January 2008

Prepared for Our Readers
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In this issue:
CHF Canada calls on Federal Government to Maintain the Investment in RGI for Housing Co-ops
Co-operative Housing Awards Night a Huge Success
Upload the SHRA Co-ops Campaign at Toronto City Hall
Atkinson Co-op/Alexander Park Community Centre Activists Receive YMCA Peace Medallion
Diversity Scholarships Deadline Approaching
Winter Coats for Kids Project Growing
CHF Canada AGM local planning committee needs you!

CHF Canada calls on Federal Government to Maintain the Investment in RGI for Housing Co-ops

The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada recently met with officials from the Federal Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (the ministry responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing) . At this meeting CHF Canada presented a proposal to continue the funding of Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) subsidies to Section 95 co-ops after their current operating agreements end. CHF Canada also proposed increasing the funding available to co-ops for RGI in order to meet the growing need for affordable housing. This proposal offers a sensible solution that is easy to implement.

For more information about this proposal click here.

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Co-operative Housing Awards Night a Huge Success

The Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) presents awards to co-ops each fall to celebrate their achievements. The 2007 Awards night was held in November. Close to 200 people from dozens of co-ops and many friend of co-ops attended this wonderful event. Awards are presented for the best gardens, newsletters, and websites. Co-ops are honoured for achievements in diversity, youth and volunteerism.

This year the Housing Co-op Achievement of the Year award went to the members of the Bleecker Street Co-op. Members of the co-op. When the International AIDS Conference was held in Toronto in August 2006 and Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he would not attend, Bleecker Street members led a demonstration to shame the Canadian government. The group obtained a thousand white pillowcases and set up an assembly line outside the co-op to stencil them with the message “Sleep in Steve? HIV never sleeps!” The stenciling became an eight-hour event in itself, with music and high spirits, and neighbourhood residents got involved. These pillowcases were distributed at the conference and brought media attention to Prime Minister Harper's absence

A new award this year was the Hall of Fame Garden award. This award will be presented to co-ops who have one the Garden of Distinction award 10 times or more. This year This award went to Almise Co-op and Duncan Mills Labourers Local 183 Co-op

Reports on other awards

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Upload the SHRA Co-ops Campaign at Toronto City Hall

CHFT and CHF Ontario representatives have been meeting with councillors in Toronto and making presentations at City of Toronto committee meetings as part of the campaign to upload the municipally administered Social Housing Reform Act (SHRA) co-ops to the province. This proposal would see the co-op administered by the Agency for Co-operative Housing which already administers the federally funded co-ops.

Co-op representatives have been meeting with Members of Provincial Parliament and municipal officials around the province to build support for this proposal. A report from a panel that is reviewing the relationship between the province and municipalities around social programs is due in February.

For more information about this visit:
Stronger Together at the CHF Canada website
Government Relations at the CHFT website

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Atkinson Co-op/Alexander Park Community Centre Activists Receive YMCA Peace Medallion

Two members of Alexandra Park Community Centre/Atkinson Co-op, were honoured with a YMCA Peace Medallion Twenty years ago, the Peace Medallion was introduced as part of the YMCA World Peace Week to recognize the contributions of individuals and groups to peace in their communities and around the world.

Walied Eldardiry and Olu Quamina have been involved in volunteering and working in a community located near Bathurst and Spadina. Walied, 23, has lived in the community all his life. Olu, 27, is a community worker at the Alexander Park Community Centre who has volunteered countless hours.

These two young men have dedicated the past 5 years to showing the many children and youth in their community a different “path”. This is a path which encourages responsibility, hard work and community pride. They have done this by engaging young people in a basketball program/homework club and dinner/movie nights.

To find out more about their achievements click here

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Diversity Scholarships Deadline Approaching

For the last three years the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) has provided scholarships to young people living in our member housing co–operatives. These young people must be entering their first year of post secondary education and show a strong commitment to diversity in their communities. There are now 50 young people involved in the scholarship program. CHFT has awarded over $180,000.00 in scholarships.

This year we have 10 scholarships available for young people entering their first year of college or university. In addition, we will be awarding the Success Becomes You Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes youth who are determined to succeed at the post-secondary level or in a skilled trade and who did not have the opportunity to finish high school due to family, financial or other circumstances.

Application deadline is Tuesday, February 19th, 2008.

To get more information and download an application form click here.

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Winter Coats for Kids Project Growing

CHFT's Winter Coats for Kids project was a huge success again this year. More than 500 coats were distributed to over 50 co-ops in Toronto and York Region. As well, CHFT sent coats to Moonstone Co-op in St. Catherines. This co-op had a serious fire earlier this year and many of the families living there lost everything.

CHFT would like to thank the sponsors of this project who provided generous support:

• Appliance Canada
• Bleecker Street Youth
• Community First
• Homestarts
• JTM Inc.
• Ontario Property Management
• Precision Property Management
• Urbancorp

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CHF Canada AGM local planning committee needs you!

CHF Canada's Annual General Meeting will take place in Toronto from June 10 to 14. The local planning committee is looking for volunteers to help during the week of the AGM. Volunteers will be needed to stuff the kit bags, help with registration, work in the AGM Store, help direct delegates and work at the plenary meeting. If you have some time available during that week and would like to experience the AGM from the other side, please contact Diana Dawson at 416 254-9173 or didawson@aci.on.ca.

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