ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING

Minutes of Meeting
Thursday, March 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Recreation Room, Windmill Line Co-op, Toronto

PRESENT: Donald Altman (Church-Isabella; chairing), Barbara Czarnecki

(Windmill Line; recording), Brian Eng (CHFT), Beth Wilson (Toronto Women’s),
Ronny Yaron (Woodsworth)

REGRETS: Murtaza Dogo (Eamon Park), Maureen Foy (Stanley Knowles),

Marilyn Garner (Three Links), Corrie Galloway (Windward), Joyce McEwan
(Caroline), Patrick Newman (Cardiff), Edward Nixon (Windmill Line), Jerry
Reitsma (Ann Marie Hill), Brynne Teall (Oak Street), Sharyn Wallace (Innisfree),
Jennifer Watkins (Cawthra Mansions)

1. Introductions

2. Adopt agenda
By consensus.

3. Minutes of January 8, 2008

Minutes of January 8 should say Tuesday, not Wednesday. A meeting scheduled
for February 12 was cancelled, and no minutes were taken at a small meeting on
February 25.

4. Updates
— federal by-election meet-and-greets:
The two events, at Bleecker Street and Windmill Line, went well. About sixty
people in total attended. The format of candidates coming one at a time rather
than all together allowed for broader discussions. Candidates could go beyond
their basic talking points, and audience members were clearly engaged and
listening. Brian’s report to the CHFT board will be sent with these minutes.

— “existing tools/additional assistance” letter:

Brian distributed a draft letter for the federal housing minister, Monte Solberg.
The aim is to advise the minister that, despite some earlier assurances, no
program exists that will give co-ops more funds specifically to make up for
subsidy cuts. Brian is to coordinate with the co-ops that requested funds and
were refused.

— meeting with George Smitherman:

Beth, Barbara, and Gaye Hachie and Carrol Downey of Toronto Women’s met
with Smitherman the afternoon of the AACH meeting. The Toronto Women’s
delegation took the opportunity to thank Smitherman for his help in securing an
enhanced assistance package for the co-op last year; they pointed out the flaws
AACH Minutes, March 13, 2008

but explained how it had helped.

Smitherman was not enthusiastic about the OCHAP/CSHP idea but said
he would write to Minister Jim Watson if we would supply figures. He wanted
estimates of how much housing could be opened up by increasing funding to
these programs. He asked about the possibility of using vacant co-op units for
people with mental illness, through a Ministry of Health program; he asked a
policy adviser, Jennifer Morris, to follow up.
Brian will get figures for co-ops and co-op units; Beth will phone around for
vacancy rates in Toronto Centre; Barbara will ask Scarborough co-ops to count
their current vacancies.

— Ontario poverty reduction strategy:

Smitherman said the focus of the cabinet poverty task force would be on
children, with a child tax benefit probably the biggest component. He said he
would write to Deb Matthews to urge the task force to consider housing as a
factor in poverty.
Barbara reported that Harvey Cooper of CHF Canada was keeping an eye
on the cabinet initiative and looking for opportunities to make a submission.
Harvey also referred to the 25 in 5 initiative, a coalition of social policy groups.
Beth is involved in a forum being organized by 25 in 5 on April 14 at Queen’s
Park; she will keep us informed.

— CHF Canada action on RGI subsidies:

Items from CHF Canada were distributed: a lobbying update, press releases, and
a proposal sent to officials of HRSDC calling for continuation of RGI subsidies
beyond the end of operating agreements and increased funding of current
subsidy programs. Brian reported that this proposal is being revised for use with
candidates in the next election.

5. Current Projects
— Ontario RGI campaign:
Brian reported that this lobby campaign is on hold. The report of the upload
review is not expected until June, and there is a new minister of housing in
Ontario to be brought up to speed.

— lobbying federal MPs and candidates:

CHF Canada met with Patrick Brown, Tory MP for Barrie. Brown had been well
educated on co-op issues by Three Links Co-op. He said he would write to
Minister Solberg about subsidy cuts.
We can lobby the many nominated candidates of all parties, focusing on
target ridings identified for previous elections. Brian will provide a list of
candidates. Unfortunately for AACH, Brian will not be able to organize meetings
with candidates because he is leaving CHFT. Members congratulated him on his
new position with the Wellesley Institute.

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6. CHF AGM
— AACH meeting:
Nick Sidor has allocated a meeting room for an AACH gathering on Thursday,
June 12, at lunch. Barbara will ask whether co-op members not registered for the
conference can attend.
We will need to agree on a rough agenda for the meeting and prepare a
flyer for the registration mailout by mid-April.

— networking lunch topic:

People who attended last year’s networking lunch have been asked to suggest
topics for this year’s. No one had an “AACH topic” to suggest.

— resolutions: Ann Marie Hill:

Jerry Reitsma of Ann Marie Hill brought to the February AACH meeting a
resolution about the difficulties of co-ops in high-vacancy areas: they can’t offer
subsidy to fill units, and their revenues are hurt by the vacancies, making it more
difficult to maintain the properties and attract new members. Jerry was not
present to report on discussions with CHF Canada about the final wording.

7. AACH business
— revising our “mandate”:
This is it: “The Alliance for Affordable Co-operative Housing brings together co-op
members and staff from across Canada to work for the restoration and
continuation of rent-geared-to-income subsidies. AACH lobbies governments at
all levels to fulfill their responsibilities to low-income Canadians by fully funding
existing subsidy programs and developing new forms of subsidy to replace
operating agreements as they expire.”

— financial statement:
No change.

8. Task list
— 18: Smitherman meeting — done.

9. New business
Beth reported that her research project on co-op housing for the Community
Social Planning Council of Toronto is going ahead. The purpose is to document
trends in affordable housing in co-ops, looking at indicators such as level of RGI
assistance. She will investigate the potential to create more RGI capacity within
existing co-op stock, and eventually building new units and infill.
Donald offered to serve on the project advisory committee. Beth will be
asking AACH members to participate in various ways.

10. Not to be forgotten

— treating internal subsidy as charitable contribution
— contacting non-housing co-operatives and other allies

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— media strategy
— connecting with other housing advocacy organizations

11. Set next meeting date: Wednesday, April 9, 2008, Sunroom, Windmill
Line Co-op

12. Adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Task List – as of March 13, 2008

Date Item Who TASK Target

# Assigned Date
July 29 Tom/ Talk to principals of management
31/07 Barbara companies about S95.
Nov 30 Tom/ CHFT workshop for staff about S95.
14/07 Maureen
Mar 33 Barbara Collect eviction instances.
15/07
Jan 8/08 37 Corrie/ Call co-ops with 2007 and 2008
Christine rollovers.
Sep 42 Brian Follow up on meeting with Tor Star
11/07 editorial board.