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Sounds simple, but if every member uses less water, you can shrink your co-operative’s water bill, leaving more money for other priorities. Water rates may rise in future; now is the time to take action.

Are outdoor lights on sensors or timers? Has your co-op switched to LED lighting in your common spaces? Good investment! Not only will it use 75 to 90 % less electricity than incandescent, but the bulbs will last much longer.

Encourage your members to cut energy use too. They can turn down the

Grants and loans come and go, as government priorities change at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. Those that support environmental sustainability in not-for-profit housing are no different. Opportunities can change without notice, so when you discover one, go for it right away.

Even a modest property can look beautiful when it includes colourful gardens and mature trees. People will want to live there and the co-op’s neighbours will love you.

Some co-ops have generous outdoor common space with plenty of room for a community garden. Others were built almost to the lot line

Co-ops that care about climate change and want to shrink their environmental footprint should consider approving their own Environmental Sustainability Policy. A model is available from the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada. It was written so that you can easily remove any points that don’t

Early in 1992, the federal government announced the end of its last program for developing new housing co-operatives. One year later, the other federal housing programs came to an end. The federal Budget of 1996 offered control of these legacy housing programs to the provinces and territories, but

Our Mandate

The mandate of the Agency is to assist the federal government in

• ensuring that public funds committed for co-operative housing programs are used as intended and are properly accounted for
• safeguarding the public’s investment in co-operative housing.

The Agency operates within an

Our board and committees

The Agency’s Board of Directors sees to the fulfilment of the Agency’s mandate and the terms of its contract with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Directors are recruited from the major geographic regions where the Agency has clients. Appointed by the board

Governance

• By-law No. 1
• Director Honoraria and Expenses
• Director Profile 
• Nomination Committee Charter
• Ethical Conduct
• Ethical Conduct Agreement
• Role of the Individual Director
• Relationship with Member
• Sustainability

Client Service

• Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities
• Bilingual Services
• Client Service and

A housing co-operative is a democratically controlled association formed to provide housing for its members. The typical Canadian housing co-operative owns houses or apartments and rents them to members for an indefinite period of time on a non-profit basis. When a member moves out, their membership