Co-operative Law

Are GTA Housing Co-ops unfairly impacted by changes in the Ontario Human Rights system?

December 14th, 2015 by Iler Campbell

Celia Chandler is in this issue of the GTA Co-op Network newsletter answering the question “GTA Housing Co-ops are complaining that they are unfairly impacted by changes in the Ontario Human Rights system. Do you think they have a case?”

 

Check it out here. Celia’s article is the last on the page. While you’re there, hit the subscribe button!

Vote co-op housing – you hold the key

October 7th, 2015 by Iler Campbell

CHF Canada has launched a campaign calling on co-op housing supporters to help make the future of affordable co-op housing an issue in the federal election. On votecoophousing.ca they write:

Federal and provincial funding agreements that assist more than 20,000 low-income households living in co-operative housing with their rents are coming to an end in large numbers. Unless governments agree to help, the co‑ops where these low-income Canadians live will be unable to offer them affordable rents based on their incomes.

They’re calling on voters to call on their candidates for their support, share their co-op housing stories and help spread the word. Find out more at votecoophousing.ca

Celia Chandler at CHFT Fall Education Event

September 23rd, 2015 by Iler Campbell

Celia Chandler will be leading a workshop at the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto’s Fall Education Event on Saturday October 24th. She will be discussing human rights in a co-op setting and the duty to accommodate.

Also at the event are Viola Bardhoshi and Dionne Reid of Prentice Yates & Clark. All three presenters will also be at Tools Conference on November 25.

Learn more about CHFT’s event here.

The Pope on co-ops

March 4th, 2015 by Iler Campbell

In a speech last Saturday, Pope Francis praised co-operative organizations, saying that “the foundation of new cooperative enterprises, along with the further development of those already in existence” should be a “first place” priority of society. Co-operatives, he said,  should “continue to be the motor for lifting up and developing the weakest part of our local communities and of civil society”. In co-operatives, he said, “capital does not rule over people, but people over capital.”

He called for “creative imagination to find forms, methods, attitudes and tools to combat the throwaway culture cultivated by the powers that support the economic and financial policies of the globalised world.”

Hear, hear!

End of co-op operating agreements: leaders press for continued funding

December 17th, 2014 by Celia Chandler

The evening of December 16, 2014 marked another in a series of meetings organized by the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Toronto and CHF Canada to discuss the pressing issue of the end of operating agreements for many co‑operative and non‑profit housing providers.     In the GTA alone, 14 co-ops will reach the end of their operating agreements in the next two years.   Continue reading “End of co-op operating agreements: leaders press for continued funding”

More news from the LTB on co-op evictions

December 3rd, 2014 by Celia Chandler

We are now aware of 26 co‑op eviction decisions released by the LTB.  Of those, we know that 17 settled at the Case Management Hearing stage.  Case Management Hearings are conducted primarily in person, but also by telephone on occasion.  Our experience at Case Management Hearings has been a positive one – the parties have come prepared to agree to repayment terms with an understanding of the consequences to co‑op members who default.   Unfortunately, across the province the LTB has reported that two of the settlements  have failed; in those cases, co‑op members who have agreed to settlements did not fulfil their terms and have been evicted as a result.     But as far as we know the remaining 15 settlements are in place and working to keep co-op members back on track with payments.

Continue reading “More news from the LTB on co-op evictions”