Canada's Housing Co-ops Gather in Charlottetown - Call on Governments to Fix Looming Housing Crunch

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, June 3, 2015 /CNW/ - For the first time in its 47-year history, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) is holding its annual general meeting in Prince Edward Island. Over 600 participants from housing co-ops across Canada will gather from June 3 to 6 to campaign in support of thousands of vulnerable co-op households threatened by expiring federal housing assistance.

As Canada's housing co-ops face the end of federal operating agreements, rent subsidies for over 20,000 co-op households are scheduled to end, leaving residents at risk of homelessness, unless action is taken.

In P.E.I., 13 housing co-ops provide more than 200 homes, nearly half of which receive subsidies that are at risk as operating agreements expire.

"The people most at risk here are Canadians with low incomes, the elderly, people with disabilities and new Canadians," said CHF Canada Executive Director Nicholas Gazzard. "Now is the time to put the proper measures in place so that a future crisis can be averted."

Key topics of discussion for CHF Canada`s Charlottetown Annual Meeting will be resolutions concerning the national You Hold the Key – Fix the Co-op Housing Crunch campaign. The campaign calls for Ottawa to transfer savings from the expiring funding streams to the provinces and territories in order to share in the cost of rent supplement programs that they will manage. This way, low-income co-op households can continue to live in their homes once operating agreements end.

For more information on the national campaign, go to www.chfcanada.coop/youholdthekey

CHF Canada's Annual Meeting also includes education workshops, a national business meeting and tourist activities designed to give conference participants a taste of Charlottetown.

CHF Canada is the national voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. Its members include over 900 non-profit housing co-operatives and other organizations across Canada. More than a quarter of a million Canadians live in housing co-ops, in every province and territory.

SOURCE Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada

Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director, 613-293-8913, [email protected]; Dallas Alderson, Program Manager, Policy and Government Relations, 613-715-3323, [email protected]; Scott Jackson, Program Manager, National Communications, 778-227-3864, [email protected]