contact your MP and tell them you're happy to see the first step accomplished, but hundreds of Section 95 co-ops are still waiting for action, and thousands of co-op members and low-income Canadians need secure affordable housing. Thank them for their help so far and ask them to urge Minister Fontana to finish the job he has started. Posted on: Oct 17, 2005 New phase of section 95 subsidy campaign launchedOn Oct 6, over 50 co-op members met at the Executive Hotel to launch phase two of the Section 95 Subsidy Campaign. Despite repeated promises, the federal government still has not fixed the problem with the subsidy formula and co-ops are still recieving mortgage renewals that cut the subsidy they need to provide affordable housing. Members heard about CHF BC's recent meeting with Minister Joe Fontana and resolved to turn up the heat by writing and speaking to their MPs, demanding that the flaw be fixed and that all Section 95 co-ops recieve help immediately. Get involved in the next phase of a campaign we have to win. We can't achieve our goals in this campaign without you. Check out the Section 95 campaign section of our website: - find out what's new in the fight to restore co-op subsidies - find out what your co-op needs to know when dealing with CMHC, and - get involved in the next phase of a campaign we have to win. We can't achieve our goals in this campaign without you. Questions? Call Darren Kitchen at 604.879.5111 ext.144 or email dkitchen@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Oct 6, 2005 Construction costs stall leaky co-op repairsRapidly increasing costs in the Lower Mainland are causing more headaches for leaky co-ops. The problem is so severe that some co-ops are finding that previously signed loan agreements are no longer viable. BC Housing estimates that construction costs are rising at between 1.5 and 2 percent per month. The reasons are varied, but include the residential construction boom in the Lower Mainland, which is leading to a shortage of labour and escalating demand for materials. These cost increases, plus the lengthy and complex workout process, are forcing repeated re-evaluations of workout loans and further delaying an already slow process. Not all the news is bad. Five co-ops are repaired, four more are under construction and two will soon have work crews buzzing around their homes. But the situation is grim for many more who can't see the light at the end of the spreadsheet. CHF BC and CHF Canada are working hard to come up with solutions to the most difficult challenges, making proposals to CMHC in order to break the log jam for the co-ops most seriously affected. Posted on: Sep 22, 2005 Co-ops march with Pride
Thanks to Business to Business Technologies, CD Contract, and Phelps who sponsored our participation in this year's parade. Posted on: Aug 15, 2005 Minister announces partial solution to Section 95 subsidy crisisFederal Minister of Labour, Hon. Joe Fontana, spoke to the Annual General Meeting of CHF Canada on June 18, 2005. He came with good news and bad news on the Section 95 subsidy crisis. The good news: the formula that has seen co-op subsidies drop by more than mortgage payments when mortgages renew at lower interest rates has been fixed. The change will apply to any Section 95 co-op renewing its mortgage after January 1, 2005. This is good news for co-ops with upcoming mortgage renewals. The bad news: the Minister promised nothing to restore subsidies lost in past mortgage renewals except a vague commitment to help co-ops experiencing financial difficulties on a case by case basis. This is not the solution we have been looking for. As CHF BC president Mike Alsop wrote to Minister Fontana following the national AGM, the announcement is "not a complete solution to the devastating effects of the Section 95 subsidy crisis. Years of mortgage renewals at declining interest rates have created a net loss of assistance that threatens the co-op homes of our most vulnerable members. Your announcement does not give them any comfort." So what's next? As you can imagine, we don't plan to abandon our campaign having won half a solution. We will spend the next month or two gathering the information we need to press for more from the federal Minister. Darren Kitchen, our campaign coordinator, will lead this effort, along with our partners at CHF Canada. If you have information to share about how the Section 95 subsidy crisis has affected your co-op, please send it to Darren at 200-5550 Fraser Street, Vancouver V5W 2Z4, fax 604.879.4611, or email dkitchen@chf.bc.ca. We'll also renew our contacts with local MPs and cabinet ministers to let them know that the job is not finished and that we need their support now more than ever. Please stay tuned for information on the next stage of our campaign. We have made progress, but not enough. We'll do whatever it takes to build on that progress and win a complete solution to the Section 95 subsidy crisis. Posted on: Jun 27, 2005 Federal budget passes with $1.6 billion for housingThe federal budget passed final reading in the House of Commons this week in a suprise late night vote. The budget, negotiated with the NDP, includes $1.6 billion for affordable housing. The budget passed second reading in the last month by a margin of one vote. It was the first time in the history of Canada's parliament that the Speaker has cast a vote to break a tie on a question of confidence. The vote was very good new for co-ops and other affordable housing advocates. The amended budget, negotiated with the NDP, includes $1.6 billion for affordable housing. The money is not tied to matching provincial funding, so it signals an opportunity to focus federal resources on the 1.7 million Canadians who need affordable housing. The vote also meant that the government does not have to call an election immediately. This is more good news because it gives us time to work with Minister Joe Fontana and CMHC to finalize a solution to the subsidy crisis affecting Section 95 co-ops. Thanks to co-op members in BC and across Canada for getting our message to MPs about the need to find a solution to the section 95 subsidy crisis. Posted on: Jun 23, 2005 Opening Doors project profiled in local newspapersPosted on: May 6, 2005 SAGM highlights good newsCHF BC members gathered in Burnaby on April 30 for the Federation's semi-annual general meeting. The meeting featured the good news that the federal government has promised to fix the section 95 subsidy crisis. Members passed two resolutions: one underlining CHF BC's resolve to lead the campaign to create new housing co-ops, and one supporting Ontario co-ops in their fight against the SHRA legislation which robs them of their autonomy. Other good news included a budget for next year featuring the lowest dues increase in more than five years (5 cents per unit per month). Membership dues for the year beginning August 1, 2005 will be $3.05/unit/month. For more detail on the meeting, visit the members' section of this website. Posted on: May 4, 2005 Election packages mailed to co-opsCHF BC mailed its provincial election campaign package with tips and tools to promote the development of new housing co-ops in BC. The package includes campaign instructions, one-page briefing sheets for distribution to members, and campaign posters. Posted on: Apr 29, 2005 FEDERAL MINISTER FIXES CO-OP SUBSIDY CRISIS!Housing co-ops across Canada just got some very good news. The co-op housing sector has been campaigning hard to convince the government to fix a serious flaw in the section 95 co-op subsidy formula and to finalize its commitment to a new national agency to administer federal co-op housing programs. Those efforts paid off on April 22 in some very important announcements. Hon. Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing and some of his cabinet colleagues visited a Toronto housing co-op on April 22 to confirm the following: - The Section 95 subsidy problem is history. Effective immediately, the formula will be changed so that co-op subsidies and mortgage payments change by the same amount when co-op mortgages are renewed. This is the result that the co-op housing sector has asked for, and it is a huge step forward. More than 1,000 housing co-ops funded under the section 95 program (160 in BC) will no longer suffer a net loss in subsidy when their mortgages renew at lower interest rates. Low-income members will no longer have to worry about losing their homes as co-op subsidies disappear. - The government is also committed to addressing the loss of subsidized homes created by past mortgage renewals. The goal is to restore co-op subsidies to half of the units in a co-op, or the percentage of units subsidized at the last mortgage renewal, whichever is higher. We are all aware of the tight deadline to conclude this discussion, and the goal is to have a firm solution in place before May 19. - The government also committed itself to the new federal co-op housing program agency by signing a funding agreement and promising to sign a service agreement with the new agency by May 3. CHF BC and CHF Canada thank their members and supporters for their efforts in this campaign. It's more evidence of what we can do when we work together toward a common goal. For now, we're urging co-ops and supportive politicians to keep up the pressure for just a little longer to ensure that the problem of lost subsidy capacity is addressed before a federal election is called. Thanks to everyone for your support! Posted on: Apr 22, 2005 Co-ops to raise housing issues during BC election campaignCHF BC has launched its campaign for more housing co-ops to meet BC's housing challenges. During this election campaign, housing co-op members across BC will draw attention to the success of co-ops in providing affordable housing. "Co-ops are the best housing investment any government can make," said CHF BC president, Mike Alsop. "Studies by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have proved time and again that co-ops are the most effective form of government-assisted housing ever built. If we are serious about combating homelessness, new housing co-ops are an essential part of the solution." More than 250,000 households in BC lack affordable housing, and the number of homeless people on the streets of the Lower Mainland has doubled since 1991. Co-ops are part of the solution to this crisis. Despite this, there has been no new co-op housing developed in BC since 2001. During this election, co-op members will call on parties and candidates to commit to a housing policy that includes new co-ops to address the growing need for affordable housing. CHF BC is supporting this effort with a dedicated campaign co-ordinator, special printed materials, and an election webpage. "Housing is a fundamental human right and we shouldn't rest until everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home. That's why we need more co-ops," concludes Alsop. There are 261 housing co-ops in BC with over 14,500 co-op homes. CHF BC is the provincial organization representing housing co-ops in BC. Posted on: Apr 19, 2005 Spring education conference a huge successThe CHF BC education conference was buzzing with enthusiasm on Saturday April 2. Over 150 people representing almost 60 housing co-ops from all over the province flocked to the event in Burnaby. The conference theme "Promoting excellence in co-op governance and management" was reflected in all the workshops. Management workshops dealt with finance basics, emergency preparedness, maintenance programs, marketing to keep units full, Section 95 subsidy management, privacy protection and plants and landscaping. One member liked "learning from others' experiences with difficulties - learning that my gardening problems are not insurmountable". The topic of governance appeared in the co-op rules workshop as well as three popular new ones: "Good grief - good governance!", "How well does your co-op run?" and "Challenging behaviour - just deal with it!" Debbie Bailey of Granville Gardens Co-op felt that the behaviour topic was a "great workshop! definitely worth having again!" After taking the PIPA workshop, one member said he learned that there is "a lot of work ahead of me, and that there are many resources to help." Another member thanked CHF BC for the great PIPA tools on the website. Missed these workshops? Ask about our portable workshops. We can tailor a workshop to meet your needs and bring it right to your co-op. And be sure to mark your calendars for the Fall education conference on Saturday October 22 and the Island education day on Saturday, November 5. Posted on: Apr 11, 2005 Second fire at the MaplesCHF BC has just been informed that the Maples Housing Co-op in Maple Ridge has been struck by fire, for a second time in less than six months. Apparently, two units were quite badly damaged. But there were no injuries, thankfully. There was no information whether the affected units were covered by contents insurance. We will update this story when more information arrives. Fire struck the The Maples in December as well, with a similar number of units affected. You can donate money, personal articles, gifts, etc. to the Maples by contacting CANA Management at 604.524.8524. CHF BC will also accept and forward donations to the Maples. CHF BC urges co-op members to check out the article on fire prevention from the winter issue of SCOOP which also appears on our website at http://www.chf.bc.ca/pages/scoop-stories.asp Posted on: Apr 7, 2005 Good management: practice makes perfect!Some housing co-ops hire management companies or staff. Other co-ops use volunteers or a combination of staff and volunteers to manage themselves. Common to all are the challenges that arise as co-ops age and operating agreements expire. The future of our homes will depend on how we manage our co-ops over the next five, ten and twenty years. The time to think about good management practice is now. CHF Canada has developed core management standards to help members improve the quality of management in their co-ops. Core management standards describe the results that good management will produce in four key areas: · managing the finances · keeping the co-op in good repair, · keeping the co-op full, and · meeting legal requirements. Watch for more information on each of these core management areas in upcoming issues of SCOOP. SETTING THE STAGE Keep in mind, however, that good management is not enough on its own. Good management is built on a foundation of good governance and principled leadership. This includes everything from how members' meetings are run to how co-ops encourage new leaders to become active. What do we notice about co-ops with good governance practices? · They invest in education for directors and members on how the co-op works and how it might work better. · Members treat each other with respect and courtesy. The result? More members get involved in the co-op because it's a positive experience. · Directors lead by example. They put the co-op's interest ahead of their own. They practise co-operation in their dealings with members and with each other. · Meetings matter. They're well chaired, deal with important business, avoid confusing what members should do with what the board should do, and give everyone a chance to have their say. They also produce results and make members feel good about the co-op. Working together, we can make good governance and principled leadership a reality. We should settle for nothing less. Posted on: Apr 1, 2005 Section 95 postcard campaign in full gearHousing co-ops funded under the federal Section 95 program (formerly 56.1) are fighting to save their subsidies. Co-ops have been writing to MPs and to federal housing minister Joe Fontana, but last week's budget included no help for co-ops and no solution to the subsidy crisis. Now it's time for Minister Fontana to hear directly from co-op members. On February 28, CHF BC mailed bundles of campaign postcards to housing co-ops across the province. We ask each co-op to get as many members as possible to sign these cards, then send them - postage free - to Minister Fontana. Don't forget to let CHF BC know how many were sent so we can monitor this effort. Please watch for your co-op's package, and help us send a message to Ottawa. It?s time to get a solution to the Section 95 crisis! You can download more information, sample letters and tips for action from our www.chf.bc.ca/pages/section95.asp Posted on: Mar 1, 2005 Province restores replacement reserve funding for provincial co-opsGood news for housing co-ops funded under the Provincial Housing Program (formerly Homes BC). Last year BC Housing cut replacement reserve funding to provincial co-ops by half. This reduction was scheduled to last two years. Our members passed a resolution at the November annual meeting calling on BC Housing to end the cuts and directing the Federation to press the issue. CHF BC has learned that full replacement reserve funding for provincial co-ops will be restored, retroactive to January 1, 2005. Further, BC Housing plans to increase the subsidies it sends to co-ops to help cover their "manageable costs". Beginning April 1, 2005, those subsidies will be increased by the Consumer Price Index. BC Housing will send more detailed information to affected co-ops soon. For more information, call Eileen Tiessen, Manager, Program Operations at BC Housing, 604.439.4142. Posted on: Feb 28, 2005 Federal budget ignores PM's housing pledgeCHF BC is disappointed that today's federal budget contains no new money for housing, despite Paul Martin's personal promise during last year's federal election. One year ago today - on February 23, 2004 - Paul Martin met with social housing advocates and municipalities in Montreal. Emerging from that meeting, he made a personal commitment to back a new national social housing program. During the federal election campaign, Martin and the Liberals promised $1.5 billion in new funding over five years for new social housing. "Our federation is approached daily by people desperate for affordable housing," says CHF BC president Mike Alsop. "We all know how big the need is, and the prime minister's promise gave us some hope that the government understood the need for decisive action. Needless to say we are extremely disappointed!" About one-in-five Canadian households are facing a desperate housing crisis and hundreds of thousands will experience homelessness this year. "The government has acknowledged that 1.7 million Canadians don't have adequate shelter. Yet there is nothing in the budget to address this growing challenge," says Alsop. Housing co-ops have been pushing the federal government for a national rent supplement program for co-ops and other non-profit housing, and programs to build or renovate new affordable homes. Posted on: Feb 23, 2005 Court upholds Model Rules and Occupancy AgreementIn a judgment released on February 8, 2005, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled that CHF BC's Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement are lawful and effective. This is good news for co-ops that have adopted the model, and encouraging for co-ops still working on their new Rules. Late last year, a co-op terminated a member's occupancy agreement for housing charge arrears. As a result, the member was considered to have withdrawn from membership, and was ordered to vacate the unit. The member argued that this procedure is not allowed because it was not conducted according to sections in the Rules and the Co-op Act dealing with membership termination. In her ruling, Madam Justice Ross confirmed that co-ops may either terminate membership under Section 35 of the Act (and Rule 5 of the Model Rules) or terminate an occupancy agreement for breach of the agreement. The occupancy agreement termination is subject only to the procedures set out in the agreement. This has been CHF BC's position, and the Federation was allowed to appear as an intervenor in the case to make its views known. The decision is under appeal. CHF BC will cover how this ruling affects your co-op's rules on termination at upcoming workshops. Posted on: Feb 17, 2005 Federations launch Section 95 subsidy campaignToday CHF BC mailed campaign packages to every Section 95 co-op in BC. CHF Canada did the same for co-ops elsewhere in the country. Our goal is to get the federal government to restore lost subsidies to Section 95 co-ops so that co-op housing can remain the affordable housing option it was meant to be. The packages include tips and tools such as fact sheets and sample letters to help individual co-ops support this important campaign. For details, or to download the material sent to co-ops today, visit www.chf.bc.ca/pages/section95.asp . Posted on: Jan 16, 2005 Privacy act applies to housing co-opsOn January 1, 2004, the provincial Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) will come into force for all organizations in BC not covered by other privacy legislation. Your housing co op will need to comply with PIPA. PIPA was designed to protect the privacy of personal information in the private sector. It governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by organizations. This includes information routinely collected by housing co-ops about applicants, members and employees such as income information, birth date and relationship to other household members. A CO-OP'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE NEW LEGISLATION: Under PIPA, co-ops will be required to tell people why they are collecting personal information, who will have access and with whom it will be shared. If the reason information is being requested is obvious, there is no need to explain why it is being collected. However, personal information may be used only for the purposes for which it is collected and it must be stored in a secure place. It must be destroyed once no longer needed. The co-op must, if requested in writing, allow individuals to see any of their personal information the co-op possesses. The individual has a right to know what the information has been and will be used for, who has access, and with whom the information has been shared. Any errors in the information must be corrected. WHAT DOES YOUR CO-OP NEED TO DO? Each co-op will need to appoint at least one person to act as the Personal Information Privacy (PIP) Officer who will be responsible for ensuring the co-op complies with PIPA. The co-op will also need to develop and adopt a privacy policy and a procedure for handling complaints. The co-op should review current practices for collecting, using, storing and sharing personal information and make any changes necessary to comply with PIPA. As well, the co-op should educate members and staff about their responsibilities for protecting personal information. WHERE TO GET HELP OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: CHF BC has developed several tools to help co-ops comply with PIPA. They can be found on the Members Section of our website. As well, the Federation will continue to hold workshops to help members understand and comply with the privacy legislation. You can download a copy of PIPA at http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/37th4th/3rd_read/gov38-3.htm, or purchase a copy from Crown Publications (250.386.4636) or International Travel, Maps & Books (604.687.3320) Other sources of information on PIPA and compliance issues include BC?s Corporate Privacy & Information Access Branch (http://www.mser.gov.bc.ca/foi_pop/privacy); BC?s PIPA hotline (250-356-1851); BC?s Information and Privacy Commissioner (www.oipc.bc.ca); and BC?s Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (http://www.fipa.bc.ca). Posted on: Jan 14, 2005 CCA launches appeal to assist co-ops in Sri LankaThe Canadian Co-operative Association is launching an emergency appeal on behalf of its partner in Sri Lanka, the Federation of Thrift and Credit Co-operative Societies (SANASA). With more than 8,000 primary credit unions, SANASA is a presence in virtually every Sri Lankan community including those hardest hit by the disaster. SANASA has mobilized its network and resources to respond to the needs of those communities - delivering food, water, medicine and other relief supplies, providing temporary shelter, burying the dead and comforting the living. SANASA people are working day and night to save lives and rebuild communities, but they need financial resources if they are to succeed in this daunting task. The Canadian Co-operative Association is appealing for funds to support this effort. "We are so proud of the way that co-operative and credit union people have stepped up to offer support during this emergency, particularly through generous support for the International Red Cross. But we also need your assistance to help our valued partner through this difficult time. SANASA is struggling to meet some immediate, pressing needs," says Dave Sitaram, CCA President. SANASA is attempting to provide 1,000 temporary shelter units for people who have lost their homes, enough cooking utensils so that 25,000 families can begin to cook for themselves again, and ways to support at least 100 children who have been orphaned by the disaster. In the medium term, the organization will need to rebuild 800 thrift and credit co-operatives that were destroyed by the tsunami. SANASA has already assisted families with burial costs for 650 people in the Galle region alone. As soon as longer term reconstruction plans can be developed the CCA will be making a second appeal for reconstruction donations. To help SANASA provide shelter and meet these other needs please send your donation made payable to the fundraising arm of the CCA: The Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada 400-275 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2L6 You can also call toll free 1-866-266-7677 (ext. 222 or 215) or visit www.cdfcanada.coop to make a credit card donation. Please indicate on your cheque that it is intended for the "Tsunami Emergency Fund. For more information visit the CCA web site www.coopscanada.coop. Posted on: Jan 4, 2005 Two more co-op fires!December has been a bad month for BC co-ops with fires in three buildings. On Friday, December 17, fire broke out at the Maples Housing Co-op in Maple Ridge. Three units were damaged. This fire was strangely similar to the one that occured at Greenland Housing Co-op on December 8. In both cases the fire appears to have started in the carport, destroying vehicles, three units and the co-op's exterior siding. Thankfully, in this case, all three families had personal insurance. However, they are still dislocated and without many if not all their possesions and gifts less than a week before Christmas. You can donate money, personal articles, gifts, etc. to the Maples by contacting CANA Management at 604.524.8524. And at Desert Breeze Co-op in Kelowna, on Saturday, December 18, a fire started in a unit after a lit candle was knocked over by a cat. Nobody was home but some co-op children noticed the flames and called 911. The member of the damaged unit - a young single mom with a 7-year-old son - had no contents insurance and lost most of her furniture personal effects and all of her son's possesions. For those wishing to help Desert Breeze, you can mail donations to the co-op office at unit 55 - 440 Yates Road, Kelowna, BC V1V 2P1, call 250.860.3313 or email desertbreeze@telus.net. CHF BC will also accept donations for any or all of the three affected co-ops (please indicate where you would like the donation to go). And seeing that there have been three fires in one month, we urge co-op members to check out the article on fire prevention in the winter issue of SCOOP or on our website at http://www.chf.bc.ca/pages/scoop-stories.asp Posted on: Dec 20, 2004 Donations help Greenland fire victimsDonations having been rolling in fast and furious in support of the victims of a December 8 fire at Greenland Co-op. Just before 2 am Wednesday morning, December 8, members of Greenland Housing Co-op in Richmond awoke to a fire. They had to escape through their backyards because the fire was blocking their front doors. The fire damaged three units and seven vehicles. The heat was so intense that it melted siding on the houses and plastic on vehicles clear across the complex. The cause of the fire is still being investigated but signs point to a vehicle fire in a carport. The members of the three damaged units will not be able to return to their homes for several months. One family had just moved into the co-op and does not have insurance for their belongings. The woman is in the latter months of a high-risk pregnancy and the family has lost virtually everything, including supplies for the new baby and all the Christmas presents for their four-year-old son. A week after the fire, the co-op has already received thousands of dollars in donations to help those who lost their homes and possesions. "On behalf of the members of Greenland Housing Co-operative, I would like to thank CHF BC for your support" writes Greenland president Murray Schindel. "We appreciate the help which has been generated by the article on your website and the notice sent to your members." Donations of money, household items, toys or baby supplies can still be made at the co-op by calling the co-op office at 604.270-6250 to arrange a drop-off. The co-op has confirmed that all funds received will go directly to the three families affected by the fire. CHF BC will also accept donations and pass them on to the co-op. Send a cheque or money order payable to "Greenland Housing Co-op" to 200 - 5550 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC V5W 2Z4. Posted on: Dec 16, 2004 2004 AGMCHF BC’s annual general meeting took place on November 27 in Burnaby’s Executive Hotel. It was ably chaired once again by Jennifer Gray-Grant. Members and guests came from as far away as Fort St. John, Victoria, Ottawa and Longeuil, Quebec. If you couldn’t make it, here’s what you missed: Executive director Thom Armstrong reported the good news that CHF BC’s membership now includes 221 housing co-ops and 11,500 co-op homes. Federation services are more popular than ever among members. Interest in the new Opening Doors program is strong. Vice-president Glen Armstrong led off a board report that included updates on youth and diversity plans, the federal election campaign, progress made repairing leaky co-ops, and action to solve the section 95 subsidy crisis. To date, five leaky co-ops are tendered or under construction. CMHC has approved loan agreements for seven more. Average repair costs to date are more than $45,000 a unit, and the bill to fix every leaky co-op will be more than $150 million. CMHC will provide funding for CHF BC to hire a financial analyst in 2005 to help leaky co-ops. Members passed resolutions: -calling on BC Housing to reverse cuts to full replacement reserve funding for Homes BC co-ops -launching a nation-wide campaign to restore lost subsidy to section 95 co-ops Delegates also held a member forum on securing our future. How can we keep our co-ops affordable and viable, now and after their operating agreements expire? The suggestions came thick and fast. See the new poll on our website to have your input. Treasurer Suzann Zimmering and auditor Richard Marsh brought more good news about the Federation’s financial picture. The year ending July 31, 2004 produced a fourth consecutive operating surplus, and CHF BC’s reserves are now halfway to the members’ target of six months’ operating expenses. Delegates re-elected four directors (Doreen Aquino, Glen Armstrong, Dianne Cook, Candice Bunting). We welcome three new directors to the board: Georgia Andrews and Victor Mogollon (at large) and James Quaife (Vancouver Island). Robert Klein was elected to serve on the finance committee. In a surprise performance, Chabelo (a.k.a. Isabel Ramirez from Garry Point co-op in sunny Steveston) showed delegates why she won the national title of Mr. CHF at the CHF Canada annual meeting in June. For meeting details, documents and transcripts, visit ‘Members Meetings’ in the Member Section of this website. Don’t miss another meeting. Come to the SAGM on April 30, 2005. Posted on: Dec 8, 2004 Opening Doors campaign launchedOn October 22, posters and brochures were mailed to housing co-ops and transition houses across the province launching CHF BC’s Opening Doors: welcoming women leaving abusive relationships into our co-ops campaign. We encourage co-ops to watch the mail for an Opening Doors package and to attend one of several Opening Doors events scheduled for the Fall. The materials we’re sending to co-ops urge you to give priority to women leaving abusive relationships when filling vacant units. The brochures for women staying in transition houses explain how co-ops might be a good option for them and how they can apply. There is also information about Opening Doors on CHF BC’s website at www.chf.bc.ca/pages/openingdoors.asp . Co-ops are invited to send a representative to one of the Opening Doors Meet and Greet events scheduled for November 4 in Victoria and November 16 in Vancouver (see the invitation in the Opening Doors package or the ‘Events’ section of the CHF BC website or call Jelena Putnik for details). For more information about the Opening Doors campaign, please contact Domestic Violence Education Project Director, Jelena Putnik, at 604.879.5111 ext 146 (toll-free outside Greater Vancouver at 1.866.879.5111) or email jputnik@chf.bc.ca Posted on: Oct 22, 2004 Federations gear up to tackle section 95 subsidy shortfallAlmost 100 co-op members packed meetings in Burnaby and Victoria last week to demand that Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) restore much needed subsidy dollars for low-income households in federally funded housing co-ops. The meetings were organized by CHF BC and CHF Canada, the provincial and national federations of housing co-ops. Members of "section 95" co-ops - built between 1979 and 1985 - spoke about how drastic subsidy cuts have affected their ability to house low-income members. Many described how their co-ops can no longer accept applications from people who need subsidies. Others told stories of members who need subsidy now but have to do without. Some even worried that long-time members are in danger of losing their homes because they can't afford to stay in the co-op. Subsidies for low-income members are reduced when a co-op's mortgage rolls over at a lower interest rate. The mortgage payment drops, but the subsidies for low-income members drop by more. Affected co-ops have to choose between subsidizing fewer members or reducing the subsidy each low-income member receives. Both options create unnecessary hardship. Co-op members at both meetings urged their federations to take speedy action to address this problem. CHF BC and CHF Canada will be kick-starting a national campaign to get a solution before the situation gets worse. Stay tuned to this website for updates on our progress. Posted on: Oct 8, 2004 New investment program off to a good startEleven CHF BC member co-ops have now invested their funds in the Affordable Housing Investment Program (AHIP) bringing the balance to over $1.5 million! CHF BC launched AHIP jointly with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association and BC Housing to help co-ops get the most from their investment earnings. AHIP is a family of six professionally managed funds designed to match your investments to when you will need the funds for capital replacements such as flooring, appliances, and roofing. To help ensure the success of this program in its early stages, BC Housing has invested $10 million of its own funds into the program. Through the volumes that CHF BC and BC Non-Profit members can generate as a group, we can offer an alternative that’s not available to individual investors. That’s what AHIP is all about. - professionally managed funds, - competitive pricing, and - service excellence. To learn more about AHIP see the new Frequently Asked Questions page in the Member Services section of our website. In addition, CHF BC and the AHIP investment managers, Phillips, Hager & North, are planning two complimentary AHIP information evenings for CHF BC members this fall. The Vancouver session is scheduled for October 5th and Victoria for October 13th. Time and location information for these presentations will be available in the coming weeks. For more information, contact Julie Hunter, Commercial Services Director at 604.879.5111 (ext.138) or tollfree 1.866.879.5111 (ext.138) or via email to Posted on: Aug 10, 2004 Co-ops march with PrideThe co-op housing float in the Vancouver Pride Parade just keeps getting bigger and better every year. This was the fifth year housing co-ops have been represented at the parade, and the third year that CHF BC and CHF Canada have worked jointly to put on this event. This year our group numbered more than 20 enthusiastic volunteers, plus a float and the Carnival Marching Band from East Vancouver. With this year’s crowd estimated at 150,000, the Pride Parade is certainly one of Vancouver’s biggest and most entertaining annual public events. Thanks to CD Contract, Edmonds Appliances and Phelps who sponsored our participation in this year's parade. Posted on: Aug 6, 2004 Joe Fontana named new federal housing ministerJoe Fontana, MP for London North Centre, is Prime Minister Paul Martin’s new Minister of Labour and Housing. Fontana and 40 other Ministers were sworn in July 20 in Ottawa to a cabinet that will be responsible for keeping the new Liberal minority government in office. Minister Fontana is well acquainted with housing issues and with co-ops. He was co-chair with Paul Martin of the 1990 Liberal housing task force that recommended a new national housing strategy, including 5,000 new co-op housing units annually. The resources to implement those housing promises never materialized, but there is new hope that affordable housing is once again on the national agenda. BC is represented in the cabinet by five ministers—the highest number ever. New ministers include Ujjal Dosanjh (Health), David Emerson (Industry) and Raymond Chan (Multiculturalism). Stephen Owen moves to the western economic diversification and sport portfolios. Jack Austin remains the government leader in the Senate. MPs Hedy Fry and Keith Martin are parliamentary secretaries (Citizenship & Immigration and Defence, respectively). During the recent federal election campaign, CHF BC and CHF Canada volunteers met with 31 candidates to raise the profile of co-op housing and promote the issues that concern our members. We’ll be following up with all MPs to make sure that Paul Martin keeps his election promise to put an additional $1.5 billion into new affordable housing initiatives. We will also make sure that leaky co-ops get the attention and help they deserve, and we’ll work with CHF Canada to address the problem mortgage rollovers and subsidy cuts for some federally funded co-ops. Posted on: Jul 20, 2004 BC delegate wins Mr. CHF and other Quebec City newsAt CHF Canada’s annual general meeting in Quebec City in June, BC’s candidate “Chabelo” (a.k.a. Isabelle Ramirez from Garry Point Housing Co-op in Richmond) won the title of Mr CHF 2004. The Mr and Ms CHF pageant is part of the annual Glamazon-A-Go-Go extravaganza organized by CHF Canada’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) caucus. Anyone associated with co-op housing, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, colour or ability, is eligible to compete for the Mr or Ms CHF titles. Ms CHF was won by “Ivanna Bump” of Kitchener, Ontario. The duties of the newly elected representatives include a minimum one fundraiser each, promoting co-op housing and participating in the 2005. This year’s show raised $3400 for the Gilles Kegle Foundation and the CHFT Charitable Fund. Delegates at the AGM business meeting passed resolutions to: - press the federal government to introduce a new national, affordable housing program - promote core management standards to co-ops across the country - help co-ops deal with the end of their operating agreements - make it a priority to find a solution to the loss of subsidies for section 95 co-ops when their mortgages renew at lower interest rates - adopt a statement of principle for barrier-free access in housing co-ops - promote human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people CHF BC co-sponsored the resolution on section 95 subsidy problems, and we'll be working hard on a campaign to find a solution. CHF Canada’s board of directors now has three members from BC after Tony Legare of Vancouver was re-elected for a third term to the BC/Yukon seat and Joe Johnson from Vancouver Island was acclaimed to the Aboriginal seat. Isabel Evans of Richmond is still serving her second term as a director-at-large. CHF Canada’s next AGM will be held in Edmonton, Alberta from June 15 to 18, 2005. For more CHF Canada AGM info, visit http://www.chfc.ca/eng/chf/chfc_1-2004.htm Posted on: Jul 9, 2004 Canadians elect a Liberal minority governmentAfter a very close fought campaign, the June 28 election resulted in a Liberal minority government. Initial results, subject to recounts in several close races, are as follows: Nationally - Liberal 135; Conservative 99; Bloc 54; NDP 19; Other 1. British Columbia - Conservative 22; Liberal 8; NDP 5; Other 1. In a June 29 press conference, Paul Martin said that he can lead a "stable" minority government without any formal coalition with the NDP, although there would be issues where the two parties could work together. Be sure to visit this website regularly for news and comment about what this election could mean to housing co-ops. Thanks to all co-op members who help during our campaign to support housing co-ops and create more affordable housing. Posted on: Jun 29, 2004 CHRA outlines federal party platforms on housingThis week the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) circulated the following message to its members. It's a summary of party platforms specific to affordable housing. Very much worth a look before you vote on June 28. Here's where the parties stand: CONSERVATIVES - Affordable housing is not a priority The Conservatives do not believe the federal government should help communities and provinces build social housing. The Conservatives' list of infrastructure priorities does not include housing. Nor have the Conservatives made commitments to continue existing programs like the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) or the Supporting Community Partnership Initiative (SCPI). The Conservative platform suggests the best way to help low-income Canadians is by cutting taxes. But CHRA is concerned that existing programs and social investments will be vulnerable to being cut in order to pay for the proposed tax cuts. LIBERALS - Expand existing programs and build housing Prime Minister Paul Martin announced $1.5 billion in new funding for housing over five years in a dedicated fund that can only be used for social housing. In addition, he will keep intact current funding for programs that renovate aging housing (RRAP) and that help the homeless (SCPI). CHRA estimates the Liberal commitment will produce a total of 35,000 to 60,000 new units over the next five years. The Prime Minister has also promised to look at better ways to get more housing built faster, like a national non-profit housing foundation called "Housing Works" that has been studied by CHRA. NDP - Putting housing front and centre NDP leader Jack Layton has made investment in affordable housing one of his key messages, including underlining its importance during the national leaders' debate. Mr. Layton's party will push for an ambitious investment in social housing. The NDP platform pledges: - A 10-year national housing program to build 200,000 affordable and co-op housing units, renovate 100,000 existing units, and provide rent supplements to 40,000 low-income tenants. - Tax incentives to renovate buildings in downtown cores. - To use the profits generated by CMHC to underwrite low-interest mortgages for affordable housing, and to change CMHC's mandate to facilitate/fund community-based housing organizations. BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS - Working for a 1% solution Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe has consistently made the case for social housing and has argued that the Liberal government's proposed five-year investment of $1.5 billion is insufficient. Mr. Duceppe has worked with social groups in Quebec to promote the 1% solution - having governments invest one per cent of their budgets in social housing. It is estimated that this would generate a $2 billion investment over three years. Posted on: Jun 25, 2004 Election Forum on affordable housing generates good ideas and discussionOn Thursday, June 17, co-op members and supporters of affordable housing from across the Lower Mainland gathered at SFU Harbour Centre to question federal election candidates about affordable and co-op housing. The event was co-sponsored by the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, the Tenants Rights Action Coalition, and the Lower Mainland Network for Affordable Housing. Invited to speak on behalf of their respective parties were the Honourable Hedy Fry (Liberal), Kennedy Stewart (NDP) and Garry Mitchell (Conservative). Mitchell failed to turn up. The following is a summary of the main points and promises mentioned by candidates Fry and Stewart. Hedy Fry (Liberal): · said she supports bringing back co-op housing to give people a permanent place to live · said the PM’s father, Paul Martin Sr., started the first co-op housing program and Paul Martin Jr. has mused over restoring it. · said she and her government worked with CHF BC and CHF Canada on the leaky co-op issue. · also helped with the issue of downloading co-op programs to the provinces · said she and her government have mused about when co-ops have paid off their mortgage, take that government investment and use it in other co-op initiatives. Or use Canada Lands stock to build new co-op housing. · in 1993 there was no money for social housing. In 1995 they started slowing putting money back. Since then $2 billion and 63,000 units have been added to stock Kennedy Stewart (NDP): · said the NDP platform is clear and has numbers: 200,000 affordable and co-op housing units; renovate 100,000 existings units; provide rent supplements for the poorest 40,000 Canadians · said he attended the Habitat Two conference, which sought to establish housing as a right · said the Liberals abandoned commitment to housing and downloaded some co-ops to provinces and municipalities · believes in a continuum of housing · 1,200 homeless people on the streets of Canada. This has doubled in past two years · mentioned England’s model to fight homelessness. At any given time in London there is no more than 250 homeless people on the streets in a city with 7 – 8 million people Gary Mitchell (Conservative): · no show Posted on: Jun 23, 2004 Lack of affordable housing the real election scandalPRESS RELEASE - Reports of the latest scandal have dominated the media in the months leading up to the federal election. Money lost, misused or wasted is the common theme. Is it smoke or is it fire? Time will tell. But one thing is certain, according to Co-op Housing Federation of BC president Savo Djuretic, it's distracting people from a major crisis—the lack of affordable housing. "I'll show you scandals, if that's what you want," says Djuretic, who lives in City Gate Housing Co-op, the last co-op to be built in BC. "It's a scandal that there are more than 10,000 people on BC Housing's waiting list. It's a scandal that more than 100,000 British Columbians pay over 50% of their income on rent. And it's a scandal that the federal government cancelled the co-op housing program in 1992 and hasn't replaced it." "We live in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet," Djuretic continues, "yet there are more than 1,000 homeless people in Vancouver alone. Mayors all over BC have singled out homelessness as one of their biggest concerns. We're forcing families to choose between buying groceries and paying the rent." CHF BC and other housing advocates argue that the federal government must play the lead role in a strategy to invest more money in affordable housing. Before 1993, the federal government helped created 25,000 units of social housing every year. Since 2000, only 10,000 units have been built in a country where 1.8 million Canadians lack housing that is affordable or appropriate to their needs. "We need a national housing strategy desperately," says CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong, "and that strategy must include housing co-ops. It's time for the federal government to reinvest in housing in a meaningful way. That's why co-op members will be asking candidates in this campaign to support new co-op housing initiatives in BC and Canada." There are more than 92,000 co-op homes in Canada, providing safe, secure, affordable housing in mixed-income, member-owned communities all over the country. Co-op housing is a 30-year success story. There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops in BC providing just over 14,000 affordable co-op homes to their members. CHF BC is the provincial federation representing BC housing co-ops. Posted on: May 25, 2004 Progress towards a national agency!Bill Graham, speaking on behalf of the Minister Responsible for CMHC, announced on May 13 that "The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, has reached agreement with CHF Canada to put in place a new and innovative approach for the administration of federal co-op housing programs." This is the culmination of many years hard work by housing co-ops across the country. "We congratulate CHF Canada for the leadership they've shown to provide for the long-term security of housing co-ops," said CHF BC president Savo Djuretic. "CHF BC and BC co-ops have been strong supporters of the agency since discussions began, and we look forward to working with CHF Canada to put the final details in place." The news is on CHF Canada's website. This follows a letter CHF Canada Executive Director Alexandra Wilson received from CMHC president Karen Kinsley. Posted on: May 13, 2004 CHF BC launches new Co-op Policy ManualThe new Co-op Policy Manual was mailed to all member housing co-ops April 26. The online version of the manual, Policies on the web, was launched on April 30 on the members' section of this site. CHF BC's Co-op Policy Manual is Volume two of the "Effective Governance for BC Housing Co-ops" project. Volume one included the popular Guide to the Co-op Act and the Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement. Since its publication in print and online, many housing co-ops have used the model to bring their Rules and occupancy agreements up to date to comply with BC's new Co-op Act. Now you can do the same for your policies by using the Co-op Policy Manual and Policies on the web. Policies on the web includes all of the policies in the printed manual, policy options, discussion notes, resources materials and regular updates. Policies on the web is also interactive. There is a member discussion area for each policy. Soon there will be a section for new or better policies submitted by members. We hope you will enjoy sharing your policy ideas and experiences with other co-op members on the site. CHF BC will offer workshops and consulting services to help co-ops update their policies. Posted on: Apr 30, 2004 CHF BC survey completeThe participation rate in CHF BC's communications survey was excellent, with a total of 247 responses. In order to better serve co-op members across the province, CHF BC is conducting a Communications Audit, of which this survey is a part. Questions covered items such as what do you as a co-op member value about CHF BC? How do you prefer to get CHF BC news and information (SCOOP, web, email, meetings, etc)? What kind of political or lobbying role do you thing CHF BC should take? The survey was sent in the February mailout to co-ops, and also appeared in the spring issue of SCOOP. The survey was designed by IMPACS, a communications consulting firm specializing in non-profit and charitable organizations. IMPACS will tabulate and analyze the results which will be reported at meetings, in SCOOP and on the website. Thanks to all those who took time to offer valuable feedback to your regional federation. Posted on: Mar 30, 2004 Housing co-ops to qualify for higher GST rebatesThe federal government included some good news for non-profit housing co-ops in its recent Speech from the Throne, all to do with the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). For some time, non-profit housing co-ops have been able to apply for a "municipal designation" from the Minister of National Revenue. This means your co-op has been entitled to a rebate from the federal government equal to 57% of the GST paid on some of your expenditures. In its recent Throne Speech the federal government announced that the GST rebate to municipalities will increase to 100%. They have also confirmed that non-profit housing co-ops with a municipal designation will be eligible for the increased rebate. This is good news for housing co-ops looking for ways of dealing with rising costs and tight budgets. The legislation needed to implement the full rebate has not yet been introduced in Parliament, but we are told that the Minister of Finance will do so "at the earliest opportunity." When the legislation comes into force, your co-op will be able to claim the higher rebate for expenditures dating back to February 1, 2004. For more information, see the Department of Finance backgrounder at online at http://www.fin.gc.ca/news04/data/04-007_1e.html. Posted on: Feb 18, 2004 BC's Throne Speech Ignores HousingBC's Speech from the Throne has left some housing advocates wondering if affordable homes for lower income British Columbians is a priority for the government. Other than a glancing reference to more housing for seniors, a vision for housing policy in BC was conspicuous by its absence. "We're surprised that housing wasn't given any priority in the Speech from the Throne," said Savo Djuretic, president of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC). "There are more than 1,000 homeless people on the street and in shelters in Greater Vancouver alone. We live in one of the tightest rental markets in the country, and that's only going to get worse between now and the 2010 Olympics." A panel of experts convened by the Vancouver Sun recently concluded that homelessness is "a worsening problem". "That's what is hard to understand about the Throne Speech," says Djuretic. "The speech lays out a plan to 'bring out the best' in British Columbians, but it's hard to be at your best if you don't have an address. We hope this is an oversight that will be corrected in next week's budget." CHF BC is the provincial federation of housing co-ops. There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops with 14,500 co-op homes in British Columbia. Posted on: Feb 13, 2004 51 Leaky Co-ops Sign on to New Repair Process51 of the 56 leaky co-ops on CHF BC's list have agreed to work with CMHC and BC Housing to get their leaks fixed. That was the good news announced by Fleuri Perron, head of CMHC's national leaky co-op team, at a leaky co-op committee meeting on January 29. The meeting also heard from Justin Dinsdale, BC Housing's building envelope coordinator. CMHC has hired BC Housing to co-ordinate the design and construction process for leaky co-ops. CMHC will still handle the loans to finance repairs, helped by the province's Homeowner Protection Office and, if necessary, the national Mortgage Insurance Fund. Perron and Dinsdale heard from co-op members at the meeting who wanted to know: -how they will repay the loans they need to finance building repairs -how much their housing charges will go up -how much control they will have in deciding what repairs are necessary and how much they will cost, and -whether there's enough capacity in the construction industry to fix every leaky co-op in a reasonable time. The meeting was a good chance for everyone to speak frankly about how the new arrangements to fix leaky co-ops are going to work. "I think it was a very positive step in the process," offered Thom Armstrong, CHF BC's executive director. "Finally, leaky co-ops, CHF BC, CHF Canada, CMHC and BC Housing are sitting around the same table at the same time, talking about solutions and how we're all going to work together. I'm looking forward to hearing at the next meeting how much progress we've made." Future leaky co-op committee meetings will hear progress reports from CMHC or BC Housing. Co-op members will have a chance to compare notes about what's working well, and what isn't, as their co-ops move through the repair and loan process. You can stay in touch by signing up for CHF BC's email broadcasts, checking our website or coming to leaky co-op committee meetings. Check our website event schedule for dates and times. Posted on: Feb 12, 2004 Government softens stance on welfare time limitsWhen welfare time limits take effect in April, very few people stand to lose their benefits, announced BC’s minister of Human Resources Stan Hagen. A February 6 press release from the Ministry of Human Resources reported that 339 employable clients stand to lose some or all of their benefits for not following their employment plans. This compares to the 29,000 people some critics predicted would be forced off social assistance after government documents were leaked last October. The wide discrepancy was heralded as a victory for community groups who have been harshly critical of the government. CHF BC members voted at their annual meeting in November to oppose these cuts. "This new development is a credit to the groups, including housing co-ops and CHF BC, who told the government that we were opposed to drastic cuts," said CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong. The government press release listed 25 exemption categories so that the time limits do not affect society’s most vulnerable such as persons with disabilities, pregnant women, single parents with young children, or those with alcohol or drug problems. Posted on: Feb 9, 2004 Coell new provincial minister responsible for housingMurray Coell replaces George Abbott as minister responsible for Community, Aborginal and Women's Services in BC's new cabinet announced January 26. Coell, the MLA for Saanich and Gulf Islands, will be responsible for the housing portfolio, including BC Housing and the Homeowner Protection Office. CHF BC's board and staff look forward to working with the Minister to further the interests and needs of housing co-ops, co-op members, and people in need of affordable housing throughout the province. Posted on: Jan 26, 2004 Delegates continue opposition to welfare cutsDelegates from housing co-ops throughout the Lower Mainland spoke out against welfare time limits planned by BC's Ministry of Human Resources. Co-op members said the cuts would threaten the health and safety of the most vulnerable people in the province, and put housing co-ops in the impossible position of evicting low-income members or putting their co-ops at risk. Delegates asked for tools to persuade the provincial government to reverse its decision before it takes effect on April 1, 2004. CHF BC members passed a unanimous resolution at the November 2003 annual general meeting opposing the time limits. CHF BC president Savo Djuretic wrote to Minister of Human Resources urging him to cancel the time limits. Members have organized meetings with MLAs. Other organizations, such as End Legislated Poverty, are forming coalitions and circulating petitions to fight the cuts. You can join the fight by contacting your MLA, Minister Stan Hagen, and Premier Campbell to express your opposition to welfare time limits. You may also wish to contact your Federal and municipal politicians. You can: - invite your MLA to a meeting at your co-op - visit your MLA's constituency office individually - write a letter in your own words - send an email or phone your MLA - sign and mail this downloadable form letter For a detailed look at the possible impact of the welfare time limits, check out "A bad time to be poor: an analysis of BC's new welfare policies" by SPARC and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Stay tuned for future developments in this campaign. Posted on: Jan 16, 2004 Andy Scott to work with Anderson on CMHC portfolioThe Honourable Andy Scott has been named Minister of State (Infrastructure) responsible for CMHC. Scott, the MP for Fredericton, New Brunswick, will be working with David Anderson, the senior minister. First elected to the House of Commons in 1993, Andy Scott has served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights ans a member of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. In 1996, he headed the federal Task Force on Disability Issues. Mr. Scott served as Solicitor General of Canada from June 1997 to November 1998. Posted on: Jan 8, 2004 BC Minister now responsible for CMHCHon. David Anderson, MP for Victoria, is the new minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in Paul Martin’s government. Anderson is also Minister of the Environment and BC’s senior political minister in the new federal cabinet. He was first elected to Parliament in 1968 and brings a wealth of experience to his new responsibilities. Two files important to housing co-ops will soon land on the Minister’s desk: following up on the new arrangements to help BC’s leaky co-ops, and getting the new national co-op agency off the ground. We look forward to meeting with the Minister to assure him of our support for these two key initiatives. BC is well represented in the new cabinet by another MP, Hon. Stephen Owen (Vancouver Quadra), who is now Minister of Public Works and Government Services. Owen has supported leaky co-ops since he first won election in November 2000. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre) is the new parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Dr. Fry was instrumental in achieving the recent breakthrough in the fight to save leaky co-ops. We welcome her continuing support. Outside BC, western Canada is well represented in some of the more senior cabinet portfolios. Anne McLellan (Edmonton West) is the deputy Prime Minister. Housing co-ops in Alberta have an excellent, longstanding relationship with McLellan. And in the east, New Brunswick MP Claudette Bradshaw (Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe) is still responsible for the federal government’s response to homelessness. She is a supporter of non-profit and co-op housing. CHF BC looks forward to working with these and other elected representatives to support and improve co-operative housing and other forms of affordable housing in Canada. Posted on: Dec 18, 2003 2003 Annual General MeetingMore than 100 people packed Burnaby's Executive Inn on Saturday, November 29 for CHF BC's 2003 Annual General Meeting. The very full agenda featured something for everyone: resolutions on current issues, hotly contested elections, inspiring speakers and new services for members. Chair Jennifer Gray-Grant kept everyone on track and on time. Delegates passed three resolutions unanimously: pledging to support and monitor the new process to repair leaky co-ops; affirming the rights of BC’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people; and calling upon the provincial government to abandon its planned time limits on welfare benefits. The meeting was treated to an inspiring keynote speech by John Restakis of the BC Co-operative Association on building a co-operative future. Jean-Yves Lord of the Canadian Co-operative Association also challenged delegates to look for ways to make co-operation the answer to a vacuum of leadership and economic democracy in the larger community. Delegates elected six directors to the Federation board—from 14 candidates! Joe Johnson was re-elected as a Vancouver Island director. Mike Alsop, Gino Gamboa, Wes Hosler, Diane Winkler and Suzann Zimmering were elected to at-large positions on the board. And delegates chose Darren Kitchen and Patrick McGrath to serve on the Finance Committee. The new board got right to work on the following Monday evening, appointing its executive for the coming year. Savo Djuretic returns as president, as do vice president Glen Armstrong, secretary Mike Alsop and treasurer Suzann Zimmering. The Federation used the occasion of the AGM to launch three new member services: the Affordable Housing Investment Program, a direct-order deal with Home Depot Commercial Direct, and a partnership with Phelps - "the Coin Laundry People". Delegates were also encouraged to support the Co-op Housing Disability Trust and the new Co-op Housing Domestic Violence Relief Fund. Retiring directors Wayne Callaghan, Janet Hall and Darren Kitchen were thanked for their service. Delegates also observed a moment of silence in honour of co-operators who have recently passed away, particularly Fred Bustin, Haji Jivraj and Vern White. The Semi-Annual General Meeting is set for Saturday, May 1. Mark your calendars for this important budget and dues-setting meeting. For meeting details, documents and transcripts, visit ‘Members Meetings’ in the Member Section of this website. Posted on: Dec 2, 2003 Full House for Leaky Co-op MeetingA special information meeting to announce plans for repairing BC's leaky co-ops attracted more than 120 people from 50 co-ops and a dozen other organizations on Thursday evening, October 30. Every seat in the downtown Vancouver conference room was filled by people eager to learn how CMHC, BC Housing, CHF BC and CHF Canada will be working together to ensure that the new process succeeds. CHF BC's executive director, Thom Armstrong, opened the session by describing the process leading up to the meeting and commenting on the spirit of teamwork that the key players are bringing to the table. "I think we've turned a page," said Armstrong. "My expectation is that we'll accomplish our goals and get leaky co-ops fixed." Fleuri Perron, CMHC's national team leader, offered an overview of the process and explained CMHC's role in approving financial assistance for leaky co-ops. Perron emphasized that his mandate is to repair leaky co-ops and that's what he intends to do, with the co-operation of everyone who has a role to play. Justin Dinsdale, BC Housing's Building Envelope Coordinator, gave everyone a detailed explanation of BC Housing's building remediation services. CMHC has contracted with BC Housing to provide technical services and advice to co-ops. Dinsdale spoke about BC Housing's track record of success in this field and how his department's expertise would be available to help leaky co-ops. And CHF Canada's leaky co-op specialist, Roland Nogue, assured co-op members that he will still be involved to help co-ops navigate their way through the new process. Co-op members responded with a number of tough but fair questions, focusing on how they will be affected by the new arrangement and what they can expect in the short term. In his closing remarks, CHF BC president, Savo Djuretic, described the mood as one of "healthy scepticism ". Djuretic reminded everyone that the campaign to save leaky co-ops had been long and hard fought. "But I hope that what I'm hearing from you now is cautious optimism that we will succeed if we all work together." Stay tuned to this website for more info and regular updates. Posted on: Nov 1, 2003 Co-op Sector Loses Dedicated VolunteerHaji Jivraj passed away on Friday, October 31, after a long fight with cancer. Haji, a member of Twin Rainbows Housing Co-op in Vancouver, was a dedicated sector supporter, serving as his co-op's delegate as well as volunteering for CHF BC's board and many commitees and projects. The funeral was held on Monday, November 3 at the Burnaby Lake Mosque at 6556 Sprott Street. Posted on: Oct 31, 2003 A Political Action Primerby Mike Alsop and Diane Winkler At recent CHF BC meetings, co-op delegates have asked how they can become more politically involved. "Can the Federation produce a 'Dummies Guide To Political Action'?" they asked. Here is our advice on how to become politically involved and how to be effective. VOTE - Vote federally, vote provincially and vote locally. This sounds so simple, but voter turnouts have been dropping at all levels. The recent Olympics Referendum in the City of Vancouver was an exception. People took time to listen and to educate themselves. Then they made the effort to get out and cast their ballot. They were engaged! PARTICIPATE - Involve yourself in your co-op, your community, your professional association, your union or any other organization that you support. Get involved in issues that are important to you. You don't need to spend huge amounts of time working for one organization or on any single issue. Act according to your conscience and the time you have available. FOCUS - Identify the issues that affect you, your family and your friends. Pick issues that affect your sense of well being within your community. DISCUSS - Try to get and give information on your issue. Don¹t be afraid to ask questions. THINK CLEARLY - Avoid oversimplifying complex issues. People often generalize to hide what is really at stake or to promote a different agenda. EDUCATE - Read whatever information you can find. Most MPs and MLAs distribute information to each household in their riding. Your local newspaper has more to it than sales flyers and is probably your best source of information about issues in your local community. Read the newsletters that are distributed by any organization you belong to. QUESTION - Ask yourself if people, organizations or governments are acting not just in your best interests, but in the interests of your family, association or society. COMMUNICATE - Express your opinions. Talk around the dinner table. Call your MP, MLA, Councillor or Mayor. Express your concerns or support on any issue that matters to you. These are just a few simple suggestions for those who want to become more politically engaged. Remember, a progressive and civil society is an actively engaged society. It is we, as individuals, who make up society. Posted on: Sep 12, 2003 Co-op Housing Float a big hit at 25th Annual Vancouver Pride ParadeA huge crowd was on hand on a perfect sunny Vancouver Sunday to watch Vancouver's 25th annual 2003 Pride Parade on August 4. BC's housing co-ops were with one of more than 150 floats, celebrating the inclusiveness and diversity that it is such an important part of co-op living. And this year we were an even bigger parade hit with East Vancouver's Carnival Band in our ranks pumping up the crowd with New Orleans style dance tunes. As the parade MC declared over the P.A. system "you guys rock!!!" Again this year's co-op housing parade entry was sponsored jointly by CHF BC and CHF Canada. And as before, there were lots of housing co-operators in the parade audience adding to enthusiastic welcome given to our float. Thanks to Bread and Roses Housing Co-op from Kitchener, Ontario for sending us the banner of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered and Bisexual caucus of CHF Canada, which was displayed with pride on the float. The whole parade was great fun. Mark next year's parade on your calendars: Sunday, August 1, 2004. We'll see you there! Posted on: Aug 4, 2003 GOOD NEWS FOR LEAKY CO-OPSRoll out the tarps. It's time to get busy and fix BC's leaky housing co-ops. The Honourable Steven Mahoney, Secretary of State responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, offered new hope for leaky co-ops in his recent visit to BC. Calling the leaky co-op crisis "a national disgrace," he came to BC with an action plan to address our concerns. Mahoney met with the CHF BC board of directors and CHF Canada representatives on July 7 to announce his plan. The next day he visited two leaky co-ops and spoke with co op members in a meeting organized by MP Hedy Fry. The solution presented by Mahoney addresses the three major demands of the co-op housing sector: - speed up the process - stop using money meant for income-tested subsidies to pay for repairs, and - make the cost of borrowing money more affordable for the affected co-ops Here is a summary of Mahoney's announcement. To speed up the process, CMHC will: - create a new team of CMHC specialists in BC with full decision-making authority to work out financial solutions for leaky co-ops - use the building envelope experts at BC Housing to handle the building assessment and repair process. No co-op subsidies will be redirected to pay for repairs. Co-ops will be able to use all of their income-tested assistance to help low-income members. Co-ops may also receive additional help if the money they have available for subsidies is reduced when their mortgages roll over at lower interest rates. To make the cost of borrowing money more affordable for co-ops, CMHC will: - write off half of the interest payments on third mortgages right up front, and - write off the other half after ten years if a co-op is in financial trouble. Mahoney also confirmed that these new measures are available to all leaky co-ops, even those that have already signed loan agreements with CMHC. The CHF BC board responded positively to Mahoney's announcement, as did CHF Canada's president René Daoust, who made a special trip from Quebec to attend the meeting. This is a major step forward in the fight to save leaky co-ops. Thanks are due to BC MPs who pressed the new Minister to pay special attention to the problem. In particular, Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen and Libby Davies have each played a key role in taking our message to Ottawa. Leaky co-ops also received support from Hon. George Abbott, Minister responsible for BC Housing, Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association and the Lower Mainland Network for Affordable Housing. Leaky co-ops relied on the constant support of hundreds of co-ops and co-op members in BC and across Canada to reach this point in the campaign. Your phone calls, postcards, letters, donations, meetings with MPs and other contributions made this happen. Thank you, everyone. Special thanks to the members, board and staff of CHF Canada, who have made the leaky co-op campaign a top priority. We could not have achieved this without your support at every step of the way. To the members of leaky co-ops, your dedication and commitment has been the inspiration of the campaign. Once more details are worked out, we will hold an information meeting for leaky co-ops to explain how the measures announced by Mahoney will take effect. In the meantime, please contact CHF BC or CHF Canada for more information. Posted on: Jul 10, 2003 Green Shield Canada supports Disability TrustThe Co-operative Housing Disability Trust extends a special thanks to Green Shield Canada for its generous support. The Disability Trust recently received a $5,000 grant from Green Shield to help ensure that the fund will be able to provide loans to qualified individuals for many years to come. The Disability Trust provides loans to people with disabilities who cannot afford the cost of shares when they move into a housing co-op in BC. Since 1982, the Trust has helped more than 180 people by providing loans totaling more than $146,000. The Disability Trust extends heartfelt thanks to all of our supporters. Your generosity helps to make safe and affordable housing a reality for Disability Trust beneficiaries. We wouldn't be here without you. For more information on the Disability Trust, including how you can make a donation, contact Mary Boles at 604.879.5111 ext 141 (toll-free at 1.866.879.5111 ext 141 outside the Lower Mainland) or email mboles@chf.bc.ca. Posted on: Jul 2, 2003 NDP leader Jack Layton speaks out on leaky housing co-op crisisVANCOUVER, May 24, 2003 – Federal NDP leader Jack Layton visited a leaky housing co-op today to witness the real and personal impact of a problem threatening more than 3,000 units of affordable housing in British Columbia. Layton visited Paloma Housing Co-op at 1638 East 3rd Ave in Vancouver to speak with co-op members about their health and safety concerns, and their frustration with the federal government and CMHC for ignoring this crisis. “This is a shameful situation,” said Layton. “These aren’t just housing units, they’re people’s homes – homes for people who have the fewest options in one of the country’s tightest housing markets.” “We’re bitterly disappointed with the way the federal government has ignored the leaky co-op crisis in BC,” said Paloma member Wayne Callaghan. “While we do everything possible to save our co-op, CMHC is letting our homes rot away.” “CMHC has accumulated a surplus of more than a billion dollars,” noted Paloma’s NDP MP Libby Davies, “yet they would rather let co-op members live in unsafe conditions than help solve this crisis.” Added Layton, “with so little federal money going to the production of new affordable housing, you would expect the government to be doing everything in its power to protect the huge investment it has in existing affordable housing.” More than 50 co-ops in BC suffer from building envelope failure. Some co-ops have been trying to get help from CMHC for five years. Only seven have been repaired. BC’s Homeowner Protection Office is willing to subsidize loans worth more than $71 million to 35 leaky co-ops to help with repairs. But CMHC, which holds the mortgages, has stalled at every turn. The few loans CMHC does approve force co-ops to raise their housing charges, turn away low-income applicants, and use their subsidies intended for low-income households to pay instead for building repairs. Meanwhile the province of British Columbia, through BC Housing, has fixed the leaks in more than 50 of its own affordable housing projects. Posted on: May 25, 2003 Housing Co-ops Help Women Escape Domestic AbuseVANCOUVER, May 3, 2003 – The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) announced today that it will use a grant from the provincial government to help women leaving abusive relationships find affordable housing. The Co-op Housing Domestic Violence Relief Fund will be established with a $25,000 grant from Lynn Stephens, Minister of State for Women’s Equality. CHF BC will work to build up the Fund with private sponsorships and donations. CHF BC will administer the Fund through the Community Housing Land Trust Foundation (the Land Trust) which will provide loans to help women escaping abusive relationships purchase a share in a housing co-op. “We believe that everyone has a right to safe, secure, affordable housing,” says Savo Djuretic, CHF BC president. “This Fund will help us remove one of the barriers to affordability faced by women trying to leave abusive relationships. We’re pleased to be working in partnership with the government to achieve this goal.” The Land Trust is a charitable foundation, established by CHF BC, with a mission to acquire, create, and preserve affordable housing in B.C. As part of this mandate, the Land Trust administers programs to help marginalized populations gain access to affordable housing. One such program is the Co-operative Housing Disability Trust which since its inception in 1982 has helped more than 175 people join housing co-ops in BC by dispensing more than $143,000 in no-interest loans. Posted on: May 3, 2003 Affordable Housing an Election IssueFor Immediate Release April 19, 2001 VANCOUVER– “Affordable housing for British Columbians is an issue in this provincial election campaign," says Gary Panagiotidis, president of the Co-operative Housing Federation of British Columbia (CHF BC). "Our members want to know where the parties stand and how they plan to address the need for affordable housing." During the course of this election campaign, co-op members will be drawing attention to the crisis facing more than 50 leaky co-ops in the province. "Everyone talks about leaky condos," says Panagiotidis, "but over 3,000 leaky co-op homes need more help than the provincial or federal governments are offering." CHF BC will be calling on the new government to make more help available to leaky co-ops. While BC is one of only two provinces still funding the development of new affordable housing, the need keeps growing. "Homelessness is a national disaster," warns Panagiotidis, "and we cannot afford to be complacent about its impact right here in BC." Housing co-ops will be calling on all parties in this election to commit themselves to a housing policy that includes continued funding for new affordable housing. "Housing is a right, and we shouldn't rest until everyone has a safe, secure, affordable place to call home." CHF BC represents 225 housing co-ops with over 13,000 co-op homes in mainland British Columbia. Contact: Scott Jackson Communications Director 879-5111 (ext 139) Posted on: Apr 19, 2003 National Housing Group Urges CMHC to Fix Leaky Co-opsVANCOUVER, April 14, 2003 – The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) announced today that members of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) have given their unanimous support to BC’s leaky co-ops in a resolution adopted at the CHRA annual conference. The resolution, passed at CHRA’s annual general meeting in Toronto on April 12, urges the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to: - "Act immediately to protect the public investment in affordable, co-operative and other non-profit housing in British Columbia;" - "Remove the obstacles that contribute to lengthy delays in the process of approving needed repairs for housing co-ops and other non-profit housing suffering from building envelope failure; - "Provide sufficient resources to ensure that the cost of financing those repairs is affordable for co-ops, co-op members and other non-profit housing; and - "End the practice of requiring co-ops in receipt of CMHC assistance to replace outgoing subsidized members with market-rent households to pay for the costs of repairs." There are more than 50 leaky housing co-ops in BC, providing 3,000 homes for low and moderate income households. Only six of these co-ops have completed repairs to date; one is currently under repair and the rest wait for help that is very slow to come from CMHC. CHRA is a national non-profit organization, established in 1968, that promotes access to adequate, affordable housing for low- and modest-income households. It also seeks to heighten awareness of affordable housing issues through research, advocacy, networking and communications. CHRA's members include community-based non-profit housing organizations, municipalities, provincial housing agencies, private developers, academics, tenants' associations, and others interested in low- and modest- income housing needs. There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops in BC providing just over 14,000 affordable co-op homes to their members. CHF BC is the provincial federation representing BC housing co-ops. Posted on: Apr 14, 2003 The Home Owner Grant: to refund or not?Members of housing co-ops, like other property owners in BC, are eligible for a Home Owner Grant from the Ministry of Provincial Revenue. Although it is called a grant, co-ops do not usually receive any money. They simply pay lower property taxes. This reduction in property tax is calculated for each individual eligible housing unit. There are two different Home Owner Grants. Schedule Two in the Home Owner Grant Act sets out the amount for units occupied by seniors, people with eligible disabilities, people receiving certain war veteran allowances and those receiving a disability allowance or benefit under the Disability Benefits Program Act. It varies from $0 to $745. Schedule One provides for grants for all others, based on a sliding scale from $0 to $470. The amount of the grant depends on the amount of property taxes for the individual unit. Who gets the benefit of the grant? Usually the member signs over the benefit of the Home Owner Grant to the co-op. The grant enables the co-op to pay lower taxes. The co-op passes the benefit of lower taxes on to all its members through proportionately lower housing charges. However co-ops must pass on the ?additional? benefit for members under Schedule Two to those members. How do you calculate this refund? The Home Owner Grant Administration Branch has advised that the refund must be the difference between the grant that members are entitled to under Schedule Two and the grant that other members are entitled to under Schedule One for the same housing unit. The amount of the refund will vary from $0 to $275, depending on the amount of property taxes for the individual unit. For more info contact the Home Owner Grant Administration Branch at 250.356.8904 or www.rev.gov.bc.ca/hog/ Posted on: Apr 9, 2003 CHF BC hosts debate on 2010 Olympic BidCHF BC members and housing advocates met in a rented church hall Tuesday evening, February 18, to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic Bid. The focus of the discussion was on the effect the 2010 Olympics would have on affordable housing in British Columbia. Will the Olympics dislocate the residents of Vancouver’s SRO hotels, as happened during Expo ’86? Will renters face huge rent increases and eviction? Will the 2010 Olympics create a meaningful legacy of affordable housing? On hand to present their views were Greg Pyc (Team YES 2010), Linda Mix (Impact of the Olympics on Community Coalition) and Phil Le Good (No Games 2010 Coalition). The discussion was moderated by CHF BC’s executive director, Thom Armstrong. Linda Mix, along with being part of the IOCC, also sits on the board of the Bid Corporation and works as a housing advocate as part of the Tenants Rights Action Coalition (TRAC). She said “we [***Missing url***the IOCC] made 22 recommendations to the Bid Corporation and its partners and 12 of those recommendations were accepted and are incorporated in one way or another in the guarantees file of the Bid Book. I am heartened by that, and it’s because of the hard work by our group and the work that the Bid Corporation has done. They’ve listened to us. They want to work with us. They want to work with the community…We’ve noted the mistakes that other Olympic host cities have made, and I’m sure that Vancouver will learn from those mistakes because we’ll be there to remind them.” Greg Pyc, an entrepreneur, advocate for the disabled, and a member of Matheson Heights Housing Co-op, said that for him support of the Bid boils down to the “politics of pragmatism”. He quoted from the Bid Book’s Inner City Inclusive Commitment which states “During the implementation phase, steps will be taken to ensure incorporation of the interests of different groups such as aboriginal people, women, youth, people with disabilities, visible minorities and other groups.” “That, to me,” said Pyc, “ is hugely important. I want to be part of that inclusivity. I don’t want to be bantering from the outside.” Phil Le Good, who is a former member of Arlington Grove Housing Co-op, said “I have a lot of concern about the young people I’ve met, about their future, and I don’t think they’re being addressed. I don’t think they can be addressed by the Olympics. But I’ve heard a lot of great ideas about making this city a better place for them. And they’re our future. They have some great ideas to make this city a fun place – not in 2010 – they want to do it this year. But all the money’s being dwindled out. It’s being pushed out for this. There was $100,000 from the City of Vancouver [***Missing url***for the plebiscite]. These people were asking for $2,500 for two festivals on Main Street and Commercial Drive called the Dream City Mid-Winter Festival. A great idea! They don’t get access. They’re not being heard. The opportunities aren’t there for them…I think we’ve got a responsibility to create these opportunities…let them come forward. They’re a brilliant generation. I think they’ve got a lot of positive things to do. It doesn’t have to do with the Bid.” For more information checkout the websites of the 2010 Bid Corporation (www.winter2010.com), the No Games Coalition (www.nogames2010.org), Team YES(www.voteyesfebruary22.com), and the IOCC (www.vcn.bc.ca/ioc/main.htm). CHF BC urges co-op members to make their voices heard on this important community issue. If you are a Vancouver resident, exercise you vote on February 22 (checkout www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/olympics/ for voting info and the locations of polling stations). Posted on: Feb 20, 2003 20th Anniversary AGM and Dinner/Dance a Big Hit with MembersCHF BC's 20th anniversary annual general meeting was great fun and a great success by many accounts. The provincial Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services, George Abbott, was the keynote speaker. Members challenged the minister to do more for affordable housing and to do what he can to help the province's leaky co-ops. Though he didn't have much to deliver on the first challenge Abbott did promise he would press the Federal Minister responsible for CMHC, David Collenette, to follow through on the idea of devoting money (including possible RRAP funding) to help leaky co-ops. Abbott's attendance at the CHF BC AGM generated considerable media attention, including CBC radio, CKNW and CTV. Also on the leaky co-op front, CHF BC's new dedicated staffperson on this file, Louise Elmes, was introduced and spoke about progress and next steps in this important campaign. To date, over $35,000 has been donated to the Leaky Co-op Defence Fund, bringing us closer to the $100,000 target. The meeting featured a special 20th anniversary retrospective with old pictures from over two decades of building and fighting for co-ops in BC. This segment featured over a dozen special guests including CHF BC's first president, Herb Barbolet. Posted on: Dec 4, 2002 CHF BC Elects New Board and ExecutiveCHF BC's new board elected its executive committee at their first meeting on December 7, 2002: Savo Djuretic (City Gate) is president, Glen Armstrong (Pine Ridge) is vice president, Mike Alsop (Misty Ridge) is secretary, and Suzann Zimmering (Quebec Manor) is treasurer. Federation members elected a new board of directors at their November 30 Annual General Meeting. They elected four new members Janet Hall (Pheasant Meadows), Paul Tubbe (Kinross Creek), Dianne Cook (Creekside), and Doreen Aquino (Dundee Court) to the Board. Janet Hall will serve a one-year term; the rest will serve two years. Three incumbent directors -- Savo Djuretic, Glenn Armstrong and Candice Bunting -- were re-elected to the board, all for two-year terms. They will make up CHF BC's new board, together with continuing directors Mike Alsop, Wayne Callaghan, Suzann Zimmering, Darren Kitchen and Joe Johnson. There are 12 directors serving on the board. Three directors -- Marlene Deacon, Diane Winkler and Dana Weber -- all of whom had completed their terms, stepped down from the board and were thanked for their dedicated service. Diane Winkler had served continously for six years and was serving as CHF BC's president as well. Posted on: Dec 3, 2002 Model Rules Package Mailed to Co-opsCHF BC has mailed a copy of "Effective Governance for BC Housing Co-ops - One" to all 260 non-profit housing co-ops in the province. The "Effective Governance Manual" will help non-profit housing co-ops in BC understand and comply with the new Co-op Act and bring their Rules and other governing documents up to date. The Manual is also available online on this website (check the "Model Rules" link on the homepage and menu bars). The Manual is made up of three sections: - Model Rules and Occupancy Agreement - Guide to the Model Rules - Resources A fourth section, "Guide to the Co-op Act" will be available soon. Posted on: Nov 29, 2002 Civic All-Candidates Meeting Explores Co-op OptionsOn November 6, 2002, candidates in Vancouver's upcoming civic election gathered to take part in an interesting discussion of co-op options for affordable housing, transportation, social service delivery, and economic development. The event, called "NEW PERSPECTIVES: CO-OPERATIVE SOLUTIONS TO CIVIC ISSUES" was held Wednesday, November 6, 2002 at St. James Community Square in Vancouver. In attendance were Tim Louis, Anita Romaniuk and Kevin Millsip (COPE); Ryan Millar (Dance Party); Doug Warkentin and Andrea Reimer (Green); Roslyn Cassells (Independent); Sam Sullivan, Peter Ladner, Clarence Hansen and Ken Denike (NPA); Nancy Chiavario and John Ellis (vcaTEAM). All the candidates were congratulated for being attending and demonstrating a willingness to discuss co-op alternative in a non-confrontational, co-operative atmosphere. As for the candidates themselves, here is some of what they had to offer: DANCE PARTY PARTY - Ryan Millar spoke about his positive experiences with the co-operative summer camp, Camp Rainbow, which helped inspire him to get involved in his community. He is eager to get more young people involved in the political process and feels co-ops can play an important part in achieving this. COPE - representatives mentioned that they favoured taking a more positive approach to co-operative ventures in local economic development and city governance. To bolster this aim, they suggested that the City's tendering process could be adjusted to reflect an appreciation for the benefits of co-operative businesses. Coun. Tim Louis mused aloud whether TransLink might operate more effectively as a co-op whose members are transit riders. GREEN PARTY - representatives were quite supportive of the idea of promoting co-op alternatives to solve civic issues. They said that the co-op way of doing business has a lot in common with one of the Green Party's main planks of Triple Bottom Line accounting in civic budgetting to consider longterm social and environmental benefits alongside traditional financial cost-benefit priorities. vcaTEAM - featured Nancy Chiavario, a longtime advocate of affordable housing with deep roots and probably the most knowledge amongst the panelist about the positive role co-ops have to play in affordable housing solutions. NPA - expressed that its candidates were open to recognize the social and environmental benefits of co-op business (Peter Ladner praised the work of the Co-operative Auto Network in particular) even if those benefits don't show up immediately on the bottom line. All of the candidates present at the November 6 "New Perspectives" forum expressed an interest in exploring co-operative solutions to civic challenges. "If the new council is able to conduct its discussions the way candidates did at this forum," said CHF BC executive director Thom Armstrong after the event, "then things will look a lot better. And if any of these candidates are elected on November 16, then they will come to the new council with a good introduction to co-operative solutions under their belts. Regardless of who is elected, however, CHF BC will look at ways of getting co-ops and co-operative solutions on the civic agenda." "What's most important now is that co-operators get out and vote on November 16!" The evening was sponsored by the Canadian Co-operative Association - BC Region, CHF BC, CCEC Credit Union, Co-op Radio and the Co-operator's Cafe. Posted on: Nov 7, 2002 Minister Opening Door to RRAP for Leaky Co-ops?FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2002 VANCOUVER – The new Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), David Collenette, told co-op housing representatives yesterday that he will consider making RRAP funding available to housing co-ops suffering from building envelope failure. RRAP (CMHC's popular Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program) is being used by eligible homeowners in British Columbia to repair leaky homes and condos. RRAP funding is worth up to $18,000 per home for those who qualify. In a meeting with the Minister, Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) executive director Thom Armstrong argued that housing co-ops should have access to the same funding. "What you're asking for makes sense," responded the Minister, who agreed to discuss the request further with CMHC. RRAP funding would ease the financial burden on leaky housing co-ops, many of which are being forced by CMHC to take out third mortgages to pay for needed building repairs. "Burying non-profit co-ops under a mountain of debt is not the way to fix the leaky co-op problem," said Armstrong. "CMHC is saving millions of dollars on its subsidized housing programs during this time of lower interest rates. Instead of forcing housing co-ops to borrow more money than they can afford to repay and house fewer low income households in the process, they should reinvest some of those savings to fix the housing they helped to build in the first place." "RRAP is not the entire solution to the leaky co-op problem," adds Armstrong, "but it's an important piece of the puzzle, and it would be a signal that the Minister takes the leaky co-op problem seriously. CMHC still needs to speed up the technical review and loan approval process. We didn't get much encouragement from the Minister on that issue, but with another rainy season approaching here in BC, we're not about to give up the fight." There are some 50 leaky housing co-ops in BC, providing 3,000 homes for low and moderate income households. Only four co-ops have completed repairs to date; the rest wait for help that is very slow to come from CMHC. There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops in BC providing just over 14,000 affordable co-op homes to their members. CHF BC is the provincial federation representing BC housing co-ops. Posted on: Oct 31, 2002 CHF BC Launches Leaky Co-op Website and Fundraising CampaignCHF BC has further stepped up its campaign to help leaky co-ops with a new website and nationwide fundraising campaign. The new leaky co-op website, at www.leaky.coop, contains information about ongoing efforts to fix the over 50 housing co-ops in BC suffering from building envelope failure. It features pictures of affected co-ops and suggests ways in which fellow co-ops and individuals can help. Also, CHF BC launched a fundraising campaign for the Leaky Co-op Defence Fund, mailing brochures asking for support to over a thousand housing co-operatives across the country. Donations have already started rolling in. On behalf of the 3,000 families whose health and security are threatened by the leaky co-op crisis, we urge you to get involved. Check out the new website and consider what you can do to help in this important struggle. Posted on: Sep 23, 2002 CHF Canada AGM approves emergency resolution supporting leaky co-opsCHF Canada delegates gave unanimous approval on June 22 to CHF BC's emergency resolution "Support for Leaky Housing Co-ops". The national federation is committed to matching money raised in BC up to a maximum of $130,000. Delegates at the microphones were quick to pledge contributions of $1,000 and $2,000 from their co-ops and challenged others to do the same. They also insisted that a telegram be sent to the Minister responsible for CMHC that very day advising him of the resolution. Support for leaky co-ops shown by CHF Canada delegates from across the country was overwhelming. The Leaky Co-op display table was one of the most popular gathering places at the AGM, where BC volunteers sold more than a hundred leaky co-op t-shirts, gave away hundreds of buttons, distributed thousands of pages of information, and collected signatures on letters. In the end, there was no doubt that the sector nation-wide is solidly behind the efforts to get a solution for leaky co-ops. Now it will be up to BC co-ops to contribute generously to the Leaky Co-op Defence Fund so we can get the maximum matching contribution from CHF Canada. "Co-operators everywhere in Canada are ready to help," says Gary Panagiotidis, CHF BC's president. "It's up to BC co-ops to lead the way." CHF BC will send out letters and other information requesting donations to the Leaky Co-op Defence Fund soon. Please help us get the word out. Posted on: Jul 19, 2002 Paloma Co-op Hit by Second Fire of 2002Paloma Housing Co-op in East Vancouver suffered its second fire this year on Tuesday evening, May 14, 2002. Around 9:30pm members noticed the sound of a home fire alarm going off. They banged on the door and apparently woke up the member whose unit was now ablaze. She came to the door blackened by smoke and with burns on her arms, and is now in the hospital in intensive care. There were no other injuries reported. "At this point, we need therapy," says Rebecca Whyman, a Paloma member who is co-ordinating the co-op's recovery efforts. She says the co-op was already reeling from a barrage of challenges, including another recent fire and damage from being one of B.C.'s 50 or more leaky co-ops. "Members were already on the edge," says Whyman. Co-op mediator-facilitator Don King has offered his services to the co-op for a group counseling session to take place on the weekend. Asked what can be done to help, Whyman says several families have been displaced. They have been told that everyone in that wing of the building - 11 households - will have to move out while repairs are done. This means the co-op will have to relocate fully one-quarter of their members. If any Vancouver area co-op has suites available immediately for a few months it may serve to help these dislocated Paloma members a lot. Also, the member now in the hospital had no insurance. Asked what she'd say to other co-ops about this experience, Whyman advises that absolutely everyone keep up-to-date personal insurance. One member at Paloma ran into difficulty with her insurer when they found out she had moved units within the co-op but not reported the change of address. Whyman says the victim services people and firefighters were terrifically helpful (especially firefighter Reg Watts). "Our thoughts are with the members of Paloma Housing Co-op," says Thom Armstrong, executive director of CHF BC. "Our co-operative spirit has been tested more than once by fires and other tragedy. We know that co-op members everywhere will respond with compassion and generosity." CHF BC will accept donations by cheque payable to Paloma Housing Co-op and pass them on to the co-op. Or if individuals want to contribute for a tax reciept, CHF Toronto has agreed to use its charitable fund to help Paloma. In that case, still send your cheque to CHF BC offices, but make it payable to "CHFT Charitable Fund". Posted on: Jun 28, 2002 CHF Canada AGM approves shared revenue resolutionCHF Canada delegates unanimously approved CHF BC's resolution amending the shared revenue program. The current formula would have penalized BC co-ops for taking steps earlier this year to form one province-wide federation by combining the operations of CHF BC and VICHA. Retroactive to January 1, British Columbia's share will be calculated on the sum of CHF BC's and VICHA's old shares in the pool. This is good news for BC co-ops. Posted on: Jun 26, 2002 Share Purchase Loans are Available to Co-op ApplicantsDid you know that there are several programs that can help new co-op members fund their share purchases? CO-OP HOUSING DISABILITY TRUST: A program administered by the Land Trust, offering interest-free loans to people with disabilities having difficulty paying for their share. If the beneficiary leaves the co-op, the loan must be repaid to the Disability Trust. If the beneficiary's status improves, a repayment schedule is put in place. Call Mary Boles at 1.888.879.5111 ext. 141 for more information. BC MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES: If you are moving into co-op housing, you may be eligible for money to pay for your membership share. This benefit must be repaid to the ministry when you move or leave BC Employment and Assistance. Call the Ministry at 1.800.665.6399 for more information. CCEC CREDIT UNION: Through this program, a low-interest loan for the share amount is made to a co-op applicant upon approval for membership. The loan is secured by the co-op and the member makes regular payments to CCEC until the loan is retired. The co-op must be a CCEC member. Call them at 604.254.4100 for more information. REGISTERED RETIREMENT SAVINGS: The federal government recognizes purchase of shares in a housing co-op as a form of home ownership. The financial institution where the RRSP is held has the applicable forms used for releasing retirement savings for home purchase. SOME HOUSING CO-OPS have a policy to finance share purchases themselves by allowing new members to pay over time. The member makes regular payments to the co-op through an agreed-upon payment plan until the share is fully paid. Posted on: Jun 24, 2002 Thom Armstrong honoured at CHF Canada AGMCHF BC Executive Director Thom Armstrong was named an honorary lifetime associate of CHF Canada for his contributions to the sector as an instructor and member of CHF Canada's Education Committee, through his work developing new housing co-ops in Saskatchewan and Ontario, and as CHF Canada's Director of Corporate Affairs from 1990 - 2000. The award acknowledged Thom's sense of humour, his skill in hanging spoons from his nose, and his adept use of plastic cockroaches to amuse his friends and colleagues. Posted on: Jun 24, 2002 Quebec Manor Co-op Wins 2002 Mary Flynn AwardAt the CHF BC Semi Annual General Meeting on April 24, Quebec Manor was awarded the 2002 Mary Flynn Award of Co-operation for its contributions to the Federation and the co-op sector. Below is the presentation speech given by CHF BC awards committee chair, Calvin Woida, and CHF BC director, Savo Djuretic: "The Mary Flynn Award of Co-operation is presented each year to the Housing Co-op that has made a special contribution to the BC Housing Co-op community. To qualify, the co-op must have been a member of CHF BC or VICHA for at least 10 years. The co-op must also have been active through participation on the CHF BC Board of Directors, Committees, Joint Delegate's Meetings or other significant contributions. A written submission must also be received on the co-op's behalf explaining why this co-op should receive the award. "On the 20th anniversary of CHF BC, it is only fitting that this year's winner has been with us since the beginning (in fact an original member was one of our first Presidents; another is on the current Board of Directors). The co-op is a founding member of CHF BC and has never missed an AGM or an SAGM. They have also been a member of CHF Canada from the beginning and have never missed an AGM there, either. "But their involvement doesn't stop there. Over the years, members of this co-op have been active founding COHO and the Community Housing Land Trust. They are also known for their strong lobbying abilities and negotiating skills which have been used on behalf of the entire co-op housing movement. "These same skills served them well when the co-op was founded in 1979. Originally a rental apartment, residents got together and successfully fought a 60% rent increase. The residents then negotiated the purchase and renovation of the building through the Federal Governments housing co-op program. For over 20 years, it has been a living example of a successful member-owned and run housing co-op. "It is our pleasure to present the 2002 Mary Flynn Award of Co-operation to The (Quebec) Manor Housing Co-op." Posted on: Apr 25, 2002 CHF BC Semi-Annual General Meeting Sets Attendance RecordCHF BC's 2002 Semi-Annual General Meeting set an all-time attendance record with 62 voting delegates and 49 registered observers. Members passed resolutions to fight in support of leaky co-ops and to approve a new set of Rules for the Federation. Posted on: Apr 24, 2002 CHF BC Members Resolve to Strengthen Position Supporting Leaky Co-opsAt their 2002 Semi-Annual General Meeting on April 24, CHF BC delegates voted to kick their campaign in support of leaky co-ops into high gear. CHF BC members resolved at their 2002 Semi-Annual General Meeting to call on the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to deliver immediate assistance to leaky housing co-ops in British Columbia on terms that: - Replace third mortgage financing with grants or other forms of non-repayable money - do not reduce the total amount of income-tested assistance available to co-ops - are not delivered on terms and conditions that restrict co-ops’ operating autonomy are made available retroactively to leaky co-ops that have already signed agreements on less favourable terms Those speaking at the microphone in support of this resolution urged their fellow delegates to go back to their co-ops to secure pledges of financial support from each individual housing co-op member to use as part of a war chest to secure fair treatment of BC's leaky co-ops. The general mood of the delegates appeared to support this idea, and the board of directors of CHF BC will discuss this and other tactics at its May meeting. Click here to link to CHF BC's leaky co-ops page where you can access more detailed information and tools to help us fight for support. Posted on: Apr 24, 2002 CD Contract wins tender for Bulk Purchase flooring serviceCD Contract has successfully retained the tender to provide flooring service to housing co-ops under the CHF BC Commercial Services Program. One of several improvements negotiated in the new contract will be the extension of service to co-ops on Vancouver Island. Posted on: Apr 23, 2002 Co-op Directors - are you qualified?The board of directors is responsible for managing the business of the co-op. That's a heavy responsibility. So it stands to reason that directors should be qualified to serve on the board. The Cooperative Asssociation Act sets out the legal qualifications of directors. (In a future article, we'll discuss the personal qualities you might look for in a director.) The Act also lets you add your own qualifications, as long as you put them in your co-op's Rules. Section 79 of the Act lists the qualifications in the negative. You cannot serve on your co-op's board if you: - are under 18 years of age - are not a member of the co-op (unless your Rules allow for directors who aren't members) - are an undischarged bankrupt - have been found (by a court) to be mentally unfit - were convicted of fraud (unless you were pardoned, or five years have passed since the end of any sentence or penalty you recieved) - do not meet any other qualifications decided by the co-op The qualifications in the Act apply to every co-op, and many co-ops have added to the list. For example you cannot serve on the board in some co-ops if: - you have missed three board meetings in a row without the board's permission - you are in arrears for housing charges - someone else from your household or family is already on the board If you sit on your co-op's board and you become disqualified during your term of office, you are no longer a director. No resignation or removal is needed - you automatically cease to be a director. Does your co-op have other rules that deal with the election or qualifications of directors? Why not share them with SCOOP? In future issues, we'll talk about term limits, board meetings and election procedures, so stay tuned. Posted on: Apr 11, 2002 First CHF BC Vancouver Island Council Meets with SuccessIsland members celebrated new membership in CHF BC by attending the first ever CHF BC Vancouver Island Council meeting on Saturday, March 2nd. To date, 24 of the 34 Island co-ops have joined CHF BC and Island co-ops were well represented at the first council meeting with 16 delegates in attendance. CHF BC President Gary Panagiotidis chaired the meeting, welcoming new CHF BC members and extending thanks to guests who traveled from the mainland including CHF BC directors Glen Armstrong, Diane Winkler and Suzann Zimmering; CHF Canada representatives Tony Legare and Pat McClain; and Tony Tracy (Lore Krill Co-op, Vancouver). Island guests included auditor Brian Zelley; Avis Michalovsky, the first Island COHO Management co-ordinator, and Sheila O'Brien and Ariane Prohom from Wilderness Park Co-op, Victoria. Updates on CHF BC education; investment, commercial and communication services generated significant discussion. Members asked questions and offered suggestions about how services could best benefit Island co-ops. CHF BC Executive Director, Thom Armstrong said he was pleased to have this opportunity to hear the ideas of members on Vancouver Island, and that he would undertake to report back to members about possible Island services and programs after doing some research. Congratulations to Candice Bunting (Cameo Co-op) and Joe Johnson (Seawalk Co-op) who were elected by the delegates as directors to the CHF BC board. Congratulations also to Janet Hall (Pheasant Meadows Co-op) and John Overbeck (Lang Cove) who were elected as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for the Vancouver Island Council. Posted on: Mar 5, 2002 CHF BC marks 20th anniversary with over 200 membersCHF BC is pleased to announce that in the year of our 20th anniversary, we now have over 200 housing co-op members, representing well over 10,000 units. With the construction of several new co-ops in the last year of the HOMES BC program and the addition of our new members on Vancouver Island, CHF BC now boasts a membership of 204 housing co-ops and 10,500 co-op units. This is an all-time record for the federation. "CHF BC grows stronger every day because of our members' loyalty and commitment," said executive director, Thom Armstrong. "We look forward to adding even more services and value to attract more new members in the months and years ahead." Posted on: Mar 1, 2002 All about Filing Reports with the RegistrarThe new Co-op Act has reduced the amount of information your co-op must file with the provincial Registrar of Companies, but you should still know what is required. You must file: - Notice of change of directors: within 15 days after new directors are elected or appointed, or when directors leave the board by resigning, being removed or otherwise losing their eligibility to serve. You don?t have to report a change if a director who ceases to be a director is re-elected or re-appointed on the same day. - Annual report form: within two months after the co-op?s annual general meeting. - Change of registered office: because this is where all correspondence from the government is sent. You should make sure that the Registrar has the correct information on your registered office. - Special resolution: if it changes your co-op?s Memorandum or Rules. Changes do not take effect until they are approved. The Registrar will send you an approved copy showing that it has been filed and registered. - Other kinds of special resolutions: for mortgaging or disposal of a co-op?s property, amalgamation, or voluntary dissolution. If the Registrar asks, a co-op must also provide its register of directors. Records and filings at the Registrar?s office are open for inspection by any person. Your board should decide who is responsible for making sure that all required filing is done on time. This is usually the corporate secretary?s responsibility, but the job is often delegated to staff or the co-op?s management company. References: Cooperative Association Act: Sections 11, 27, 69, 78, 83, 125, 126, 139, 204 and 206. To get the forms (and information on filing fees), call: Societies and Co-operatives Unit, Registrar of Companies (250) 356-8673 or 604-775-1046 (direct line from Greater Vancouver). Or on the web, go directly to www.fin.gov.bc.ca/registries/corppg/crforms.htm#coop. Posted on: Jan 11, 2002 CHF BC Members Ratify One BC Federation Resolution at Annual General MeetingThe 19th annual general meeting of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC took place at the Executive Inn, Burnaby on November 24. CHF BC members unanimously approved a resolution to form one co-op housing federation for British Columbia. The Vancouver Island Co-operative Housing Association voted at its AGM held November 17 to dissolve and urge Island co-ops to join CHF BC which will now serve and represent housing co-ops for the entire province. Other resolutions, also passed unanimously at CHF BC's AGM, included one amending the rules of CHF BC to conform with the new Co-op Act, one supporting affordable housing, and one supporting BC's leaky co-ops. The meeting, chaired by Nancy Chiavario, set an attendance record with over 50 voting delegates and over 100 participants overall. CHF BC's new board of directors include Gary Panagiotidis - Kanata, president, Diane Winkler - Mau Dan (vice president), Mike Alsop - Misty Ridge (secretary), Suzann Zimmering - Quebec Manor (treasurer), Glen Armstrong - Pine Ridge, Cathy Andre - Still Creek, Wayne Callaghan - Paloma, Marlene Deacon - David Wetherow, Darren Kitchen - Lore Krill, and Dana Weber - Trout Lake. Retiring directors were LaVerne Elms, Jennifer Gray-Grant, Haji Jivraj, and Jamie Ritchie. Elected to the Finance Committee were Haji Jivraj - Twin Rainbows, and Savo Djuretic - City Gate. Posted on: Jan 2, 2002 Victoria and Ottawa Sign Affordable Housing AgreementOn December 18, 2001, the Governments of Canada and British Columbia announced the signing of an Affordable Housing Agreement. The Agreement will provide $177.4 million over the next five years to help increase the supply of affordable housing in the province. Federal funding of $88.7 million will be matched by an equivalent provincial contribution. Under the bilateral agreement the province will receive $79.44 million over five years from CMHC for urban affordable housing and $9.26 million for remote housing over the same period. The federal funding will allow BC to develop more affordable, supportive housing options for seniors and people with special needs. The province, through BC Housing, will provide annual subsidies to reduce project rents for up to 35 years as its contribution. Contributions from other parties may include land at below-market prices, waiving of municipal fees, reduced property taxes, equity or land contribution from non-profit societies, donations and other in-kind contributions. CHF BC welcomes the long overdue re-entry of the federal government to the affordable housing field. It will allow the provincial government to apply more resources to the development of new affordable housing in BC. Hopefully, this could save some of the 1,700 units of affordable housing currently under review by the province. However, the province's intention to focus entirely on supportive housing options will make it difficult for new housing co-ops to be developed under the new cost-shared program. CHF BC will be taking this issue up directly with Minister Abbott in the coming months. We will make the case that a sustainable housing policy should provide a broad range of options, including co-ops, to address supply and affordability issues across the entire population of BC. Posted on: Jan 1, 2002 Co-op Act: Should board minutes be confidential?At our Co-op Act workshops, we often talk about confidentiality. One hot topic at recent workshops has been whether minutes of co-op board meetings should be confidential. The Cooperative Association Act lists the records that every co-op must keep at its registered office. Examples are the co-op's Rules, audited financial statements, register of members, etc. It's a long list, and every co-op should be aware of what the Act requires. Some records (minutes of members meetings, for example) must be available to all members. Other records, including minutes of board meetings, must be available to directors and former directors (in the case of former directors, only for the period they served on the board). There is no requirement in the Act to make board minutes available to members. End of discussion? Not in many housing co-ops. Co-op members usually demand more accountability from their board than the law requires, and that's not a bad thing. Any co-op can decide for itself that members will have access to board minutes. The board can make it a policy to publish its minutes or, for greater authority, the members can say so in the co-op's Rules. If board minutes are going to be widely available, extra care should be taken in how they are prepared. Minutes are not transcripts, and they should not record every detail of the board's discussion. Comments should never be attributed to individual directors. Good minutes are a summary of the meeting?for each item of business they identify the issue, perhaps sum up the key points of the discussion, and record the decision the board made. There is some information that every board must keep to itself. The Act requires that financial information on individual members be kept confidential. And the board sometimes deals with sensitive personal information that should not be widely known. These discussions should be held "in camera", which means that only directors are present. Minutes of the "in camera" portion of meetings are kept separately from the regular minutes and are not available to anyone except directors. With a little care, co-ops can strike the right balance between accountability and respect for confidentiality. It's a matter of knowing what the Co-op Act requires and deciding what works best for your co-op. Questions about the new Cooperative Association Act? Call CHF BC at 604.879.5111. Posted on: Nov 1, 2001 Co-op Housing Day Celebrated in Affordable Housing WeekFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 17, 2001 VANCOUVER ? The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) and its member housing co-ops will celebrate Co-op Housing Day this afternoon with a cake and children?s art display. "Housing co-ops in British Columbia have a lot to celebrate," says CHF BC president, Gary Panagiotidis. "Co-ops have a great track record in BC and all across Canada for providing safe, secure and affordable housing. Housing co-ops build communities, and the way they do it is very cost-effective for government. We?re very proud of our homes." The Co-op Housing Day celebration will take place between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm at Roundhouse Housing Co-operative in the Yaletown neighbourhood of Vancouver, 1267 Marinaside Crescent (at the east end of Davie Street). Mayor Philip Owen and BC Housing chief executive officer Shayne Ramsay have been invited to help officiate with a reading of the provincial government?s Co-op Housing Day proclamation. They will also present prizes to the winners of the Co-op Kids Art Contest with entries on the theme "Celebrating My Co-op". The children?s art will be displayed at the event. Guests will also be encouraged to sign a "We Love Our Co-ops!" banner, to be sent afterwards to the BC Government in support of housing co-ops as a cost-effective, community-based solution to the challenge of providing more affordable housing for British Columbians. CHF BC issued a news release yesterday urging the BC Government to continue playing a leadership role in the supply of much needed social housing. Reports earlier in the week had raised concerns that a promised 1,100 units of affordable housing would not be delivered due to budget cutbacks. "We invite everyone to come and join us on Co-op Housing Day," said Panagiotidis. "You?ll see what makes housing co-ops so special to their members and to the larger community." CHF BC is a provincial federation of housing co-ops. There are 260 non-profit housing co-ops with over 14,000 co-op homes in British Columbia. For more information, contact ? Scott Jackson Communications Director 604-879-5111, ext. 139 Posted on: Oct 17, 2001 |
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Co-op housing made its annual appearance in the Vancouver Pride Parade on July 31. This was the sixth year housing 
With this year's crowd estimated at more than 160,000, the Pride Parade is certainly one of Vancouver's biggest and most entertaining annual public events.