Co-operative Housing Association
of Eastern Ontario

Media Centre: FAQs and Resources

Frequently Asked Questions about Co-operative Housing

1. What is a housing co-op?
2. What does membership in a housing co-op mean?
3. Who lives in housing co-ops?
4. Who owns the units, and how is payment for housing calculated?
5. How does being a member in a co-op differ from being a tenant?
6. How do people apply to housing co-ops?
7. How are housing co-ops funded?
8. What are some of the issues CHASEO is advocating for?
9. What is the role of CHASEO?
10. How is CHASEO funded?

More Housing-Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions about Co-operative Housing

1. What is a housing co-op?

• A housing co-operative is an incorporated, non-profit co-operative business formed by people who wish to provide and own their housing jointly.
• Co-ops provide housing at cost to low and moderate income earners.
• Governance of housing co-ops is controlled by the members who live there – it is a democratic and participatory process in which every member has a voice. Members are elected to positions on the co-op’s Board of Directors. Members also vote on the following matters:
• By-laws that establish the rules that run the co-op.
• The annual operating budget.
• The annual audited statements showing how co-op money was spent over the previous year.

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2. What does membership in a housing co-op mean?

• People living in the co-op are members. Members decide on the planning, design, and governance of the co-op.
• Membership means self-government and participation.
• Members select annually from among their co-op community to create a Board of Directors that oversees the management of the co-op.
• Members also serve on committees with responsibilities such as new member selection, maintenance, finance and newsletters. Staff is often hired as Office Coordinators, Bookkeepers or Maintenance Workers, and their final decisions are based on direction from the members.
• Co-ops are communities within larger communities. Members share common goals and a sense of identity and pride from working together.
• Co-op members make good neighbours, and can revitalize decaying neighbourhoods. Many set up recreational, social, educational and mutual-help programs.

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3. Who lives in housing co-ops?

• Co-ops accommodate all kinds of people. Some co-ops reserve homes for members with special needs. For seniors and many families, co-ops are often just the right combination of security and affordability.
• Some groups such as Aboriginal people, new immigrants, women, seniors, francophones, the psychiatrically or physically disabled, and single parents have developed their own co-ops.

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4. Who owns the units, and how is payment for housing calculated?

• Units in a co-op are not owned by individuals. They are owned by the co-operative and cannot be bought or sold for profit. However, most members feel a sense of collective ownership, pride and community in their co-op.
• The monthly amount that members pay is called housing charge, as opposed to rent. Some members receive subsidy and do not pay the full housing charge set for their unit. In order to qualify for subsidy a member must show proof of their income, and a calculation is made that sets their housing charge at no more than 30-35% of their gross income – this is called rent-geared-to-income. Members pay the full housing charge when it is less than 30-35% of their income.
• Housing charges are used to cover the co-ops’ costs - its mortgage, capital expenditures, contracted maintenance, office co-coordinator. Housing charges rise only as costs increase.

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5. How does being a member in a co-op differ from being a tenant?

• Co-op members
• Do not enter into a rental agreement with their housing co-op.
• Do not have a landlord.
• Do not have a personal financial investment in their housing.
• Are not considered tenants, and so do not fall under the Residential Tenancies Act that governs landlord-tenant disputes and relations.

By-laws are the rules that govern co-ops, and are established and agreed upon by each co-op community. Under this system, co-op members

• Do have the power to create, change, or abolish by-laws at members’ meetings.
• Do have a home in their co-op as long as they like, provided they comply with the established by-laws.

• Co-ops are governed by its Board of Directors and membership. The Board’s decision-making is always informed and bound by the co-op’s bylaws.
• Members have a say in the financial management of their co-op by voting on the annual budget. Housing charges and the allocation of funds for maintaining the co-op are established by the budget. By voting, members affect decisions that impact them directly, both financially and in terms of the quality of their housing.

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6. How do people apply to housing co-ops?

• Persons wanting to apply for membership need to contact the co-op where they would like to live directly. The application process usually involves an application form, orientation session, interview with the co-op’s Member Selection Committee, and a credit and landlord check. Final approval for membership comes from the Board of Directors.
• All CHASEO member housing co-ops are listed in a directory on this website, where you can also find a listing of current vacancies.
• To apply for a subsidized unit in some co-ops, an application must be made through the Ottawa Social Housing Registry (OSHR).

Co-ops that take applicants from the Social Housing Registry are listed below.

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7. How are housing co-ops funded?

• Few new housing co-ops have been developed in recent years due to a decrease in available funding. In the past, funding for new initiatives came from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, provincial and municipal governments.
• Co-ops often receive funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the form of a subsidy amount based on the co-op’s mortgage. This money is used to make up the difference between a member’s rent-geared-to-income housing charge and the full housing charge.
• Many Ontario co-ops that had been provincially funded are now the responsibility of their municipality. This means that the municipality is in charge of overseeing the co-op’s financial status.

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8. What are some of the issues CHASEO is advocating for?

• Uploading. CHASEO wants co-ops that have been downloaded to the municipalities uploaded back to the provincial level, and overseen by the national Agency for Co-operative Housing under a contract with the provincial government. Learn more about Uploading.
• Construction of new housing co-ops.
• Development of a National Affordable Housing Program.
• Excellent education and training for co-op Boards, staff and members.
• Sound financial management of housing co-ops
• Increased awareness of mental health issues in housing co-ops.

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9. What is the role of CHASEO?

The Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario is a co-operation of co-ops. Its members are housing co-ops in the Eastern Ontario region, co-op staff associations and sector-related organizations. Member co-ops appoint delegates who attend quarterly meetings to discuss issues of common concern and to give direction to the organization.

CHASEO fulfills two major roles within the community it serves:

1. CHASEO represents its members’ interests with government, agencies and other groups, acting as a local grassroots lobby centre defending the rights and interests of housing co-ops.
2. CHASEO works as a local resource for housing co-ops, providing them with the expertise and education they need to deal with issues specific to co-op housing. Staff offers telephone support, mediation and conflict resolution, special consultation services, and an Education Program featuring w orkshops designed to help members manage their co-ops more efficiently and get the basic training they need.

10. How is CHASEO funded?

CHASEO is funded through annual membership dues paid by member housing co-ops and associate members, by educational and training fees, and revenue from value-added services such as bulk purchasing under a program called Cost Cutters.

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More Housing-Related Resources

Alliance to End Homelessness

Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) – Ontario Region

Ottawa Social Housing Network (OSHN)

Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Region (CMHA)

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