Cassia Kantrow is the President of CHF Canada’s Board of Directors. Tim Ross is CHF Canada’s Executive Director.
Dear co-operators,
As we continue to gain momentum towards Co-operative Housing for All, it’s clear that it is our members who are the backbone of our movement.
From the Atlantic to BC and all places in between, we are witnessing a renaissance in the co-operative housing movement. Members and federations are driving forward new developments, collaborations between co-ops, expansions and acquisitions. Many more plans and dreams are taking shape in co-op meeting rooms across the country.
From our network of Peer Champions to engaged individuals in co-ops across the country, our movement is securing its future and contributing to solving our national housing crisis.
We are eager to see the launch of the Co-operative Housing Development Program. There’s not a moment to be wasted, and that is why in 2023 CHF Canada members and regional federations passed resolutions urging the federal government to launch the program right away. Our online advocacy campaign saw Housing Minister Sean Fraser and other Members of Parliament receive over 1,400 messages from co-op members and supporters calling for the program’s launch.
Working together creatively and co-operatively took many forms in 2023. From partnerships with other co-op housing federations on education and with the wider community housing sector on the Co-op Housing Management Accreditation, it’s with our common cause that we work together to support the strength and growth of housing co-ops.
In 2023, we were honoured with the Best Large Co-operative award from Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada and recognition as a Top Employer in the National Capital Region from Canada’s Top 100 for a fourth consecutive year. These recognitions are welcome, but the most important thing is the loyalty and engagement of CHF Canada members, and for that we thank you. Our sector would not be in such a secure and forward-looking position without your support.