Across Canada, over 2,100 non-profit housing co-ops are home to about a quarter of a million people in over 90,000 households. There are housing co-operatives in every province and territory.
| Region |
Number
of Co-ops |
Number
of Units |
 |
| British Columbia |
264 |
14,698 |
| Prairies |
127 |
6,892 |
| Ontario |
557 |
44,287 |
| Quebec |
1,129 |
22,445 |
| Atlantic Provinces |
138 |
3,362 |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut |
5 |
162 |
|
|
2,220 |
91,846 |
Housing co-ops cost less to operate – about 14 percent less than municipal or private non-profit housing, according to a CMHC study of co-op housing programs published in September 2003.
About half of all co-op households pay a monthly charge geared to their income. Government funds cover the difference between this payment and the co-op’s full charge.
Here are some statistics from the Co-operative Housing Programs Evaluation conducted by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in 2003:
58% of members are women
Half of co-op households are female single person households or female single parents
11% are members of visible minorities
20% are immigrants
4% are of Aboriginal ancestry
12% of households include a person with long-term physical disability requiring special features such as wheelchair access
