CHF Canada media release

Conservatives Must Pave the Way for Permanent Affordable Housing Options

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July 24, 2008 – Yesterday’s announcement of funds from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) for two homelessness shelters in Vancouver – while welcome – only puts a band-aid on the housing and homelessness crisis that is facing the city, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) said today.

“While the funding for the shelter program at Covenant House Vancouver will expand two separate shelters, funds from the HPS – a federal program that is expiring in March 2009 – should also be provided for long-term, permanent affordable housing,” said Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director.

“We are at a critical point in time and the Conservative government needs to step up to the plate and renew the three federal housing programs, including the HPS, which are all set to expire on March 31, 2009. Monte Solberg, the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, needs to give national stakeholders, including non-profit housing co-operatives, some level of predictability by committing to renew the federal housing programs,” said Gazzard.

CHF Canada has been pressing the federal government to provide real leadership by developing a long-term national affordable housing action plan, in consultation with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for housing, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and major stakeholder groups including the non-profit co-op housing sector.

“Mr. Solberg has defended his government’s record on housing by asserting that the Conservative government has spent ‘more than any other government in history.’ However, if his government does not renew the major federal programs, including the HPS, the federal government will be spending the least amount of money than any previous government in Canadian history,” said Gazzard. “The time is now to show real leadership and pave the way for the provision of permanent affordable housing options for Canada’s disenfranchised citizens, including our growing homelessness population across Canada.”

CHF Canada is the national voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. Its members include nearly 900 non-profit housing co-operatives as well as organizations that are closely linked with housing cooperatives.

For more information, contact:

Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director (613) 230-2201 ext. 230, or (613) 293-8913 (cell)

Merrilee Robson, Program Manager, Communications, 1-877-533-2667, ext. 122, or (778) 227-3864 (cell)

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