WELCOME TO THE CO-OP HOUSING INFORMATION EXCHANGE ("CHIE")

YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN AND FIND BLOGS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN A LINK FOR YOU ON TWITTER...OR BY E-MAIL. IN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN OF EACH PAGE YOU CAN TRANSLATE A PAGE INTO A LANGUAGE THAT YOU PREFER BY CLICKING THE TRANSLATE BUTTON AND ALSO VIEW A PAGE MENU FOR THIS SITE.

WELCOME TO THE NEW CO-OP HOUSING INFORMATION EXCHANGE THAT HAS A MANDATE TO SHARE FREE INFORMATION ABOUT CO-OPS, SOCIAL/COMMUNITY HOUSING, AND RESOURCES IN CANADA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, UNITED KINGDOM, AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

WHAT MUST BE REQUIRED IS PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT THAT INCLUDE ACCOUNTABILITY AT ALL NON-PROFIT HOUSING CO-OPERATIVES ACROSS CANADA, AROUND THE WORLD, AND ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.

CO-OPERATION CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS THROUGH SHARING FREE KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING AND THEN UNDERSTANDING!

CHIE HELPS PUT TOGETHER ALL THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE ABOUT NON-PROFIT CO-OP HOUSING IN CANADA, SO YOU CAN GAIN A BETTER PERSPECTIVE.
THE CULTURE OF SILENCE AT MEMBER CO-OPS NEEDS TO END THAT SURROUND THE PRACTICE OF POOR OR BAD GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT.

FOLLOW YOUR CHIE, NOT A FAILED STATUS QUO WITH SELF-SERVING CO-OP HOUSING STAKEHOLDERS.

CHIE IS A SELF-HELP SITE THAT IS YOURS TO DISCOVER. LEARN ABOUT AND ADOPT PRINCIPLED LEARDERSHIP, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. REVIEW INTERNAL CONTROLS, FRAUD DETECTION AND PREVENTION. LEARN ABOUT CO-OP STAKEHOLDERS, GOVERNING LAWS, AND NEWS MEDIA.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO EXPLORE MULTIBLE LINKS AREA AND ITEMS OF LEGISLATION THAT OFFER RESOURCES THAT MAY PROVIDE SOME SOLUTIONS FOR CANADIAN NON-PROFIT HOUSING CO-OPS AND NON-PROFIT HOUSING OUTSIDE CANADA IN DIFFICULTY OR CRISIS.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESEARCH CO-OP STAKEHOLDERS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND LEGISLATION THAT RELATE TO CO-OP'S IN YOUR PROVENCE OR STATE, AND COUNTRY. CHECK FOR INFORMATION UPDATES IN THE LINKS AREA AND OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE CHIE SITE.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND THE INFORMATION YOU ARE RESEARCHING ON CHIE OR KEN'S SITE, TRY SOME OF THE MANY LINKS AVAILABLE, EXAMPLE: CHF CANADA...

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER TO FOLLOW YOUR CHIE!... BUT REGISTERED USERS THAT INCLUDE OPEN ID CAN POST COMMENTS ON CHIE.
**AS AT MARCH 2, 2014 YOU CAN NOW REGISTER AND JOIN THE CHIE SITE**

CHIE HAS A POLICY TO REVIEW AND DELETE MATERIAL OR COMMENTS THAT ARE DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE OR OFFENSIVE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SITE ADMINISTRATOR. THE CHIE ADMINISTRATOR WILL NOT BE RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS OR ENQUIRES...

CO-OP AND SOCIAL HOUSING RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO START THEIR OWN SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, AND COMMUNICATE INFORMATION TO YOUR FELLOW RESIDENTS ABOUT CONCERNS WITH GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OR NOT DEMOCRATICALLY RUN WHERE RESIDENT VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE SILENCED. EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL NETWORK SITES INCLUDE BLOGGER, TWITTER, WORDPRESS, AND FACEBOOK, ETC...REMEMBER, FOLLOW YOUR CHIE!

SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH CHIE ABOUT CO-OP HOUSING BY USING THE CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW, AND IT MAY BE PUBLISHED ON THE CHIE SITE.

NOTICE ABOUT CHIE CONTENT AS AT JULY 16, 2017
SOME INFORMATION HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF VIEW FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND MAY BE RE-PUBLISHED A LATER POINT IN-TIME AFTER THE REVIEW HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND APPROVED


Ken Hummel, Administrator, Co-op Housing Information Exchange


Contact information, e-mail: <kenhummel@msn.com>




Wednesday

Housing Strategy and Co-op Housing

The federal government of Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) was in consultation with various housing stakeholder's and the general public that include several social media websites that will help create a National Housing Strategy.  

 

CMHC - What We Heard: Shaping Canada's National Housing Strategy in a 66-page in PDF :: CLICK HERE

 

My letter in PDF sent electronically to the National Housing Strategy Team at CMHC :: CLICK HERE

Big city mayors demand $12.6 billion in dedicated housing cash at the #TOHousingSummit held in Toronto, Ontario on September 30, 2016 

 

A National Housing Stakeholder round-table discussion was held on September 19, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario. Representatives from 25 National Housing Stakeholder Organizations shared their thoughts and findings during the day long discussion with a brief summary CLICK HERE and Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister, Responsible for CMHC spoke to these Housing Stakeholders CLICK HERE

 

On September 7th, 8th, and 9th. 2016 CMHC hosted a round-table discussion on Canada's National Housing Strategy with expert group's that presented their idea's in brief summaries. 

 

On September 7, 2016, Six Sessions were held that discussed housing:

0:45 to 3:50 - Session One had Karen Cooper discuss 'Social Inclusion' and expanding choices for people with low incomes, build upon the existing resources, and set up a housing secretariat and to provide certainty in its funding... 

 

4:20 to 9:27 - Session Two had Graeme Stewart discuss 'Maintaining and Preserving Existing Rental Housing' that included reinvestment in social and co-op housing... 

 

9:40 to 12:40 - Session Three had Andy Yan discuss 'Housing Needs Data' and how it monitors Canada's housing stock affordability... 

 

12:50 to 21:22 - Session Four had Greg Christenson discuss 'Senior's Housing' and the intergration of health into housing... 

 

21:30 to 26:33 - Session Five had Ron Wickman discuss 'Assessable Housing Universal Design and Visitability' and the roll of the federal government... 

 

26: 45 to 32:13 - Session Six had Michael Rice discuss 'First Nations On-Reserve Housing' he said as almost like being in another country and that many First Nations are in section 95 housing...

September 7, 2016 

September 8, 2016

September 9, 2016

 

 

 Ken sent an email with a PDF File Attachment about the need for affordable housing in regards to the Liberal government 2016 Spring budget to Celina Caesar-Chavannes, MP, Whitby


In Ken's view, there will be some discussion to re-mandate CMHC, with the federal government transferring an undetermined amount of money to some co-op housing stakeholder's, territories, provincial government's and that they in turn will transfer money for housing to municipalities.  

 

 In Ken's opinion, a National Housing Strategy should include an Ombudsman for Co-operative Housing where co-op housing member's could file formal complaints.

 

In Ken's view, part of that strategy in Ontario is contained in Bill 7. 

The government of Ontario announced in a news release on September 14, 2016 the reintroduced legislation as part of their affordable housing strategy CLICK HERE 

 

Bill 7, Promoting Affordable Housing Act, 2016 CLICK HERE 

First Reading was Carried on September 14, 2016.  

Second Reading was Carried on September 28, 2016  

Third Reading was Carried on December 6, 2016 

Royal Assent was received on December 8, 2016

Standing Committee on Social Policy - Bill 7 

A Public Hearing on Bill 7 will be held on November 28, 2016

Ken does not support Bill 7 in its current draft. Some background information about Bill 14 (Non-Profit Housing Co-operative Statute Law Amendment Act, 2013) proclaimed into law on September 24, 2013

 

Bill 7 has no previsions that provide Co-op housing Member's the same rights under law that Tenant's of Landlord's have under Law and the Residential Tenancies Act at the Landlord and Tenant Board

Bill 7 includes changes to the Residential Tenancies Act that effect co-op housing member's noted under schedule 5 of this proposed legislation.

 

You are urged to contact your MPP and other parliamentarians and share your views, opinions and propose amendments to Bill 7. Some contact information: 

 

Chris Ballard, Liberal MPP, Minister of Housing 

Ernie Hardeman, Progressive Conservative MPP, Critic, Municipal Affairs and Housing 

Percy Hatfield, New Democratic Party MPP, Critic, Municipal Affairs and Housing 

Lorne Coe, Progressive Conservative MPP, Whitby-Oshawa  

 

In Ken's view, part of this legislation relates to co-op housing and a proposal to transfer Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) housing units to a co-op housing land trust. 

 

Some background information:

Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto proposal to transfer the TCHC scattered units to a Co-op Land Trust. CLICK HERE to review the 5-page proposal in PDF.


openingthewindow.com

February 10, 2016

By Joy Connelly


"Who will pay for a transformed TCHC?"

CLICK HERE to read this co-op housing advocate blog 





Some information and comments about Bill 7: 

cbc.ca September 14, 2016 

By Shanifa Nasser, CBC News 

 

"Fleeing faster: New Ontario provision allows domestic and sexual abuse victims to break rentals early" CLICK HERE to read this article

 

 

cela.ca  

September 14, 2016

By Jonathon Robinson, JD Candidate, Osgoode Hall Law School 

 

"Destabilizing Tenancy Rights Is Not the Solution to Ontario's Housing Shortage"

CLICK HERE to read this blog

 

"Changes to landlord/tenant law in Ont make it easier to evict people where landlords avoid repair/maintenance duties" 

(Rick Lindgren, Staff lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association) 

 

 

Additional background information about co-op housing in Toronto, Ontario:

A Case Study: Atkinson Housing Co-operative:


Atkinson Housing Co-operative has 147 apartments in two buildings and 263 townhouse homes that represent some 500 members. CLICK HERE for some history of the co-op and background information. It should be noted that the Atkinson housing co-op website does not appear to have been updated since 2011.


Some information was reviewed about member engagement that relate to the democratic process.


The co-op posted a notice for a re-scheduled Annual General Membership Meeting for May 25, 2011.

The notice stated in part that "The AGM is re-scheduled from last week as quorum was not achieved. A minimum of 20 members must attend this meeting in order to achieve quorum." CLICK HERE


In Ken's view, the co-op requires only 4% of its membership to attend the AGM to meet quorum!


In Ken's view, the co-op is not truly governed and managed democratically. Ken would expect at least 51% or some 255 of its some 500 members to attend the co-op meetings of members to be considered a democratic functioning housing co-operative with perhaps some measure of success.


It should be considered wishful thinking to consider this housing co-op as democratically managed by its membership, but it may provide some comfort for the people residing at the co-op project.


What were some of the determining factors that concluded this community was ready to transform into co-operative housing with very poor member engagement?


In Ken's view, Atkinson housing co-operative represents a considerable source of annual revenue for CHF Canada that may represent over $20,000 in membership dues in 2016 and in addition, its member housing federation, CHF Toronto that collected an undetermined amount of money through membership dues and services sold to the co-op in 2016.


Research additional information about Atkinson housing co-op and co-op housing CLICK HERE 


Co-op Housing Information Exchange (CHIE) shares information about co-op housing CLICK HERE  

 

Do You think co-op housing is worthy of additional financial support through a National Housing Strategy? You are encouraged to comment below. 

 

You are urged to share this blog on other social media platforms...






Information may be revised and/or deleted without prior notification




Ken Hummel, MemberAthol Green Co-operative Homes Incorporated 


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