A national partnership of housing organizations announced today that Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has selected its proposal to create a Community Housing Transformation Centre supporting innovation, capacity building and long-term sustainability of community housing.
This National Housing Strategy initiative will invest $68.6 million over nine years into programs, grants and resources supporting community housing. The partnership is represented by an organization incorporated last year which will oversee the project.
Partners include the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the Agency for Co-operative Housing, the BC Non Profit Housing Association, the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC, the Ontario Non Profit Housing Association, the Housing Services Corporation, Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation, and the Confédération québécoise des coopératives d'habitation.
“Canada’s housing co-ops and sector organizations are very proud to be involved in this important initiative,” said Tim Ross, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. “As housing need becomes more pressing by the day for many households across the country, we are ready to engage with government and organizations to ensure resources are best deployed to make community housing, including co-op housing, more resilient.”
“The Community Housing Transformation Centre will be an important tool to assist housing organizations in exploring and implementing alternative business models to become more sustainable,” said Jeff Morrison, Executive Director of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. “This is especially true for urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing providers, who face unique operational, cultural and funding challenges.”
“Quebec’s non-profit housing groups are excited to be part of this innovative project,” said Stéphan Corriveau, Directeur général of the Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation. “This arrangement will help us best direct this needed funding to the specific housing needs and circumstances of different regions.”
“BC’s non-profit housing providers and housing co-ops welcome this initiative,” said Jill Atkey, CEO of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association. “By directing this investment through community housing organizations, the federal government is recognizing the established track record, knowledge and efficiency of the community housing sector.”
For more information, please see CMHC’s announcement and this backgrounder on the community housing partnership.
For more information:
Tim Ross, Executive Director, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, 613-314-6267 (mobile), tross@chfcanada.coop
Scott Jackson, Manager, Communications, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, 778-227-3864 (mobile), sjackson@chfcanada.coop
Dean Pogas, Director, Communications and Programs, BC Non-Profit Housing Association, 604-363-6590 (mobile), dean@bcnpha.ca
Jeff Morrison, Executive Director, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, 613-291-9377 (cell), jmorrison@chra-achru.ca
Stéphan Corriveau, Directeur général, Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation, 514-846-0163, direction@rqoh.com