Aach Minutes April 2008

ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING Minutes of Meeting Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 7:00 p.m. Sunroom, Windmill Line Co-op, Toronto PRESENT: Donald Altman (Church-Isabella; chairing), Tom Clement (CHFT), Barbara Czarnecki (Windmill Line; recording), Brian Eng (Oak Street), Maureen Foy (Stanley Knowles), Gaye Hachie (Toronto Women’s), Maria La Vida (CHFT), Patrick Newman (Cardiff) REGRETS: Angela Cowie (Hugh Garner), Murtaza Dogo (Eamon Park), Corrie Galloway (Windward), Christine Mounsteven (Charles Hastings), Edward Nixon (Windmill Line), Jerry Reitsma (Ann Marie Hill), Trevor Studden (W.L. Mackenzie), Brynne Teall (Oak Street), Beth Wilson (Toronto Women’s), Ronny Yaron (Woodsworth) 1.

Introductions

2. Adopt agenda By consensus. 3. Minutes of March 13, 2008 Agreed by consensus. 4. Updates — “existing tools/additional assistance” letter Revisions were made to the draft presented by Brian in March, and CHF Canada asked co-ops to send letters to Minister Solberg in advance of a meeting on March 31 between CHF Canada and Alan Sakach, the minister’s new senior policy adviser. Letters were sent by Windmill Line, Stanley Knowles, W.L. Mackenzie and possibly others. Nick Sidor sent word that the letters were received. Brian added that Solberg met with provincial housing ministers soon afterwards, but the meeting was very brief and no results were reported. Discussion turned to what municipal political leaders are doing on the housing front. Tom will look into whether Toronto politicians are being invited to the AGM. Brian reported on Housing Opportunities Toronto, an initiative of Sean Gadon, in the mayor’s office. Community consultations are expected shortly on a wide range of options for what Toronto should focus on: new housing, income assistance, supportive housing, rental rehabilitation, etc. Tom said CHFT is asking Jon Harstone to represent the federation. 5. Current projects — numbers for Smitherman

AACH Minutes, April 9, 2008

Brian will continue to work on the basic numbers of co-ops and units. Gaye will check whether Beth is looking into vacancies in Toronto Centre. Barbara had offered to collate vacancies in Scarborough, but the task is too big; there are about 35 co-ops. Tom offered the assistance of CHFT; Barbara will email Michelle Arscott with details. Tom commented that the vacancy numbers are huge in Scarborough. CHFT has been working on the issue for years. They’ve tried to use the city’s $100/month supplement program to get units filled but it hasn’t been enough. — lobbying MPs and candidates: Brian will send his list of nominated candidates and Liberal incumbents who are assumed to be running again. If we get meetings set up now, we can talk to candidates before they get stuck on their election talking points. There are perhaps eight priority ridings in Toronto. CHFT and Brian, for the Wellesley Institute, will set up meetings for AACH members to attend. Nick Sidor informed Barbara that CHF Canada is revising its options paper for federal MPs and candidates in the next week. 6. CHF AGM — AACH meeting agenda The agenda can include: • Update: report on last year’s resolutions, and CHF Canada’s political work • Report on “additional assistance”: how the Toronto Women’s package works, or not, for them • Ask participants what their co-ops have tried in order to resolve subsidy difficulties. Tom noted that several Toronto co-ops have been getting second mortgages from the Agency and might be the next candidates to try the “additional assistance” route. We can report on the by-election meet-andgreets and lobbying efforts. A few co-ops, especially in British Columbia, are already out of their agreements. Tom will ask Thom Armstrong whether someone from one of these might come and talk to the group about what their co-op is doing about subsidy. Barbara will ask Nick Sidor to send the new CHF Canada options paper to AACH. We could use it in drafting a new one-page handout for the meeting. For the AGM generally, Patrick: will check that CHF is giving a full progress report on last year’s resolution #3, not just the year-end report already posted. It was noted that Nicholas Gazzard has been doing lots of good media appearances on co-ops and affordable housing lately, including radio shows and newspaper pieces. — flyer for CHF Canada mailout: Barbara will write it. — resolutions: Some will be discussed April 17 at the CHFT delegates’ meeting;

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AACH Minutes, April 9, 2008

there will also be resolutions meetings in May. — workshops: At the next AACH meeting we will look at the workshop schedule and try to ensure that we have people attending all the relevant ones to report back to the group. 7. AACH business No changes to the financial statement. The balance is $365. 8. Task list item 29: Tom has talked to most management company principals about S95 and finds little interest. He hasn’t yet talked to Homestarts. item 30: Anita Millar’s workshop is still under discussion with Mary Ann at CHFT. Tom suggests a broad billing, such as “problems with federal co-ops”: a subsidy problem might make its first appearance as a roofing problem. He sees it as more of a discussion group than a workshop.The Agency might be involved. items 33, 37: nothing to report. item 42: Brian will email Nick to find out what’s being done to link with the AGM, and who at the Star has been the contact for Nicholas Gazzard. 9. Not to be forgotten: — treating internal subsidy as charitable contribution — contacting non-housing co-operatives and other allies — media strategy — connecting with other housing advocacy organizations Donald asked whether the co-op sector is working with other non-profits that are also looking at the end of the S95 agreements. Should we be building bridges to TCHC and ONPHA? In Ottawa, CHFC works with SHRA and TCHC on the “maintain the investment” angle. Municipal non-profits have a closer link to government than we do, because we have to work through CMHC. Brian will send a roundup of what various other housing advocacy organizations are doing. Could help in lobbying. 10. Next meeting Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 p.m., Sunroom, Windmill Line. Barbara will invite David Granovsky, the new government relations coordinator at CHF Canada. 11. Adjourned at 8:52

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AACH Minutes, April 9, 2008

Task List – as of April 9, 2008 Date

Item # Apr 9/08 29

Who Assigned Tom

Talk to Homestarts about S95.

Apr 9/08 30

Tom/ Maureen Barbara

CHFT workshop/discussion group for staff about S95. Collect eviction instances.

Corrie/ Christine Brian

Call co-ops with 2007 and 2008 rollovers. Follow up with CHF Canada on contacts with Tor Star and other TO media to link with AGM.

Mar 33 15/07 Jan 8/08 37 Apr 9/08 42

TASK

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Target Date Fall 2008