The Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) AGM, a highlight in my annual calendar, is over for another year. Last week, co‑op members, staff, and others in the sector gathered in Niagara Falls to learn, to strengthen ties across the country, to hear from politicians, to make organizational decisions, and yes, to have fun. For me, all those things happened and more.
Housing
Adam Vaughan brought me to tears: dispatches from CHF Canada’s 2017 AGM in Niagara Falls
June 14th, 2017 by Celia ChandlerIt’s that time of year – CHF Canada’s annual conference!
June 6th, 2017 by Iler CampbellOnce again this year, Iler Campbell LLP lawyers are honoured to have been asked to speak at the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada’s Co‑operative Management Conference and Member Education Forum in Niagara Falls this week. CHF Canada provides this annual opportunity for housing co‑opers from across the country to gather to discuss emerging issues, strategize about their collective response, make new friends and renew old acquaintances.
Celia Chandler, a regular presenter for CHF Canada and its regional federations, will participate in the legal issues town hall for managers on Wednesday. On Thursday, Celia will give a presentation to members on human rights and in particular, when co‑ops have a duty to accommodate behaviours that do not conform to the community standard.
Lauren Blumas, no stranger to the co‑op world, will deliver a workshop on Thursday afternoon on the legal issues stemming from aging in place. On Friday morning, Lauren and Andrew Noble of the Non‑Smokers’ Rights Association of Ontario will discuss how to deal with smokers in co‑op communities. This is sure to draw a crowd, especially with the federal promise of legalization of marijuana on the horizon.
If you’re at the conference, please be sure to say “hi” to Lauren and Celia. And stay tuned to this blog for future Iler Campbell speaking engagements.
Province plans to make legislative changes that will help transitional housing providers
May 26th, 2017 by Claudia PedreroBill 124, the proposed Rental Fairness Act, 2017 passed its third reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario last week. This bill has received significant attention in the past few weeks for the important changes it could make to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the RTA).
The press has focussed on the fact that Bill 124, if passed into law, will increase rent controls to include units built after 1991 and require landlords who want to take over a unit for their own use to compensate a tenant or provide them an alternate unit.
However, there is another important change to the RTA which deserves attention: those providing transitional housing and rehabilitative or therapeutic services will be exempt from the RTA for tenancies that lasts four years or less.
Parkdale tenants take action on affordable housing with rent strike
May 25th, 2017 by Katie DouglasThis article was first published on rabble.ca
At the beginning of May, a group of tenants in Parkdale, a Toronto neighbourhood that is home to many newcomers and low‑income residents, went on a rent strike. The tenants are protesting proposed rent increases as well as what they claim are serious maintenance issues in their units. In a recent news release, a spokesperson for the group said that the landlord of three of the six buildings has begun issuing eviction notices to the striking tenants because they did not pay their May rent.
The background to this rent strike is an increasingly problematic rental market in Toronto.
Continue reading “Parkdale tenants take action on affordable housing with rent strike”
Recreational marijuana – coming to a unit near you
May 23rd, 2017 by Lauren BlumasThe federal government has announced its plans to legalize recreational marijuana. In addition to legalizing possession of cannabis for recreational purposes ‑ we’ve long had a regime for legal possession of medical cannabis ‑ the proposal allows households to grow up to four marijuana plants under 100 cm. What will legalization mean for rental and co‑op housing?
Continue reading “Recreational marijuana – coming to a unit near you”
Iler Campbell featured in CBC news article on housing co-ownership
March 22nd, 2017 by Iler CampbellLauren Blumas is featured in a CBC news article highlighting “creative solutions to unattainable house prices.” The article highlights: the trend of co-buying homes; a couple who’ve elected to stay renters in the city while buying income property outside of the city; and non-profit condo developer (and Iler Campbell client) Options for Homes.
Lauren is quoted on the need for “co-purchasers sign a legally binding document called a co-ownership or co-tenancy agreement prior to buying the home.”
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