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ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING
Minutes of MeetingWednesday, April 9, 2008, 7:00 p.m.Sunroom, Windmill Line Co-op, Toronto
PRESENT:
Donald Altman (Church-Isabella; chairing), Tom Clement (CHFT),Barbara Czarnecki (Windmill Line; recording), Brian Eng (Oak Street), MaureenFoy (Stanley Knowles), Gaye Hachie (Toronto Women’s), Maria La Vida (CHFT),Patrick Newman (Cardiff) 
REGRETS:
Angela Cowie (Hugh Garner), Murtaza Dogo (Eamon Park), CorrieGalloway (Windward), Christine Mounsteven (Charles Hastings), Edward Nixon(Windmill Line), Jerry Reitsma (Ann Marie Hill), Trevor Studden (W.L.Mackenzie), Brynne Teall (Oak Street), Beth Wilson (Toronto Women’s), RonnyYaron (Woodsworth)
1.Introductions2.Adopt agenda
By consensus.
3.Minutes of March 13, 2008
Agreed by consensus.
4.Updates
— “existing tools/additional assistance” letter Revisions were made to the draft presented by Brian in March, and CHF Canadaasked co-ops to send letters to Minister Solberg in advance of a meeting onMarch 31 between CHF Canada and Alan Sakach, the minister’s new senior policy adviser. Letters were sent by Windmill Line, Stanley Knowles, W.L.Mackenzie and possibly others. Nick Sidor sent word that the letters werereceived.Brian added that Solberg met with provincial housing ministers soonafterwards, but the meeting was very brief and no results were reported.Discussion turned to what municipal political leaders are doing on thehousing front. Tom will look into whether Toronto politicians are being invited tothe AGM.Brian reported on Housing Opportunities Toronto, an initiative of SeanGadon, in the mayor’s office. Community consultations are expected shortly on awide range of options for what Toronto should focus on: new housing, incomeassistance, supportive housing, rental rehabilitation, etc. Tom said CHFT isasking Jon Harstone to represent the federation.
5. Current projects
— numbers for Smitherman
 
AACH Minutes, April 9, 2008
Brian will continue to work on the basic numbers of co-ops and units. Gaye willcheck whether Beth is looking into vacancies in Toronto Centre. Barbara hadoffered to collate vacancies in Scarborough, but the task is too big; there areabout 35 co-ops. Tom offered the assistance of CHFT; Barbara will email MichelleArscott with details.Tom commented that the vacancy numbers are huge in Scarborough.CHFT has been working on the issue for years. They’ve tried to use the city’s$100/month supplement program to get units filled but it hasn’t been enough.— lobbying MPs and candidates:Brian will send his list of nominated candidates and Liberal incumbents who areassumed to be running again. If we get meetings set up now, we can talk tocandidates before they get stuck on their election talking points.There are perhaps eight priority ridings in Toronto. CHFT and Brian, for theWellesley Institute, will set up meetings for AACH members to attend.Nick Sidor informed Barbara that CHF Canada is revising its options paper for federal MPs and candidates in the next week.
6. CHF AGM
— AACH meeting agendaThe agenda can include:
•
Update: report on last year’s resolutions, and CHF Canada’s political work
•
Report on “additional assistance”: how the Toronto Women’s package works,or not, for them
•
Ask participants what their co-ops have tried in order to resolve subsidydifficulties. Tom noted that several Toronto co-ops have been getting secondmortgages from the Agency and might be the next candidates to try the“additional assistance” route. We can report on the by-election meet-and-greets and lobbying efforts.A few co-ops, especially in British Columbia, are already out of their agreements.Tom will ask Thom Armstrong whether someone from one of these might comeand talk to the group about what their co-op is doing about subsidy.Barbara will ask Nick Sidor to send the new CHF Canada options paper toAACH. We could use it in drafting a new one-page handout for the meeting.For the AGM generally, Patrick: will check that CHF is giving a fullprogress report on last year’s resolution #3, not just the year-end report alreadyposted.It was noted that Nicholas Gazzard has been doing lots of good mediaappearances on co-ops and affordable housing lately, including radio shows andnewspaper pieces.— flyer for CHF Canada mailout: Barbara will write it.— resolutions: Some will be discussed April 17 at the CHFT delegates’ meeting;
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AACH Minutes, April 9, 2008
there will also be resolutions meetings in May.— workshops: At the next AACH meeting we will look at the workshop scheduleand try to ensure that we have people attending all the relevant ones to reportback to the group.
7. AACH business
No changes to the financial statement. The balance is $365.
8. Task list
item 29: Tom has talked to most management company principals about S95 andfinds little interest. He hasn’t yet talked to Homestarts.item 30: Anita Millar’s workshop is still under discussion with Mary Ann at CHFT.Tom suggests a broad billing, such as “problems with federal co-ops”: a subsidyproblem might make its first appearance as a roofing problem. He sees it asmore of a discussion group than a workshop.The Agency might be involved.items 33, 37: nothing to report.item 42: Brian will email Nick to find out what’s being done to link with the AGM,and who at the Star has been the contact for Nicholas Gazzard.
9.Not to be forgotten:
— treating internal subsidy as charitable contribution— contacting non-housing co-operatives and other allies— media strategy— connecting with other housing advocacy organizationsDonald asked whether the co-op sector is working with other non-profits that arealso looking at the end of the S95 agreements. Should we be building bridges toTCHC and ONPHA? In Ottawa, CHFC works with SHRA and TCHC on the“maintain the investment” angle. Municipal non-profits have a closer link togovernment than we do, because we have to work through CMHC.Brian will send a roundup of what various other housing advocacy organizationsare doing. Could help in lobbying.
10. Next meeting
Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 p.m., Sunroom, Windmill Line. Barbara will invite DavidGranovsky, the new government relations coordinator at CHF Canada.
11. Adjourned at 8:52
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