LATEST
NEWS

A well-informed membership makes the co-op housing movement stronger. Keep up-to-date on the latest CHF BC, and co-op housing related, goings-on by reading our latest news below. To get this news—and more— delivered directly to your inbox subscribe to our newsletters.

  25 February 2022   

Building the Next Generation of Co-operative Housing

A return to dedicated federal investment designed to build and acquire co-op housing at scale, in partnership with the co-operative housing sector, will help meaningfully address the housing crisis.

  21 December 2021   

National Indigenous Housing Strategy Update

At our 2021 Semi-Annual General Meeting in May, delegates passed a resolution (pdf) in support of a national Urban Indigenous Housing Strategy Our friends at the Canadian Housing & Renewal Association (CHRA) and the CHRA Indigenous Caucus have continued to work towards a federal urban, rural and northern (URN) Indigenous housing strategy. Over the past … Continued

  24 November 2021   

CHF Canada’s response to the 2021 Speech form the Throne

On November 22, 2021, the Governor General delivered the Speech of the Throne outlining the recently re-elected Liberal government’s new priorities. Coincidentally, it was also National Housing Day, which put a lot of focus on the new government’s commitment to affordable– and cooperative–housing. Here is what our partners at CHF Canada had to say about … Continued

  16 August 2021   

The federal election is underway—#VoteHousing

We have the power to make a real difference and end homelessness and housing need. We can do it at the federal election ballot box on September 20, one vote at a time. CHF BC—and our Housing Central partners, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association and CHF Canada—have joined the Vote Housing campaign. This is a national, non-partisan … Continued

  29 January 2021   

Community-Based Tenant Initiative is also for Co-ops

CHF BC was a founding partner in the creation of The Community Housing Transformation Centre. Among other things, the Centre administers funding for co-ops and others to improve member (and tenant) engagement. This year’s funding period will end on March 31. Consider making an application under the Community-Based Tenant Initiative Fund. The following comes from … Continued

  24 August 2020   

FCHI-2: A New Rental Assistance Program is Launching Soon

September 1, 2020 marks an important date for co-ops that began under federal funding programs. CMHC’s new Rental Assistance Program (RAP, also known as FCHI-2, or the Federal Community Housing Initiative – Phase 2) is about to launch.

The co-op housing sector lobbied hard for the federal government to respond to the challenge of expiring operating agreements and RAP is the successful result of those efforts.

  7 November 2019   

Important update on CMHC subsidy extensions

Enrolment in the FCHI-2 began last month for federally administered co-ops.  The program will provide new rent assistance to low-income members beginning April 2020 and lasting until March 31, 2028.

In earlier communication we advised all federally administered co-ops to apply for enrolment in FCHI-2 in case they are eligible.  We can now be more precise in our advice.

  15 August 2019   

Update: Federal Community Housing Initiative, Phase 2 (FCHI-2)

CMHC has been working closely with key housing associations over the summer to finalize details for Phase 2 of the Federal Community Housing Initiative (FCHI).

This new rental assistance program for community housing providers reaching the end of their operating agreements will be available as of April 1, 2020.

  1 March 2018   

Housing co-ops welcome funding for housing in federal budget

CHF BC welcomes the budget announced by the federal government on Tuesday, which will help more Canadians find a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. The federal announcement comes hot on the heels of last week’s provincial budget, which promised the biggest investment in affordable housing in BC’s history. Thom Armstrong, CHF BC’s … Continued

  23 November 2017   

CHF BC and BCNPHA welcome first ever National Housing Strategy

On November 22, the federal government released the details of its long-anticipated National Housing Strategy.

CHF BC and the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) were present at the announcement in Vancouver with the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

  23 March 2017   

Federal investment in affordable housing includes good news for co-ops

Yesterday’s federal budget announcement includes the single biggest investment in affordable housing in Canadian history — $11.2 billion over the next 11 years.Coming on the heels of BC…

  20 February 2017   

CHMC Reno/Retro Grant Update

The announcement last year of CMHC’s Reno/Retro grant program attracted a lot of attention among housing co-operatives in BC and across the country. More than forty co-ops in BC made…