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Leaders consider co-operative housing posibilities in the Comox Valley

In a recent meeting, local and senior-level politicians, community groups and representatives from BC Housing discussed how to collectively finance and build multiple co-operative housing projects in the Comox Valley.

In a recent meeting, local and senior-level politicians, community groups and representatives from BC Housing discussed how to collectively finance and build multiple co-operative housing projects in the Comox Valley.

Courtenay Coun. David Frisch chaired the meeting, attended by more than 30 people Jan. 24 at the new regional district facility.

“I think it’s (co-op housing) timely, and I think it’s something that there’s a lot of support for,” Frisch said. “If we can attract some provincial and federal dollars to it, it makes it all the more possible. It’s a sustainable type of housing over the long-run. There may be some government input up front in terms of land and finances, but over the long haul, it’s sustained by the members of the co-op.”

A co-operative is a non-profit association that owns housing for the benefit of its members. The members own the co-op, and the co-op owns the housing. As opposed to renting, members pay user charges and own homes together.

“It’s a tried and true model,” said Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C. executive director Thom Armstrong, who attended the meeting.

The public tends to think the housing crisis is a Vancouver and Victoria problem, but Armstrong notes that nearly half the renters in the Comox Valley pay more than 30 per cent of their income on rent and utilities. Nearly one in five pay lose than half their income to rent.

“That’s a borderline crisis situation,” he said. “If you’re paying that much of your income on shelter costs, you’re just one bad break from being at risk of homelessness. It’s too precarious.”

Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns, who also attended the meeting, says affordable housing is one of his party’s priorities.

“We need massive investments on affordable, co-op and non-market housing, and action on money laundering and a tax on foreign speculators,” Johns said. “It’s having a huge impact on families.”

In the 1970s and 80s, he said 10 per cent of housing across Canada was non-market, primarily co-op housing.

“Today, we’re down to three per cent,” said Johns, noting the non-market rate in Europe is 30 per cent.

Armstrong said there are 34 housing co-operatives (just shy of 11,200 homes) on Vancouver Island. All of them are located between Sooke and Sidney.

“It’s time to move that up Island,” he said.

The CHFBC has identified pieces of land to develop co-ops in North Cowichan and in Chemainus.

“Now we have drawings for a family co-op near Duncan, and a seniors co-op in Chemainus,” Armstrong said.

If the province issues another call for funding for co-ops this spring, he said the federation will be ready to proceed with these developments.

“A very similar thing could happen in the Comox Valley, because there’s political support. There’s land,” Armstrong said. “There’s a real vision among the people who are active in the community. If we can tie that into some of the federal and provincial housing programs that are available, it could be quite productive.”