Aach Minutes July 2009

ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING Minutes of Meeting Thursday, July 23, 2009, 7:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room, Windmill Line Co-op, Toronto PRESENT: Donald Altman (Church-Isabella), Barbara Czarnecki (Windmill Line; recording), Corrie Galloway (Windward), Pat Leslie (Hugh Garner), Sylvia Novac (Fred Dowling), Beth Wilson (Toronto Women’s) REGRETS: Murtaza Dogo (Eamon Park), Tracy Geddes (Red Hill), Lauren Hele (Newmarket), Christine Mounsteven (Charles Hastings), Patrick Newman (Cardiff), Jerry Reitsma (Ann Marie Hill), Brynne Teall (Oak Street), Sharyn Wallace (Innisfree) 1.

Introductions

2. Adopt agenda Agreed. Proposed for a future agenda: the impact of the HST on Ontario co-ops. 3. Minutes of July 3, 2008 Agreed. 4. Updates — CHF Canada lobbying on continuing RGI after end of agreements: Barbara reported on a call from Nick Sidor. CHF Canada plans to focus on a small group of Ontario MPs, maybe six or eight, with large numbers of S95 and ILM units in their ridings (Bob Rae, others not yet chosen). They want to turn this group into “champions” for the cause of creating a successor subsidy program. CHF would write letters to each one in late August, asking for meetings in Ottawa or locally. The letters would specify how many units of RGI housing are at risk in each co-op in the MP’s riding, with copies to those co-ops. Nick suggests that the co-ops could then do their own follow-up. Members present were generally in favour of the plan. Some skepticism was expressed over how much Rae would actually do. AACH could collect personal, human-interest stories of the effect of RGI cuts. AACH has done this in the past. — Social Planning Toronto (SPT) research project: This project would document trends in subsidized units in co-ops, and the potential for co-ops to provide more RGI housing. Beth will pick up the project in the fall; the methodology is not yet developed. Beth can work on “co-op stories” as part of this project and can add a seniors component, by projecting income levels into the future. She noted that there are complaints of discrimination about co-ops that she must include in the project.

AACH Minutes, July 23, 2009

— counting vacancies in Toronto co-ops: AACH started a count last year after George Smitherman, then the minister of health, asked us for numbers of co-op vacancies. CHFT took over the count but we never heard the results. Barbara will call Tom Clement. Beth said SPT could do a vacancy count. 5. CHF AGM — AACH national meeting: About 16 people attended. The lunch-hour format seems too short, as people have a lot to say. Donald will look into whether the next meeting could be turned into a workshop, in the regular conference schedule. — survey on impact of recession: The survey report has been sent to Patrick Newman, Ontario Region Director, for distribution to the CHF Canada board. — workshops: Barbara gave highlights of the government relations workshop. CHF Canada sees no prospect of movement on restoring RGI funding lost in past cuts, but extending RGI after the end of agreements remains a high priority. 6. Current projects — the House Project: The House is finished and making appearances. It was at two forums held in advance of the Ontario consultations on affordable housing strategy, in Scarborough and in downtown Toronto. For this project, AACH will continue to work with partners other than CHF Canada and CHF OR, since these sector organizations have made clear that they do not support actions that could attract unfavourable media coverage of governments. The Ontario consultations continue in September. Barbara will try again to raise interest in London. (At Victoria, a member of the 2010 AGM planning committee was interested in bringing the House to London.) A Hamilton AACH member offered via email to look into pre-consultation events there. Corrie will contact Janine McDonald to ask about events in Lindsay. Beth will try Social Planning contacts in Sudbury and Thunder Bay. — AACH submission to Ontario consultations The AACH submission could build on previous presentations to Housing Opportunities Toronto and the UN Special Rapporteur. Beth will help in the fall. We should review a draft by mid-October. A question about vacancies in Scarborough federal co-ops was asked at the provincial consultation in Scarborough, but the assistant deputy minister, Kathleen Blinkhorn, said that wasn’t a provincial matter. The province could choose to see vacancies as an opportunity rather than somebody else’s

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AACH Minutes, July 23, 2009

“problem” — a point we could make in our submission. — Housing Network of Ontario declaration: Barbara will send AACH’s endorsement to HNO at stableandaffordable.com. — 2020 Vision: Is there a way to connect to it? Affordability comes up in the Compass exercise as a highly rated value. Is CHF tracking how often, and how strongly? These numbers could be used in lobbying for continued affordability. 7. AACH business — The July 17 financial statement shows a balance of $1,908.92, largely from donations for the House Project. The group agreed that reimbursements for that project could be made on the signature of both co-chairs, without a motion at an AACH meeting. — Website: Christopher Wulff at SPT has offered to set up a simple site via SPT if we provide content. Beth will link him to Barbara to get this done. 8. Not to be forgotten — treating internal subsidy as charitable contribution: this idea still comes up from time to time. — contacting non-housing co-operatives — media strategy — connecting with other housing advocacy organizations: the House Project is a significant advance toward this objective. Linda Coltman of Voices from the Street has offered to try to get the House to an ONPHA meeting. Phil Brown, general manager of shelter, support and housing for Toronto, attended the CHF AGM and the national AACH meeting in Victoria. Donald noted that the city recognizes what will happen when S95 co-ops and other S95 nonprofits end their agreements: demand will increase on city housing. A Recession Relief Coalition has formed and may be holding events. Older Women’s Network is having a forum in October. 9. Next meeting date Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 p.m., Windmill Line.

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