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On February 20, 2024, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government will be adding another $2 billion in financing to BC Builds

The announcement also included BC Builds’ fourth site with 112 new co-operative homes for middle-income households in Vancouver.

During his announcement of the acquisition of 2 Coquitlam housing co-operatives, B.C. Premier Eby discussed the important role that co-operative housing plays in meeting the challenges of the housing crisis.

During his remarks, he noted that co-ops are a model of housing that works. It’s stable housing, it’s affordable housing, and it’s also built-in community.

On February 8, 2024, B.C. Premier David Eby announced the historic acquisition of two Coquitlam housing co-operatives by the Community Land Trust. It was the first investment of the recently created Rental Protection Fund (RPF).

Check out the video of the announcement, as well as links to some media coverage.

Coquitlam is celebrating the acquisition and preservation of 290 co-op homes by the Community Land Trust. This was made possible through a contribution from the Rental Protection Fund (RPF).

This is a significant milestone for co-operative housing in B.C., It marks a crucial step forward in protecting housing security for co-op members in B.C.’s daunting housing landscape.

In a CBC News story by Jon Hernandez, Thom Armstrong, the CEO of CHF BC called the measures "well-intended," but he raised alarm over the lack of a timeline, with dollars only starting to roll out in 2025.

He notes that "We’re in a housing crisis and is baffled as to why an economic recovery would have to wait until 2025-2026 to address what’s a burning crisis right now."

This video offers a detailed overview of the Community Housing Fund and a step-by-step guide on eligibility, program requirements and how to apply.

Do you ever wonder why some neighbourhoods are all single-family homes while others are high-rises, shops, and duplexes? Did you know you get to be part of that conversation?

Since April CityHive’s Civic Innovators, a group of youth (ages 18-30) from across the province of B.C., have been hard at work coming up with entirely new systems of governance and making recommendations on how to improve the public hearing process.

A $500-million rental-protection fund that will help non-profit groups purchase rental buildings has opened in British Columbia.

The fund aims to help First Nations and other non-profit groups buy older “affordable” rental buildings to preserve them as low-cost rental housing.

CMHC recently announced the  Canada Greener Affordable Housing program (CGAH). The program focuses on supporting deep energy retrofits for existing multi-unit residential buildings. The goal is to see buildings achieve near net zero emissions.

As with all CMHC programs, there are multiple eligibility criteria, but the most critical are the very ambitious targets for energy consumption reductions and emissions.

On June 16, 2023, BC Non-Profit Housing Association, the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association submitted our Budget 2024 consultation paper.

Taken together, our proposals will ensure that British Columbians have increased access to affordable housing and that their housing is affordable, safe, and in a livable state of repair.

Housing Central and CHF Canada recently submitted recommendations on the financialization of housing to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA). 

The financialization of housing is the process where housing is increasingly treated as an investment rather than someone’s home.

We appreciate the focus on improving social supports for low-income Canadians, but are disappointed to see a lack of new investments in affordable housing. Indeed, no number of social supports will do more for low- and middle- income Canadians than ensuring that everybody has access to a safe, secure, affordable place to call home.

Alas, despite communities across the country experiencing explosion in housing need, Budget 2023 does little to address Canada’s worsening housing crisis. Instead, it puts existing affordable housing at risk.