The board and staff of CHF BC have had a busy start to 2022. Here are some highlights of what we’ve been up to. If you live in, or manage, a housing co-op, please share this information with your members.

Board Updates

📅 Save the Date! Planning is underway for the 2022 Semi-Annual General Meeting. The meeting will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2022. We’re currently planning on a hybrid meeting, with some members attending in person and others joining us online. Stay tuned for more updates.

🎓 One of the most popular features of the SAGM is always the awarding of our annual scholarships. Do you know a young co-op member who demonstrates community leadership? Applications for this year’s awards will be accepted up until 4:30 pm on Friday, March 4.

🍁 We are pleased to confirm that the CMHC announces $118M in assistance for federally-administered co-ops. The Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen, has made the official announcement on subsidies for low-income members in co-ops with federal operating agreements that ended before April 1, 2016. 

💰 Finally, we’ll remind you that February 22 is budget day in BC. Along with our non-profit partners in Housing Central, we’ve made clear what we’re expecting to see in this budget (pdf). 

Member Services Updates

🔭 In late December we shared our Year In Review publication. This report captures the highlights of what was a remarkable year for CHF BC and our members.

🤎 February is Black History Month and we would like to invite you to our panel conversation called “A Place to Call Home” on February 15 at 1 pm. For those that can’t attend in the day, we will host a pre-recorded version on Thursday February 24 at 6 pm. 

🧭 Our board provides us with direction, and in 2021 our strategic plan was updated (pdf) to reflect sustainability practices, a sense of belonging and expansion of our movement.

🦜 We are piloting a new program called ARC – Active Resilient Communities. This initiative provides new ways to engage and collaborate with your entire co-op community. Pioneer Co-op in Victoria is part of the pilot.

🏫 Our popular winter learning series continues in 2022 with three online workshops scheduled for February and March. We are looking at ways to hold hybrid workshops later in the year with a mix of in-person and on-line participants. 

⛺ CHF BC sponsors several youth to attended the YES summer camp, a leadership based program for 14-18 year olds. You can expect to get more information about how to enter in late spring.

Upcoming Workshops, Events, and Meetings

👩🏽‍🏫 Workshops

• February 17: Co-ops 101
• March 3: Boards and Committees Working Together
• March 10: What Makes a Good Director?
• March 24: 10 Things to look for in your Co-ops Financial Statements
• Save the Date! Our spring education conference is scheduled for April 23, 2022. While there are no certainties, we will make every attempt to have some in person and online seats.

💻 Events and Meetings

• February 21: Climate Emergency Task Force Application Deadline
• February 24: REPLAY: A Place to Call Home: Stories of Black Canadians
• March 4: 2022 CHF BC Scholarship Fund Application Deadline
• March 8: March Movie Night: Margaret Atwood – A Word after a Word after a Word is Power
• Save the Date! Planning is underway for the 2022 Semi-Annual General Meeting. The meeting will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2022. We’re currently planning on a hybrid meeting, with some members attending in person and others joining us online. Stay tuned for more updates.

For updates from CHF Canada, please check out this recent post.