Frank Wheeler is the President of CHF Canada’s Board of Directors. Tim Ross is CHF Canada’s Executive Director.
Dear Friends,
As we finalize this report, Canada and most of the world is locked down under strict physical distancing to protect against COVID-19.
This public health emergency poses new challenges for housing co-ops and co-op members, but we are a resilient lot. By staying true to our mission and principles and by staying united we will remain secure and even stronger, as we have through other struggles.
In 2019, we passed the biggest test of our strength and resolve when, prior to the federal election, we secured the Federal Community Housing Initiative, the second phase of the program replacing expiring rental assistance. The importance of this program to our continued identity as mixed-income communities can’t be overstated, and it’s a testament to the activism of our members and allies.
With federal program rental assistance no longer hanging in the balance, we were free last fall to focus more advocacy towards the provinces with unresolved subsidy extensions and to wage an assertive ‘Include Co‑op’ federal election campaign focused on co-operative identity, sustainability and growth. Again, members have stepped up to raise support and awareness for more safe, secure, and affordable housing across the country.
As outlined in this report, we continue to make strides towards the objectives of our shared vision, aligning our plans and resources, expanding and deepening our partnerships within the co-op and housing sectors, as well as with governments that increasingly recognize the wisdom of investments in community housing. In 2019 this resulted in the launch of the Community Housing Transformation Centre, a CHF Canada-led partnership of co-op and non-profit housing groups. It also led to several initiatives aimed at future development, some of these supported by the National Housing Strategy.
None of these ambitions would be conceivable without our strong partnerships and, most vital, the support and engagement of CHF Canada members. This support has been truly exceptional as we fought to protect co-op housing during the past decade. We are confident that it will grow stronger yet as we pursue our vision of co-operative housing for all.
With physical distancing and the prospect of CHF Canada’s first-ever virtual Annual Meeting scheduled in 2020, it’s a new and strange world that challenges how we stay connected as co-ops.
Though we may do things differently during this crisis, we remain strong, united and creative in service to our members. Co-operators know how to take care of people and communities, and co-op housing will remain a beacon of hope and promise.