In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), about why co‑operative housing is one of Canada’s most promising – and underused – tools for tackling the housing crisis. Tim explains what housing co‑ops are, how they differ from other forms of non‑market housing, and why they offer stability, community, and long-term affordability in ways that market housing often cannot.

Drawing on decades of sector experience and recent federal policy wins, Tim walks us through the renewed momentum behind co‑ops: the National Housing Strategy, the $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program, new partnerships with municipalities and the private sector, and landmark projects like the major new co‑op at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown site. He also unpacks the practical challenges of growing the sector – from capital repairs in aging co-ops to governance capacity among member‑volunteers – and what it will take to scale co-operative housing across Canada.

Key Takeaways

• Co-op housing is democratic, community‑centred, and non‑speculative. Members govern through elected boards and collective decision‑making, giving them real power over their housing in ways most nonprofit and private rental models do not.
• Co-ops provide security of tenure and long-term affordability. Because they are nonprofit and not traded on speculative markets, co-ops shield members from demovictions, renovictions, and extreme rent hikes.
• Co-ops house diverse, mixed‑income communities. They intentionally combine low-income households (often with rent supplements) with seniors, families, students, newcomers, and workers in one stable community.
• Policy is finally catching up after decades of neglect. Following years of federal withdrawal from non‑market housing, the National Housing Strategy and CHF Canada’s advocacy have secured $1.5B for new co-op development, $500M in rental assistance, and new sector support.
• Co-op rents increasingly outpace the market—in a good way. CHF Canada’s research shows co-op housing charges were already $150–$200/month below comparable private rents and, by 2021, the gap had widened to $400–$500/month, generating major long-term savings for members.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview
00:21 – Introducing Tim Ross & CHF Canada
02:10 – What Is Co-op Housing? Governance, Tenure & Community
04:45 – Why Don’t We See More Co-ops? Policy Gaps & “Tortoise vs. Hare” Development
07:30 – Who Lives in Co-ops? Mixed-Income Models & Diverse Households
11:20 – Member Governance, Volunteer Roles & Capacity Challenges
14:30 – Aging Co-ops, Capital Planning & Renewal Needs
15:52 – Can Co-ops Grow? Financing Tools & the Co-op Housing Development Program
18:25 – Public Land, Federal Programs & Scaling New Co-op Supply
21:15 – Private Sector Partnerships & the Eglinton Crosstown Co-op Project
21:37 – Affordability: How Co-op Rents Compare to Market Rents Over Time
23:57 – Public Opinion, Polling Results & Cross‑Partisan Support for Co-ops
27:01 – Where to Learn More: CHF Canada Resources & Getting Involved
27:43 – Outro & Credits

Learn more about CHF Canada and co-operative housing development on their website and social channels, including their “build” section for organizations interested in starting or expanding co-ops: https://chfcanada.coop/build/why-build/

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