MEMBER
RESOURCES
Governing and managing a thriving housing co-op can be challenging and complicated. To better serve our members, we have created the Centre for Co-operative Learning to house our free resources. Visit our new website!
Meeting Tools
We offer full set of tools and templates to help you have successful meetings.
Meetings are the foundation of your housing co-op’s democratic governance structure. That fact, along with legal requirements set out in the Cooperative Association Act (and your Rules), means that you will want to pay careful attention to how your meetings are organized and run.
We have a large number of tools to help you make your meetings successful. Check out the meeting resources on the Centre for Co-operative Learning’s website.
Model Rules 2.0
Our Model Rules are written with the best legal advice and offer a bold standard in housing co-op governance.
These Rules are full of fresh ideas and best practices to address the current day needs of your business and community. With a simple step-by-step process and complete set of online tools, you can make the process of updating your Rules as easy as it can be!
The Rules (and accompanying Occupancy Agreement) are fully compliant with the Cooperative Association Act and other legislation. Learn more on the Centre’s Rules and Resources page.
Personal Information Protection
Your housing co-op must comply with the provincial Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) which includes having a PIPA policy and a designated PIP Officer.
We are pleased to provide PIPA and broader privacy tools to help you ensure your housing co-op is in compliance. Visit the Centre for Co-operative Learning’s privacy resources.
Policies, Samples and Templates
We have a growing collection of policy templates and guidance documents.
We have improved our search tools and the organization of our resources on the new Centre for Co-operative Learning website.
Starting a Housing Co-op
There are two main kinds of housing co-ops in BC: equity co-ops and non-profit housing co-ops. Interested in starting one?
We often get questions about how to go about starting a co-op. It’s easy to set up an organization; it’s a lot harder to create actual housing. The vast majority of co-ops in BC are non-profit co-ops, and with few exceptions were developed as partnerships between senior levels of government (through funding programs) and grassroots organizations. The funding programs that ran from the mid-1970s to early-1990s are over, so developing co-op housing is a serious challenge without resources (land, money) of your own.
Virtual Meetings
We offer a range of fee-based virtual (and hybrid) meeting services.
Looking for more flexible options for holding your co-op meetings? Need support or tools to have an effective online meeting? We can help with virtual board meetings, general meetings (including hybrid meetings), town halls, and more.
We also have tips and recommendations about best practices and how to prepare for various kinds of meetings.