GETTING
STARTED
CHF BC staff work with the whole range of housing co-ops in BC: co-ops with federal and provincial operating agreements, co-ops without any agreements at all, small co-ops and large co-ops, co-ops that own their own land and those that lease. We've served members throughout the province. Chances are that we can help your co-op, too.
Applying to the Program | Pioneer | Domego | Cameo | Marigold | Other Resources | Contact Us
Sustaining thriving
communities through
preparation and
planning.
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Applying to the Program
Interested in applying to our program? You may find the following documents useful.
- Application Form for the program (fillable form PDF). In addition to the form, you’ll also need to submit an application fee to CHF BC: cheque or money order for $210 ($200 plus GST).
- Consent-to-Share Information Form from The Agency for Co-operative Housing
- Poster outlining the steps of the Asset Management Plan development process
(If your co-op has an active operating agreement with CMHC, you’ll want to complete this document if you haven’t already.)
We also have some information about our experiences with past clients.
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Pioneer
Pioneer Co-op is one of the larger non-profit housing co-ops located in the Victoria area.
Two members of Pioneer Co-op discuss how their co-op used CHF BC’s services to help educate members and move from uncertainty to being prepared for a complete building envelope renewal.
CHF BC commissioned a building condition assessment for the co-op, developed a long-term plan, delivered a workshop to co-op members and helped the co-op provide a lending institution the information in needed to offer Pioneer Co-op a loan on good terms.
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<a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmgmQx1x" target="_blank">Click to View</a>
Domego
Domego Co-op is located not far from Vancouver General Hospital and City Hall. The co-op's buildings suffered from envelope problems, and, after obtaining an engineering report, the co-op began working with CHF BC on a long-term plan.
You can see some of the results in the slideshow images. After developing an integrated financial and capital plan with CHF BC, the co-op was able to obtain financing with Vancity. This was a creative solution, helping wrap together existing debt and a new loan to pay for the needed repair, and minimizing interest rate risks. The co-op was able to see a complete renewal of its envelope and undertook major interior renovations as well.
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Cameo
Cameo Co-op is located on Vancouver Island in View Royal.
Its operating agreement ended in 2015 and the co-op spent a lot of time preparing. The co-op engaged members on issues around continuing support for low-income households (even after government subsidy ceased) and how to approach the future. Preparing a long-term plan, based on a building condition assessment commissioned by Cameo was an important part of the process.
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Marigold
One of the largest and oldest co-ops on Vancouver Island is Marigold Co-op, a co-op originally created under a Section 61 operating agreement.
Even before the operating agreement was scheduled to end, the co-op found itself needing to undertake a major roofing project. The co-op, armed with a CHF BC asset management plan, obtained financing (second mortgage) from Vancity Credit Union and approval from CMHC.
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Other Resources
Other documents and websites of general interest on planning issues:
- Homebuyers’ Protection Office (HPO) “Managing Renewals Projects in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings” (a short video is also available)
- Aging in Place Resources from CMHC
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Contact Us
The materials on the website give an overview of the long-term planning services, but we're happy to answer any questions you might have. We offer sessions for individual or small groups of
Please contact either Nick Dolbilov (ext.122) or Nemat Haidari, Asset Management Program Coordinators, for details. You can also reach the team at renewal@chf.bc.ca.