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 CHF Canada is grateful to the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Toronto for letting us borrow from Words, Words, Words: The Co‑op Housing Dictionary. We also thank the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association for letting us draw on their website glossary. Scroll down to browse the glossary, or use the alphabetical index to jump directly to the section you want. A aboriginal community director – The director elected to CHF Canada’s board of directors to represent the aboriginal community. Only aboriginal persons may run for the position. Co‑ops with at least one aboriginal person in at least 10% of their units may vote for this director. access plan – Provincial and federal/provincial housing co‑ops in Ontario each had an access plan attached to their original operating agreement. The plan set out
It also confirmed the co‑op’s right to choose its membership. The access plan was sometimes called a targeting plan. Affordable Housing Program (Ontario) (AHP) – A housing supply program funded by the federal, provincial and municipal governments in Ontario starting in 2002. The AHP features several program components, including rental and affordable homeownership. The municipally delivered and administered program has had a number of different phases with different funding arrangements and rules. Program rules and funding arrangements also vary from municipality to municipality. affordable mortgage payment – The share of its mortgage payment that a SHRA co‑op can afford without subsidy. It is the difference between benchmarked revenues and benchmarked costs in the benchmark year. Agency for Co‑operative Housing (The Agency) – The Agency is a non-profit, non-governmental organization incorporated under the Canada Cooperatives Act. It was created to administer the federal government’s co‑operative housing programs in PEI, Ontario, Alberta and BC, under contract with CMHC. agenda – A list of the business items a meeting is asked to deal with. AGM – See annual general meeting. AGRTQ – See Association des groupes de ressources techniques du Québec. AIR – See annual information return. AMO – See Association of Municipalities of Ontario. annual general meeting (AGM) – Also called annual meeting or annual general members’ meeting. This is the meeting where the members of a co‑op receive the auditor’s report and appoint an auditor for the next year. Most co‑ops also hold their board elections at the AGM. Annual Information Return (AIR) (SHRA co‑ops) – The annual reporting form that SHRA co‑ops send to government at the end of each fiscal year. The form tells the service manager
Annual Information Return (AIR) (federal) -The Annual Information Return is a form filed by federal-program co‑ops in BC, Alberta, Ontario and PEI with the Agency for Co‑opterative Housing. The AIR collects financial data to risk rate co‑ops and monitor compliance with operating agreements. annual project data report (APDR) – The form Section 95 (previously Section 56.1) co‑ops file with government each year. The form tells Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) or the provincial or territorial housing agency or department
The APDR has been superseded in PEI, Ontario, Alberta, and BC by the Annual Information Return (AIR) (federal). APDR – See annual project data report. appeal – To ask that a decision be rethought. For example, a member can sometimes appeal a board decision to the co‑op's members. A members' meeting will then decide whether to reverse the board's decision. Association des groupes de ressources techniques du Québec (AGRTQ) – The association of resource groups in Quebec. Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) – The organization that represents all municipalities in Ontario except Toronto. AutoGuard™ – A group-buying program that offers vehicle insurance at preferred rates to members and staff of CHF Canada’s members and associates. B BCHMC – See British Columbia Housing Management Commission. benchmark year – The first fiscal year of a SHRA co‑op, when the final benchmarks apply. benchmarking – The process the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing used to set new base-year operating revenues and costs for housing providers under the Social Housing Reform Act. The benchmarked revenues and costs were used to set the level of mortgage subsidy. Since January 1, 2008, the indexed benchmark revenues and costs have been used to set the amount of operating subsidy. bridge subsidy – Money the government gives a co‑op to help it pay its mortgage and other expenses. These funds help bridge the gap between the co‑op’s direct income and its costs. Direct income includes housing and parking charges, laundry money, interest and other minor amounts. See also federal assistance, interest reduction grant, mortgage subsidy, operating subsidy and pre-determined assistance. British Columbia Housing Management Commission (BCHMC) — The housing agency of the province of British Columbia. BRUNCH – See Brunswick Co‑operative Housing. Brunswick Co‑operative Housing (BRUNCH) –An unincorporated association of housing co‑operatives and other CHF Canada members in the province of New Brunswick. by-law – A rule or set of rules for the conduct of a co‑op or its members. Once the co‑op’s board and members have approved a by-law, these rules have the force of law, unless they conflict with municipal by-laws or with provincial or federal laws or codes. See also rules of association. C Canada Cooperatives Act — The act governing federally incorporated co‑operatives. CHF Canada comes under this act. Housing co‑operatives come under the co‑op act of their province or territory. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) – The national housing agency of the federal government. CMHC
Canadian Co‑operative Association (CCA) – The national association representing the broad English-speaking co‑operative movement in Canada. CCA has regional affiliates and partners in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Atlantic Canada and northern Canada. Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) – A national association of managers and delivery agents of housing programs across Canada. CHRA tries to influence housing policies and programs to improve access to adequate and affordable housing. capital reserve – See replacement reserve. CCA – See Canadian Co‑operative Association. CCC – See Conseil canadien de la coopération. Central Ontario Co‑operative Housing Federation (COCHF) – The federation of housing co‑operatives in the central region of Ontario, which includes such cities as Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford and Brantford. centralized waiting list – A waiting list kept by service managers of households approved for rent-geared-to-income subsidy in SHRA co‑ops and other social housing. SHRA co‑ops may take RGI applications only from the centralized waiting list, but are free to process applications through the co‑ops membership procedures. CHANAL – See Co‑operative Housing Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. CHAO – See Co‑operative Housing Association of Ontario. CHASEO – See Co‑operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario. CHF BC – See Co‑operative Housing Federation of British Columbia. CHF Canada – See Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada. CHF Canada, Ontario Region – The Ontario Region is the part of CHF Canada concerned with matters that affect only Ontario co‑operatives and their members. CHFT – See Co‑operative Housing Federation of Toronto. CHIP – See Co‑operative Housing Investment Program. CHRA – See Canadian Housing and Renewal Association. CMHC – See Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. CMSM – For consolidated municipal service manager, see service manager. CNIT — See core need income threshold. COCHF – See Central Ontario Co‑operative Housing Federation. Community-Sponsored Housing Program (Ontario) (CSHP) – The rent supplement program used by Ontario co‑ops funded under Section 61 (formerly 34.18) of the National Housing Act. The Ontario government has transferred the co‑op portion of this program to Ottawa. See also tripartite agreement. Confédération québécoise des coopératives d'habitation (CQCH) – The province-wide body representing co‑operative housing in Quebec. Its members are the regional federations of housing co‑ops in the province. Conseil canadien de la coopération (CCC) – The organization representing the broad French-speaking co‑operative movement in Canada. CCA has regional affiliates in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Manitoba. consolidated municipal service manager (CMSM) – See service manager. co‑op act – The provincial or territorial law that governs co‑operatives incorporated there, including housing co‑ops. The act has different names in different provinces and territories:
The Canada Cooperatives Act is the federal co‑op act. Co‑op Cost Cutters - A group buying program offered by local federations in Ontario and by CHF Canada in parts of Ontario, and some parts of Canada, where there is no local federation. Co‑op Housing Bookstore - A joint project of the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada and the Co‑operative Housing Federation of Toronto. The bookstore publishes and sells
Everything the bookstore sells is in plain language. Many books are available in French. co‑op in difficulty – A co‑op thought by CMHC or a provincial, territorial or municipal housing agency or department to have financial or other problems that need action. See also project in difficulty. Co‑op management company - An organization that specializes in providing property management or administrative services to housing co‑ops. Co‑operatives Act — The name of the provincial law governing housing and other provincially incorporated co‑ops in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Cooperative Association Act — The provincial law governing housing and other provincially incorporated co‑ops in British Columbia. Co‑operative Associations Act - The provincial or territorial law governing housing and other provincially incorporated co‑ops in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Prince Edward Island. Co‑operative Associations Ordinance - The territorial law governing housing and other co‑ops operating in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Co‑operative Corporations Act - The provincial law governing housing and other provincially incorporated co‑ops in the province of Ontario. Co‑operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario (CHASEO) - The federation of housing co‑operatives in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. Co‑operative Housing Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (CHANAL) - The federation of housing co‑operatives in Newfoundland and Labrador. Co‑operative Housing Association of Ontario (CHAO) - The association founded in 1987 to represent the interests of the Ontario co‑operative housing sector. In 1996 CHAO merged with CHF Canada to become CHF Canada's Ontario Region. Co‑operative Housing Federation of British Columbia (CHF BC) - The federation of housing co‑operatives in British Columbia. Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) - The national umbrella association for Canadian housing co‑operatives and organizations that support their development and operation. Co‑operative Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT) - The federation of housing co‑operatives in Toronto and the southern part of York Region. Co‑operative Housing Investment Program (CHIP) - A member program offered by a regional federation of housing co‑ops or CHF Canada. Co‑ops in the program receive a higher rate of interest on their deposits at a partner credit union or caisse populaire and lower (or no) service fees. Co‑operative Principles - Guidelines followed by co‑operatives around the world. The International Co‑operative Alliance (ICA) adopted principles in 1995. The principles, in summary are,
Co‑operative Societies Act - The provincial law governing housing and other provincially incorporated co‑ops in Newfoundland and Labrador. Co-ordinated access - A local system to refer people to social housing in their community. The government of Ontario set up these systems in the early 1990s. They have since been replaced by municipally administered centralized waiting lists. core need - The income level at which government sees a household as in need of suitable, adequate and affordable housing. Households in core need qualify for assistance under certain government housing programs. See also core need income threshold and household income limits. core need income threshold (CNIT) - The most a household may earn and still be in core need. CNITs vary by region and household size. They are used to determine eligibility for certain housing programs of the federal and provincial governments. See also core need, high need and household income limits. CQCH - See Confédération québécoise des coopératives d' habitation CSHP - See Community Sponsored Housing Program D deep need - See high need devolution - The transfer of responsibility for social housing programs from CMHC to the provinces and territories. The federal government has devolved co‑op housing programs in the three territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Manitoba plans to return the co‑op programs to CMHC. District Social Service Administration Board (DSSAB) - A municipal level of administration in Northern Ontario. The boards are an extension of the previous District Welfare Administration Boards. They look after Ontario Works, child-care services and social housing programs. diversity - A mix of people of different races, ethnic groups, nationalities, ages, cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles, skills, income levels, sexual orientation or family status. downloading - The transfer of the cost and administration of Ontario social housing programs from the provincial to the municipal level of governmnet. DSSAB - See District Social Service Administration Board E economic occupancy charge - The monthly charge an occupant would have to pay in the absence of federal assistance. The term appears in the section 95 (56.1) operating agreement. enhanced assistance - Additional operating subsidy that CMHC can give to co‑ops in difficulty as part of a financial workout. eviction - The legal process to take away a co‑op member's membership and right to live in a unit in that co‑op. expulsion - See eviction |
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