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ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING
Minutes of MeetingThursday, July 23, 2009, 7:00 p.m.Multipurpose Room, Windmill Line Co-op, Toronto
PRESENT:
Donald Altman (Church-Isabella), Barbara Czarnecki (Windmill Line;recording), Corrie Galloway (Windward), Pat Leslie (Hugh Garner), Sylvia Novac(Fred Dowling), Beth Wilson (Toronto Women’s)
REGRETS:
Murtaza Dogo (Eamon Park), Tracy Geddes (Red Hill), Lauren Hele(Newmarket), Christine Mounsteven (Charles Hastings), Patrick Newman(Cardiff), Jerry Reitsma (Ann Marie Hill), Brynne Teall (Oak Street), SharynWallace (Innisfree)
 1.Introductions2. Adopt agenda
Agreed. Proposed for a future agenda: the impact of the HST on Ontario co-ops.
3. Minutes of July 3, 2008
Agreed.
4. Updates
— CHF Canada lobbying on continuing RGI after end of agreements:Barbara reported on a call from Nick Sidor. CHF Canada plans to focus on asmall group of Ontario MPs, maybe six or eight, with large numbers of S95 andILM units in their ridings (Bob Rae, others not yet chosen). They want to turn thisgroup into “champions” for the cause of creating a successor subsidy program.CHF would write letters to each one in late August, asking for meetings in Ottawaor locally. The letters would specify how many units of RGI housing are at risk ineach co-op in the MP’s riding, with copies to those co-ops. Nick suggests that theco-ops could then do their own follow-up.Members present were generally in favour of the plan. Some skepticism wasexpressed over how much Rae would actually do. AACH could collect personal,human-interest stories of the effect of RGI cuts. AACH has done this in the past.— Social Planning Toronto (SPT) research project:This project would document trends in subsidized units in co-ops, and thepotential for co-ops to provide more RGI housing. Beth will pick up the project inthe fall; the methodology is not yet developed.Beth can work on “co-op stories” as part of this project and can add a seniorscomponent, by projecting income levels into the future. She noted that there arecomplaints of discrimination about co-ops that she must include in the project.
 
AACH Minutes, July 23, 2009
— counting vacancies in Toronto co-ops:AACH started a count last year after George Smitherman, then the minister of health, asked us for numbers of co-op vacancies. CHFT took over the count butwe never heard the results. Barbara will call Tom Clement. Beth said SPT coulddo a vacancy count.
5. CHF AGM
— AACH national meeting:About 16 people attended. The lunch-hour format seems too short, as peoplehave a lot to say. Donald will look into whether the next meeting could be turnedinto a workshop, in the regular conference schedule.— survey on impact of recession:The survey report has been sent to Patrick Newman, Ontario Region Director, for distribution to the CHF Canada board.— workshops:Barbara gave highlights of the government relations workshop. CHF Canadasees no prospect of movement on restoring RGI funding lost in past cuts, butextending RGI after the end of agreements remains a high priority.
6. Current projects
— the House Project:The House is finished and making appearances. It was at two forums held inadvance of the Ontario consultations on affordable housing strategy, inScarborough and in downtown Toronto. For this project, AACH will continue towork with partners other than CHF Canada and CHF OR, since these sector organizations have made clear that they do not support actions that could attractunfavourable media coverage of governments.The Ontario consultations continue in September. Barbara will try again to raiseinterest in London. (At Victoria, a member of the 2010 AGM planning committeewas interested in bringing the House to London.) A Hamilton AACH member offered via email to look into pre-consultation events there. Corrie will contactJanine McDonald to ask about events in Lindsay. Beth will try Social Planningcontacts in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.— AACH submission to Ontario consultationsThe AACH submission could build on previous presentations to HousingOpportunities Toronto and the UN Special Rapporteur. Beth will help in the fall.We should review a draft by mid-October.A question about vacancies in Scarborough federal co-ops was asked atthe provincial consultation in Scarborough, but the assistant deputy minister,Kathleen Blinkhorn, said that wasn’t a provincial matter. The province couldchoose to see vacancies as an opportunity rather than somebody else’s
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