A core principle of international co-operatives is cooperation among co-operatives. We recently put our commitment to this important principle on display by touring some of our Australian counterparts, sharing ideas and successful initiatives we’ve taken, primarily through the Community Land Trust, to sustain and grow co-op housing. 

The trip was organized by the Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance, with representatives from a number of co-ops and related organizations, including Common Equity Housing Ltd., Bank First, Bank Australia, and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals. 

“One of the things we’re looking at in Australia is how to scale the co-op housing we already have, explained Liz Thomas, Chair, Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance. “We were really interested in what we could learn from Canada, who’s already scaling at a level we aspire to.” 

The day highlighted the multiple models the Community Land Trust has for new co-ops as well as the work being done to retain existing co-op communities. 

After an introduction to the Community Land Trust’s portfolio, we joined a tour of the 981 Davie construction site, led by Mania Hormozi, Associate Director of Development, Community Land Trust. The development is a flagship project for the Community Land Trust, with housing operations shared between a co-op and McLaren Housing Society, and Qmunity operating an expanded community centre, offering services for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

Hard hats off, we met with Carol Sutton from North Arm Housing Co-op, a 55+ community that shares a building with 411 Seniors Centre Society, offering resources, support, and social and educational opportunities to seniors in the community. Carol shared her experience living in a co-op, and how her current Community Land Trust managed co-op different from her previous independently managed co-op. We learned that some issues like recruiting volunteers, and members supporting (and sometimes conflicting with) each other are universal across oceans. 

Larger sector similarities were identified as well. 

“I’m surprised how similar our sectors are,” said Nick Sabel, CEO, Common Equity in New South Wales. “We’ve got different names for things, but they operate pretty much similar as we do in Australia. You’ve got a fair bit of scale here. We have a very similar model. Why can’t we do it in Australia, too?” 

“I’ve been really amazed by the scale of the delivery of the buildings that we’ve seen, which I think really just opens up the possibilities that are available to us. We can work together and really bring those insights back home,” said Chandrika Leslie, Treasurer and acting CFO at Bank First. 

The tour continued in East Vancouver with the recently completed McHardy Housing Co-op, where we discussed how member feedback could be used to inform the development of future buildings. McHardy’s inner courtyard is a prime example of the type of accessible space members seek. 

“I really loved learning about the community fabric that sits behind co-op housing and how the spaces have been designed to foster that collaboration,” noted Leslie. “We’ve seen incredible design and welcoming spaces that really encourage people to get together and form an inclusive community.” 

The afternoon ended with us showing off some of the best of Vancouver – the iconic False Creek seawall, home to multiple co-ops on its southern banks, many of which are currently negotiating complex lease renewals as they prepare for their future. Robyn Chan, Managing Director of the False Creek South Community Housing Trust, provided insight into the history of the area and the decade-long process of working with the city to ensure the future viability of affordable housing in the area.  

“Across the world we’re having to reimagine what co-op housing looks like for the next generation,” said Thomas. “The more we can learn from each other about how we manage a housing paradigm that’s shifting to increased housing density. How do we deliver housing density, but still honour the co-op principles is something that I think we are all facing, no matter where we’re located in the world.” 

The day was filled with insightful questions and interesting discussions with our new Australian friends, eager to bring back insights to their own work halfway around the world.  

“The Australian and Canadian co-op housing sectors have so many key similarities that allow us to learn from each other,” said Michelle Cooper-Iversen, COO, Co-op Housing Federation of BC.
“Today was such a powerful reminder of what cooperative housing can do. From long‑standing legacy co‑ops to new builds grounded in Community Land Trust partnerships, the message was clear: affordability is created — and protected — through intention, governance, and community.” 

Vancouver was their first stop on their way to Ottawa and eventually Fredericton for the CHF Canada AGM in June. Follow along with their Canadian journey on LinkedIn.