LATEST
NEWS

The following is a brief update on developments that affect co-ops in the City of Vancouver.

Vancouver City Hall has been recently active on a couple of fronts.

A number of co-ops in the City of Richmond received correspondence outlining the City’s proposal to consider rental-only zones.

Some housing co-ops would be affected by this measure if it were implemented and the City has offered a Public Open House on June 6 (from 4 pm to 8 pm).

This represents an opportunity for co-ops to learn more directly from the City.

In January and February, CHF BC held a pair of meetings for co-ops that lease land from the City of Vancouver. Members offered their views on the lease renewal framework and how the lease renewal discussion has progressed so far.

We have summarized the comments in a short document.

It was a cold, snowy night… A good reminder of the importance of protecting co-op homes and resolving the challenge of expiring leases. February 11 marked the second meeting in the last couple of weeks with member housing co-ops, management companies and RePlan. These meetings were to discuss the issue of lease renewals with the … Continued

On January 29, CHF BC met in Heritage Hall on Main Street with nearly 50 co-op members representing 20 co-ops, as well as management companies and *RePlan.

Everyone was there to talk about a new approach to renewing City of Vancouver leases.

The Community Land Trust and City of Vancouver broke ground on 140 new units of affordable co-op housing. More than 100 of the 140 homes are designed for families. These include 65 two-bedroom apartments and townhomes and 37 three-bedroom apartments and townhomes.

The combined future developments in Fraser Lands River District will be western Canada’s largest housing co-operative with 418 homes

Good news for co-ops with active, federally-administered operating agreements! Co-ops with a Section 95, ILM or Section 61 agreement are eligible to apply to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for funding to “help complete activities that will allow them to transition to a more viable and sustainable model.” This means there’s money available to … Continued

CHF BC helped welcome our co-op neighbours from across the country at the CHF Canada AGM in Victoria from June 6 to 9. It was the biggest BC contingent ever for an AGM, with nearly 100 co-op delegates, volunteers and CHF BC staff.

CHF BC has been pleased to serve the co-op sector for more than 35 years, and we were thrilled to receive multiple awards at the CHF Canada AGM in Victoria that recognized our efforts!

There was much to celebrate at the 50th anniversary CHF Canada AGM, where co-ops from across Canada gathered in Victoria, including the outstanding Vision Keynote Panel discussion at the opening on June 8.

CHF BC is proud to be a partner in developing the 2018 Canadian Rental Housing Index, created by our partners in Housing Central, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA).

Statistics Canada data shows rental housing costs are outpacing incomes and pushing renters into a crisis level of spending.

CHF BC members met on Sunday, May 6, for an afternoon packed with exciting news and opportunities to connect with each other.