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WE RESOLVE:

1.  THAT the Ontario Region continue to press the Province to amend regulations to the Social Housing Reform Act to deal with co-op concerns about the new program, especially rent-geared-to-income (RGI) rules that

• are unfair to co-op members;
• take away co-op discretion and decision-making when dealing with RGI issues; and
• set requirements for administration that are out of place in a community-based housing system.

2.  AND THAT, in the lead-up to the next provincial election, the co-op housing sector call on Ontario’s political parties to commit, if they form the next government, to

• top up capital reserves of Ontario-program co-ops so they are adequate to meet real replacement costs;
• increase operating subsidies to co-ops if the new funding benchmarks are too low and put co-ops at risk;
• base RGI subsidies on the full market housing charges that co-op members decide they need to charge to cover the cost of running their housing;
• protect municipalities against operating and RGI subsidy increases that they cannot afford and that could put co-op funding at risk;
• change the program rules, in consultation with the co-op and non-profit housing sectors, to streamline administration, , give housing co-ops more operating autonomy and get rid of unreasonable and unworkable RGI policies.
• move the legal framework and rules for the program from the Social Housing Reform Act and regulations back into an operating agreement that sets up a fixed contract between co-ops and government;

OUR REASONS FOR THIS RESOLUTION ARE:

1.  Since last fall, the Province has passed a series of regulations to the Social Housing Reform Act setting out the detailed program rules. Co-ops are very concerned about many of the rules – especially those dealing with RGI assistance.

2.  Regulations are set and can be changed by the Ontario Cabinet or the housing minister and so are easier to change than the Act itself. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has said that it plans to consult with co-ops about amendments that are needed to the regulations. We need to take this opportunity to press for changes to deal with the concerns of co-ops.

3.  Some even bigger changes are needed to the program rules to achieve the original reform goals set by co-ops:

• Capital reserves need to be topped up.
• Operating subsidies may need to be increased if the Province’s new benchmarks are set too low.
• RGI subsidies need to be based on the full market housing charges that co-op members set to cover their costs – even if housing charges go up more than the rent control guideline some years.
• Municipalities need enough money from the Province to cover their real subsidy costs or they will be under pressure to find savings. This would put co-ops at risk.
• Program rules need to be changed to streamline administration, give co-ops more business independence and set fair and workable policies for RGI assistance.

4.  Co-ops need a funding deal and program rules that they can rely on. All co-op housing programs before this one used operating agreements to set out the funding commitment and co-op responsibilities. The new program is one-sided. The Province can change the rules whenever it wants, without consultation.

5.  There is very little chance that we can get this government to amend the Act to deal with our concerns. But we can use the provincial election expected in the next year to try to win a commitment from the opposition parties to make the changes that co-ops need if they are elected.

Ontario resolutions at the 2004 AGM

WE RESOLVE:

1.  THAT co-op housing members in Ontario mount a campaign to convince the new provincial government that it’s time for action on co-op housing;

2.  THAT we call on the government to overhaul the Social Housing Reform Act to

• dramatically simplify the program rules to put co-op members back in control of their housing
• get rid of rules that are unfair to low-income members
• make investment of capital reserves in the Social Housing Investment Funds voluntary
• give co-ops enough operating and capital funding to maintain their housing now and in the future;

3.  THAT we call on the government to overhaul the Federal/Provincial Affordable Housing Program so that it

• delivers the promised 20,000 units of affordable housing over the next four years
• produces housing that operates over the long-term on a not-for-profit basis
• provides rent supplement funding for low-income members in at least half the units
• targets and supports the development of at least 25% of the housing as co-operatives;

4.  AND THAT all Ontario co-ops – provincial and federal – join in the campaign to win a new deal from the Province that will let us run our co-ops as co-ops and let us build more co-op housing.

OUR REASONS FOR THIS RESOLUTION ARE:

1.  Against the loud protests of co-op members, the Social Housing Reform Act cancelled operating agreements that co-ops had signed in good faith. In their place, the Act imposed a set of complex new program rules that have

• left government, rather than co-op members, in control of day-to-day decisions
• buried co-ops in paper work
• forced co-op boards and staff to act as subsidy police, and
• left co-ops with a big shortfall in their capital reserves and no idea how much money they will have to run their housing.

2.  Ontario joined with other provinces to sign a framework agreement for affordable housing with the federal government in 2001. This gave co-ops some hope that Ontario was getting back into the affordable housing business. But when the government finally announced the program details last year, it was clear that no new co-ops would be built. The Province refused to put in its share of funding, shifting the cost to Ontario’s cities, which can’t afford it. And they geared the program to produce private rental housing delivered at market rents.

3.  At last year’s annual meeting, delegates called on the Ontario Region, co-ops and local federations to use the provincial election to focus attention on the need to fix the Social Housing Reform Act and build more co-op housing.

4.  The Speak Up for Co-op Housing campaign was a big success. We won support from many Liberal candidates who are now MPPs, even Cabinet ministers. But since the election, the government has been backing away from many of its promises as it struggles with a large deficit.

5.  Now we need to take the next step in our campaign and lobby Liberal MPPs to turn their words of support into action on co-op housing. The change in government gives us new hope and our best chance to overturn policies that have hurt existing co-ops and blocked the development of new ones. Co-op members across the province need to join in the campaign and deliver a clear message to MPPs in their ridings that we expect a better deal for co-op