LATEST
NEWS

The days of the “mom-and-pop” landlord are largely behind us. Now, housing units are being snapped up or developed by large corporate entities and private-equity firms. It can be hard to figure out who  actually owns a building. Homes being treated like major sources of capital, instead of places for people to live.

Erika Sagert, policy manager for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, has been trying to identify just how many people are affected by this financialization of housing.

On July 19, 2023, a devastating fire at Devonshire Court Housing Co-operative in Maple Ridge destroyed 12 homes. Thankfully everyone made it out safely. Displaced members are staying in a hotel for the near future but urgently need to find new longer-term accommodations while their homes are restored. Ideally the housing will be located near the Maple Ridge area. 

If your co-op has a vacancy they can offer to families or individuals from Devonshire Court, please send an email to members@chf.bc.ca.

Our friends at the Youth Excellence Society (YES)—best know for their summer camp programs—have some exciting news!

The have launched a brand new YES Scholarship Program. The YES believes that all youth should be able to follow their passions, and they are excited to bring this opportunity to their Alumni Participants.

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.

Earlier this week, our Housing Central partners at BC Non Profit Housing Association released an updated Canadian Rental Housing Index including data from the 2021 census. 

The Index is a comprehensive database that compiles rental housing statistics for cities, regions, and provinces across Canada.

The National Education Committee released a Request for Proposals for a project on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

This work has emerged as a priority. The goal is to support the co-op housing sector in implementing best EDI practices in co-op communities.

Co-op housing sector organizations across Canada have always had close working relationships.

Our latest collaborative venture is a National Education Committee that is steering a project funded by the Community Housing Transformation Centre: Co-operative Housing Sector Education Transformation (CHSET).  The purpose is to bring together our education community to share our work, make us stronger, and provide better, more relevant and accessible education initiatives across the country.

Our Group Buying Program has some exciting news for individual co-op member households!

The new RONA/Lowe’s resident member program is here! Now individual members can get the same discounts as your co-op for everyday in-store maintenance supplies and hardware purchases. Resident members can buy and get savings like a contractor.

The Rental Protection Fund Board of Directors recently announced that Katie Maslechko is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rental Protection Fund. The appointment is effective April 26, 2023.

The announcement marks an important milestone in the rollout of this innovative, sector-led solution to the housing affordability crisis

CHF BC board member Sahara Shaik has received a prestigious Community Award from the BC Achievement Foundation.

The Community Award program honours excellence and inspiring achievement in community service and leadership. It celebrates British Columbians who go above and beyond in their dedication and service to others. The award recognizes individuals who devote their time and energy to making their communities more caring, dynamic, beautiful, resilient and inclusive.

Atira Women’s Resource Society is nonprofit organization based in Vancouver, B.C.. They have found a unique solution to address the affordable housing crisis and improve employee well-being by providing housing to its staff members. This move has sparked interest in the potential for co-operative housing initiatives among other nonprofit organizations.

The Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) is a project based at the University of British Columbia, with the aim of providing evidence-based assessment tools and strategies to improve housing outcomes in Canada.

It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in affordable housing policy and research.