CHIE SHARES INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ABOUT OPERATING AGREEMENTS THAT RELATE TO RENT GEARED-TO-INCOME SUBSIDY ISSUES AND CANADIAN NON-PROFIT CO-OP HOUSING.
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THE ISSUE: ALMOST ALL CHF CANADA MEMBER FEDERAL NON-PROFIT CO-OP HOUSING PROGRAM OPERATING AGREEMENTS ARE SCHEDULED TO END BY 2021 WITH CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION ("CMHC")
This web-page blog has hyper-links for additional information! Please note that some hyper-links are broken due to CHF Canada retiring their website in May 2017 and opening a new website that shares far less information that oppose transparency and accountability!
MORTGAGEBROCKERSNEWS.CA
July 21, 2017
By Ephrain Vecina
"CMHC responds to Ontario housing co-ops"
CLICK HERE to review this article
YAHOO.COM
July 13, 2017
"CMHC tells Ontario housing co-ops to abandon low-income members" - "18.5 million in private lending for building modernization caught in red tape"
CLICK HERE to review this article
THESTAR.COM
June 11, 2016
By Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
"Mortgage relief for co-op housing providers announced Liberals say $ 150 million over four years will help tenants stay in their homes"...
..."Gazzard said his group wants to see federal and provincial governments provide more income assistance to low-income, or fixed-income tenants like seniors and those with disability issues so co-op housing providers could focus funds on managing properties instead of income subsidies."
"We want the co-ops to be self-sustaining. The co-ops themselves want to be self-sustaining." he said. "What's not sustainable, though, is the provision of affordable rents to low-income people. That, we believe, is a government assistance duty and the government should pick that up."
CLICK HERE to review this article
COMMENT:
In Ken's opinion, its not realistic to expect non-profit zero equity housing co-ops to be self-sustaining with many of its inherent problems and those co-op stakeholder's that pander...to each other!
In Ken's view, Nicholas Gazzard, and his group have absolved themselves of the cause and effect of why a 'Co-op Housing Crunch' continues to exist, which Ken finds absurd and totally ridiculous.
In Ken's view, some of Mr. Gazzard's comments are a betrayal that sacrifice low-income people by throwing them under the bus and confirms what Ken has been saying since 2013 at the start of the CHF Canada You Hold the Key campaign that you can review in some background information below.
CBC.CA
March 24, 2016
By Liam Britten, CBC News
"Federal budget's 2.3 B for non-profit housing welcomed by co-ops"...
"the announcement of a $30 million bridge fund for co-op renters on rent assistance who were facing the end of their assistance. That funding will give those on assistance an extra two years of the status quo while a new agreement is negotiated between the federal government and the province."...CLICK HERE to review this article
COMMENT:
In Ken's view, Mr. Thom Armstrong, Executive Director, Co-operative Housing Federation, BC, and the article shared erroneous information that it was the first time in 23 years the federal government put new money into co-op housing...
It should be noted that in 2009 and 2010, the federal government renovation and retrofit stimulus program provided $150 million to federally administered social housing projects that include co-op housing And $850 million to social housing that included co-op housing administered by the provinces and territorial governments across Canada.
CLICK HERE and then click the second google search link for information
Some Background Information Below:
The Liberal Party of Canada formed a majority government after the general election was held on October 19, 2015 with an election campaign promise to renew co-op housing operating agreements.
In Ken's view, CHF Canada and its member Co-op Housing Federations started their You Hold The Key - Co-op Housing Crunch campaign in 2013 to lobby all levels of government and their member housing co-ops in support of renewed operating agreements between CMHC and federal program housing co-operatives that are member's of CHF Canada, and CHF Canada member federations.
CHF Canada has urged members' of its member housing co-ops to contact their Members' of Parliament in regards to this campaign. Ken contacted his MP and the Prime Minister of Canada.
CLICK HERE to view Ken's correspondence in PDF
There are 2, 200 housing co-operatives that represent 97,000 co-op units in Canada. CHF Canada's annual report indicated it had 909 member co-ops in 2013. Ken estimated that CHF Canada had some 57,450 member co-op units with an estimated 180,000 people residing in these housing co-ops outside the province of Quebec.
In Ken's view, as at March 10, 2016 CHF Canada had 1,500 or 0.83% of the 180,000 people residing in their member co-ops across Canada contact their Member of Parliament in regards to this campaign.
In Ken's view, as at March 3, 2016 CHF Canada had 280 co-ops in support of their You Hold the Key - Stop the Co-op Housing Crunch campaign that represent 31% of their 909 member housing co-ops reported in 2013.
How democratic is the decision making process to have resolutions carried at the CHF Canada Annual General Meeting (AGM)? - Quorum is established at a CHF Canada AGM when delegates attend from at least 15% of CHF Canada Member Co-op's.
Examples:
242 delegates attended the 2015 AGM that represent 25% of CHF Canada Members
226 delegates attended the 2013 AGM that represent 23% of CHF Canada Members
How many member housing co-op's hold a membership meeting with quorum established when 25% or less of the co-op membership attend and have members' vote on resolutions that provide delegates with a mandate on how they should vote on a resolution at the CHF Canada AGM?
In Ken's view, there are no surveys or statistics available that may determine the number of member housing co-op's that give their delegate's a mandate to vote on resolutions at CHF Canada AGM's.
Delegate's & alternate's that attend and vote on resolutions at CHF Canada AGM's may not have a mandate from their housing co-op's that support or oppose resolutions at the CHF Canada AGM's.
Example: Athol Green Co-operative Homes Inc. had a delegate & alternate attend the 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 CHF Canada AGM without a mandate from the co-op general membership in support or in opposition of any resolutions on the CHF Canada AGM Agenda!
In Ken's opinion, the co-op housing democratic process is a fallacy!
In Ken's view, CHF Canada and their Member Housing Federations are playing a money shell game or scheme to re-direct co-op funds for capital repairs...for its member co-ops with Canadian taxpayers' money that comments & links below explain!
Please note that some comments below are hyper-linked to additional information that appear not to be shared by CHF Canada...in their 'You Hold the Key - Co-op Housing Crunch campaign. You and Parliamentarians are urged to review these comments with important information.
COMMENTS:
Its Ken's understanding this type of co-op housing provides housing for mixed incomes, not just for people with low-incomes. In Ken's view, CMHC provides co-ops in its co-op portfolio rent geared-to-income ("RGI") rent subsidy funding for low and moderate income Canadian's...through its operating agreements that relate to a co-ops annual or monthly mortgage payments.
Its Ken's understanding co-ops annual mortgage payments may equal the total amount of RGI rent subsidy funding provided by CMHC. At the end of Operating Agreements, when the co-ops mortgage is paid in full, we should expect co-ops to allocate that money once used to pay the co-op monthly mortgage go towards internal RGI rent subsidies for its low and moderate income co-op residents members' that would allow them to remain in affordable housing.
In Ken's view, the Agency for Co-operative Housing provides data on federal programs co-ops that suggest a significant number of co-ops are in difficulty and many problems are due to poor governance and management, resulting in poor property conditions...
Click link :: CHF Canada NewsBriefs, National Edition, Spring 2011 Pages 6-9 in PDF
Lack of oversight for capital repairs and replacements, including quality of finishes resulting in poor property conditions and a history of low contributions to a capital reserve fund are some examples. A number of additional issues contribute to the poor governance and management at co-ops. Click link: Crisis Situations in Housing Co-operatives
In Ken's opinion, co-ops can have general membership's that place their own personal self-interest above the best interest of the co-op by not providing the co-op a net income to cover expenses. Example: Setting and maintaining co-ops monthly market rent well below the market rents of other types of housing stock located in the same geographical area that CMHC monitors.
In Ken's view, almost every section 95 housing co-op built between 1979 and 1984 likely may need capital repairs to maintain co-op building's that may be in part as a result of its membership's neglect or willful negligence over some years.
In Ken's view, CHF Canada developed the co-operative housing refinancing partnership for section 95 housing co-ops with some of Canada's credit unions. This program would assist section 95 housing co-ops to obtain new financing for capital repairs. Co-ops that enter into this partnership would prematurely end their current mortgage obligations and operating agreements with CMHC.
In Ken's opinion, business partners along with CHF Canada would profit from fees and commissions etc. from its member co-ops that enter into this partnership while most resident co-op member's in receipt of a RGI rent subsidy may loose their affordable homes after the mortgage agreement ends with CMHC, and Ken would find that shameful...
In Ken's view, CHF Canada and CHF BC are not advocating for low and moderate income resident co-op members' that rely on RGI rent subsidies because CHF lobbyist are not recommending prior to end of co-op operating agreements that the money once needed to pay the co-op mortgage be allocated towards funding RGI rent subsidies at their member co-ops,
Ken finds the absence of that CHF Canada recommendation as being harmful for those RGI co-op members'. Are co-ops being advised to allocate the money once needed to pay the mortgage through operating agreements with CMHC, go towards capital repairs...?
In Ken's opinion, CHF Canada should be seen as being hypocritical by lobbying for additional RGI subsidy funding, but also at the same time encouraging their member co-ops to end their operating agreements prematurely with CMHC that may result in Canadian's with low or moderate incomes on a Rent-Geared to Income rent subsidy to loose their affordable homes.
In Ken's opinion, CHF Canada and CHF BC...appears to be exploiting the end of operating agreements with it's member housing co-ops for their own personal self-interest.
Ken views CHF Canada and CHF BC as being disingenuous with all their rhetoric about lost federal dollars needed to fund RGI rent subsidies in their 'you hold the key' or 'co-op housing crunch' campaign. Its a money shell game and the scheme is to re-direct funds for co-op capital repairs...
The following hyper-links summarize why a CHF Canada Co-op Housing Crunch exist: Poor co-op housing member engagement, combined with co-op housing stakeholders that pander to each other are linked to the inherent problems that create crisis situations at housing co-operatives. Those links explain in some detail why very few new housing co-ops have been built in Canada since 1995. NP co-op housing can be viewed as a Fraud-Friendly Culture that has been described as a drain-hole for Taxpayers' money, where many have come to feast as explained in a Toronto Star article!
CHF Canada lobbyist will continue to lobby all levels of government for more money for it's member co-op's because of the inherent problems that will continue exist at its member housing co-ops!
CHF Canada locks Ken out of their EOA Member Network and Facebook site you hold the key campaign site for expressing his views and opinions: CLICK HERE
All levels of government should be encouraging non-profit housing co-ops to invest in some key priorities: 1) incrementally raising rents annually to ensure contributions to capital reserve funds are adequate and meet the future needs of co-ops, and 2) at the same time, re-allocate the funds once needed to pay the co-op mortgage go towards co-op RGI rent subsidy pool's for low and moderate income resident co-op members'.
It should be noted that in 2009 and 2010, the federal government renovation and retrofit stimulus program provided $150 Million to federally administered social housing projects and $850 Million to social housing administered by provinces and territorial governments across Canada.
Ken Hummel, Administer, CHIE
Links to Some Background Information:
CHF CANADA LOBBYING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING
You may need to be registered as a member with CHF Canada to open the link below!
CHF CANADA CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING REFINANCING PARTNERSHIPSome examples of News Media coverage of the #youholdthekey campaign
METRONEWS.CA
March 25, 2014
By Sam Smith, For Metro
"B.C won't pay for federal co-op housing subsidy shortfall"...
CLICK HERE to view article
GLOBALNEWS.CA
January 22, 2014
By Erica Tucker and Vassy Kapelos, Global News
"Fears of Evictions across Canada as feds end co-op housing subsidy"...
CLICK HERE to view article and video
CBC.CA
August 15, 2013
"Low-income housing hit by federal program end"...
CLICK HERE to view article
Closing comments and link to supplemental information:
In Ken's view, CHF Canada lobbyist will use this campaign to convince the government to provide extra funding for rent subsidies that should be seen as the wrong approach. CHF Canada, some other co-op housing stakeholders along with all party support from the government of Ontario and passage of Bill 14 into law had already read the 'Tea leaves' on these issues many moon's ago.
Eviction Law Reform speeds up the eviction process of co-op housing members' - Bill 14, Non-profit Housing Co-operative Statute Law Amendment Act was fast-tracked into law on September 26, 2013 at the urging of CHF Canada and its lobbyist that call it a victory for housing co-ops in Ontario.
In Ken's view, CHF Canada lobbying of Bill 14, don't allow co-op housing members' to file applications to seek remedies for maintenance, housing charge disputes, and harassment issues at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Tenants of Landlords are protected under law and can file applications to seek remedies on those three issues at the LTB. Bill 14 was proclaimed into law on June 1, 2014.
In Ken's view, when CMHC federal program Co-op operating agreements expire, CHF Canada want that money once needed to pay down the Co-op mortgage to be re-allocated towards its Member Co-op housing capital replacements and repairs, and not towards rent subsidies for modest or low income co-op housing resident members'.
In Ken's view, CHF Canada are truly disingenuous about their concerns for vulnerable and disadvantaged people that reside inside their Member Housing Co-operatives.
In Ken's view, mainstream News Media outlets are buying into and reporting on what CHF Canada and what Politician's say, without investigating deeper into the reasons behind the issues that are not being shared with them and Canadians...
Mainstream News Media outlets should get in touch with their CHIE...
CLICK HERE to access information and issues in regards to Bill 14
CHIE will provide you with updated information when it becomes available
KEN WELCOMES YOUR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON THE CHIE SITE THAT CAN BE POSTED IN THE COMMENT AREA BELOW AND SOME OTHER POSTED BLOGS ON CHIE.
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