1. Federal Co-ops: Embracing Change & Building Partnerships
2016 Fall Education Day
Céline Carrière
November 19, 2016

3. Our To Do List Context: Co-op Housing History in Canada
Update on You Hold the Key Campaign
Talk about current affordable housing landscape
Explore opportunities for supports for low income households
Look at how the City of Ottawa provides affordable housing
Consider members’ concerns, dispell myths

4. A walk down memory lane 1973-1978 Section 61 funding program 1979-1985
ILM funding program
1980’s-1993
Federal/Provincial
Provincial funding programs

5. A walk down memory lane Federal funding programs
Provincially-funded programs
Section 61 program:
50 year mortgages/Operating agreements
Section 95 program
35 year mortgage/ operating agreement
RGI funding linked to mortgage payment
ILM program
Rent Supplement
Downloaded to municipality through the Social Housing Reform Act (2000)
Governed under the Housing Services Act (2011)
Reporting requirements, RGI subsidies set out in law and regulation

6. Headlines

7. Impact for Co-op Housing Sector

8. Our future…

9. You Hold The Key Campaign and Mortgage Burning

10. Enter… the key! The You Hold the Key campaign asked for:
A provincially administered, cost shared rent supplement program
That government support low income households relying on rental supports to maintain their housing
That government take care of the people and that co-ops take care of the buildings.

11. A Ten Year Fight Discussion: Role Play (groups):
federal government: how do we feel about the “ask”?
Provincial government: How do we feel about the “ask”?
Municipal government (in Ontario): What do we think?
Co-ops: What are we thinking??
Report Back to the group: competing priorities!!

13. What does that look like?

14. Consider these factors
Constitution
SHRA/ Housing Services Act (HSA)
Long-term Affordable Housing Strategy
National Housing Strategy
Competing Funding Priorities
$$$$$
To consider that, one must look at a number of political circumstances
Meech lake accords in 1990s- housing as a responsibility of the provinces- they want the federal government to butt out!... But to send money. 
Province of Ontario- download
Social Housing Reform Act (2000)
Housing Services Act (2011)
LTAHS (2011, updated 2016)
Portability as priority
Innovation to system- getting away from traditional RGI

15. Long Term Affordable Housing Strategy (LTAHS)- A tangent 
Appropriate, sustainable supply of housing
Equitable, portable system of financial assistance
People-centered, efficient housing programs
Evidence-informed system
Part of poverty reduction strategy

16. How do federally-funded EOA Co-ops fit?

17. Y’all come back now, ya hear?

18. Switching Gears

19. Why were housing co-ops created in the first place?
Because we think that, as a group, we can do it better than the private sector
To provide long-term, affordable housing
To meet our members’ needs

20. Co-operative Principles
 open membership
democratic control
 economic participation
 independence
 co-operative education
 co-operation among co-operatives
 concern for community
H.O. 1 Co-op Principles Right. Quickly review.
Emphasize that directors should refer to principles often, especially when making difficult decisions and when they need guidance on how to lead the co-op members.

21. Aims of Canadian Housing Co-ops
To offer:
good, affordable housing
safe and secure communities
control over our housing
opportunities for personal development
Co-ops were originally formed to give renters an alternative to greedy landlords who raised the rents unchecked and forced people to move out without good reason. Many landlords also discriminated against some applicants: low income earners, gays, visible minorities.

22. Aims of Canadian Housing Co-ops
Co-op members meet:
their responsibility to the larger community 
their responsibility to future generations.
Meet their responsibility to the larger community.
-housing people from diverse groups: visible minorities, victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities
-participating in co-op sector
-participating in local community
Meet their responsibility to future generations.
Ensure the co-op is well-managed so it will be able to house people in the future i.e. approve budget increases to fund repairs and reserves for the future
Exercise: ask participants to do legal quiz. Go through the answers briefly with the group.

23. Ottawa Context 44,000 people in core housing need
10,099 people on the waiting list for affordable housing
782 families accessed the shelter system in 2015
Average length of stay in a shelter: 73 nights
46 new affordable housing units/ subsidies

24. Aims of Canadian Housing Co-ops
To offer:
good, affordable housing
safe and secure communities
control over our housing
opportunities for personal development
Co-ops were originally formed to give renters an alternative to greedy landlords who raised the rents unchecked and forced people to move out without good reason. Many landlords also discriminated against some applicants: low income earners, gays, visible minorities.

25. Aims of Canadian Housing Co-ops
Co-op members meet:
their responsibility to the larger community 
their responsibility to future generations.
Meet their responsibility to the larger community.
-housing people from diverse groups: visible minorities, victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities
-participating in co-op sector
-participating in local community
Meet their responsibility to future generations.
Ensure the co-op is well-managed so it will be able to house people in the future i.e. approve budget increases to fund repairs and reserves for the future
Exercise: ask participants to do legal quiz. Go through the answers briefly with the group.

26. What opportunities lay ahead?
Work together to address affordable housing in Ottawa
Protect co-op homes of our low-income neighbours
Create a more efficient system
Ensure the solution works for
Co-ops
Co-op members/ potential new members
City of Ottawa

27. What does that look like?

28. Nothing new under the sun
Rent Supplement
Housing Allowance
Rent-geared to income
Drawn from the centralized list
Agreement between co-op and City of Ottawa
Renewable contract
Administered by Rent Supplement Office
Tied to unit
Tiered support
$250 + $50 per additional resident
Agreement between resident and City of Ottawa
Support leaves with household
Administered through Ministry of Finance
portable

29. Ottawa Social Housing Registry
Manages 300 individual waiting lists for over 70 co-ops, not for profits and supportive housing providers
90% cross-over when prov. Co-ops imported their lists
Member selection is still practiced by co-ops, only the application process is streamlined

30. Next Steps
What considerations are imported as the details are negotiated?
What do federally- funded co-ops need to support the transition?
How can CHASEO support co-ops as we move to the next phase of our reality?

31. Next Steps
What will you bring back and implement in your co-op to better serve your membership?
Which ideas will you report back to your Board of Directors?

32. Please complete and return your evaluations!!!