CHRA In Action

CHRA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ONPHA AND BCNPHA

CHRA staff attended the Annual ONPHA and BCNPHA conferences in November 2009.

Heather Saggers, General Manager of the Grey Mountain Housing Society, stands with Jody Ciufo, CHRA Executive Director. Heather Sagger is the winner of a free registration to the next Annual CHRA Congress in Quebec City!
Jody Ciufo speaks with a Youth Representative and Michelle Van Keith, Manager of Youth Services, from the Surrey Youth Resource Centres-Newton.

CHRA Staff, Mary Clarke and Sebastien Provost, at the Annual ONPHA Conference and Trade Show.

CHRA CONFERENCE COVERED IN NAHRO NEWSLETTER

John Papagni wrote an article for the U.S. National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials newsletter about the CHRA Congress in Toronto. Download the article here.

SEVEN RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT 2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Download the 2009 resolutions here.

CHRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS IN ST. JOHN'S, NL

CHRA's Board of Directors held a meeting at the end of June in St. John's, NL, where they took the time to meet with local CHRA members and the municipal government. Click here to read more and see pictures from the trip.

CHRA MEETS WITH SENATE SUBCOMITTEE AND PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

Geoff Gillard, Acting Executive Director of CHRA, and CHRA Board Member Phil Brown met with the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology Subcommittee on Cities, and the Human Resources, Skills and Social Development Canada and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Parliamentary Committee. Mr. Gillard spoke to the Parliamentary Committee about how affordable housing can be used to support federal poverty reduction initiatives, and his presentation can be dowloaded here.

CHRA MET WITH MEMBERS OF CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS

Geoff Gillard, Acting Executive Director of CHRA, met January 13, 2009 with Conservative members of the Finance Committee to present CHRA's recommendations for what commitments the budget should make to affordable housing. Mr. Gillard met with MPs James Rajotte, Mike Wallace, Daryl Kramp, Richard Dykrstra and Bob Dechert.

The recommendations Mr. Gillard made to the Members of Parliament are available here.

CLAUDE ROY, PRESIDENT OF CHRA'S INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE, SPEAKS TO RADIO-CANADA

Claude Roy was a delegate to the Tri-Country Conference, held in Toronto, ON from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18, and he spoke to Radio-Canada about the conference. Click here to hear the broadcast, which is in French. It is the Thursday, Oct. 16 show and the interview with Mr. Roy starts about 10 minutes in.

CHRA SPEAKS TO SEVEN PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL HOUSING MINISTERS

Acting Executive Director Geoff Gillard spoke to seven Housing Ministers at a Provincial Housing Ministers summit Oct. 8, 2008. Read his remarks here.

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GEOFF GILLARD SPEAKS TO TORONTO STAR ABOUT MINISTERS' MEETING

"Canada is the only G8 country, the only real industrialized country, that doesn't have a unifying national housing policy," said Geoff Gillard, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association executive director. That means housing providers have few predictable, long-term funding sources and little ability to use innovative financial techniques to develop new housing or repair existing housing, he said." Read more from the article in the Toronto Star.

CONFUSION SURROUNDS TORY ANNOUNCEMENT - GEOFF GILLARD SPEAKS TO TORONTO STAR

The federal Conservatives have breached government protocol with an announcement pledging $1.9 billion for housing and homelessness programs in the middle of the election, Liberals charge. Read more from the article in the Toronto Star.

NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM STUDY TOUR IN SAINT-MICHEL FEATURED IN MONTREAL GAZETTE

Delegates to the national symposium Rejuvenate your Neighbourhood! in Montreal participated in a study tour of Sant-Michel, a low-income area in the city which is home to the urban renewal project Vivre Saint-Michel en Santé. The urban renewal efforts were featured in the Sept. 11, 2008 issue of the Montreal Gazette.

CHRA PRESIDENT, DAVE EDDY, SPEAKS TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL ABOUT HOUSING PROGRAMS´ LOOMING EXPIRY

With many significant housing programs set to expire in March 2009, housing leaders across the country are speaking out in hopes of convincing the federal government to renew the initiatives before it´s too late. CHRA president, Dave Eddy, tells the Globe and Mail that housing staff will also suffer if the programs aren´t given the green light.

MINISTER SOLBERG AGREES HOUSING IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, admitted in a letter to CHRA that housing and homelessness issues are the responsibility of all levels of government and both the private and non-profit sectors. Solberg´s memo was in response to a letter CHRA sent his office in late January. The Minister´s letter not only acknowledged that federal programs, including the Affordable Housing Initiative (AHI), are well-liked and about to expire, but that the need and demand for assistance is high across Canada. Solberg also thanked CHRA for its work within the homelessness sector and its recommendations regarding affordable housing in the 2008 Federal Budget.

CHRA PRESIDENT, DAVE EDDY, COMMENTS ON RENEWAL OF ACT INITIATIVE

CHRA president, Dave Eddy's comments regarding the renwal of the ACT initiative were featured on TMC after Minister Solberg announced that grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to local housing teams that increase housing affordability

CAN THE LIBERAL CAUCUS CONVINCE DION TO SUPPORT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HOUSING CRISIS?

CHRA sent out a press release in response to the Foundations for a Nation report prepared by the Liberal Urban Communities Caucus outlining recommendations to Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion, for his upcoming platform. The Caucus found that housing was the most important issue on the minds of Canadians and is recommending that the federal government maintain its current level of housing investment.

SHARON CHISHOLM WEIGHS IN ON LIBERAL CAUCUS RECOMMENDATIONS TO DION

CHRA executive director, Sharon Chisholm, spoke to the Globe and Mail about her hopes that the Caucus recommendations will move the housing agenda forward and push the federal government to maintain its current housing investment.

SHARON CHISHOLM TELLS BUSINESS EDGE WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN DO FOR YOU

Sharon Chisholm, CHRA executive director, spoke to Business Edge's Laura Severs about how affordable housing actually helps the economy and attracts investment. See the full article here (please note that Sharon's quotes are featured towards the end of the article).

LEADERS IN THE HOUSING INDUSTRY ADDRESS DELEGATES AT THE CHRA 40TH ANNUAL CONGRESS IN VANCOUVER

• Political Commentator, Judy Rebick, energized the audience
• Federal NDP Leader, Jack Layton, talks about the importance of the government playing a role in affordable housing
• The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Soical Development, presents the CMHC Award to Deborah Kraus and the Graham Emslie Award posthumously to Tom Moore (accepted by his family)
• The Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Forests and Range, and Minister Responsible for Housing, discusses how we can really Break New Ground
• Peter Robinson, CEO, David Suzuki Foundation, discusses the role of environmental conscientiousness in affordable housing
  

Karen Charlton, Judy Rebick, and Sharon Chisholm

SHARON CHISHOLM DISCUSSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES ON CBC VANCOUVER

April, 2008        

Sharon Chisholm, CHRA executive director, spoke to CBC Vancouver's Rick Cluff about the affordable housing situation in Canada while in Vancouver for the CHRA's 40th Annual Congress. Listen to the live interview here:

CANADIANS BELIEVE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS NEED MORE FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FCM SURVEY REPORTS

April 21, 2008

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities released a report in April on the findings of a national survey of Canadians on the challenges and issues facing municipal governments across Canada. There is a widespread consensus among Canadians that municipal governments are under-funded in relation to the services they provide to citizens. Not surprisingly, there is broad consensus that two areas requiring the most attention are road maintenance/repair and affordable housing. Read the full report here.

CHRA ANNUAL CONGRESS A SUCCESS

April, 2008

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association successfully wrapped up its 40th Anniversary Congress in Vancouver on April 6, 2008 after four eventful days of hearing from housing leaders from across the country and around the world. The event was an opportunity to learn about different housing issues and discuss strategies to move forward. The Congress attracted over 400 people from different sectors across Canada, including politicians, city planners, developers, housing experts, professors, non-governmental organizations and students, all working on critical housing issues and homelessness.

Housing experts spoke about the current housing situation and identified similar issues of affordability, sustainability and availability. Representatives from non-profit and co-operative housing sectors spoke about affordable housing solutions. Issues such as the rise of homelessness in urban centres and the impact of the lack of affordable and adequate housing on vulnerable groups, including aboriginal peoples, immigrants, youth, seniors, and people with disabilities were discussed in the main plenary sessions and workshops.

Delegates were energized by political commentator, Judy Rebick´s Keynote Address: Mobilizing for Change: Getting Housing Back on the Agenda. Other speakers included David Suzuki Foundation CEO Peter Robinson, who focused on environmental sustainability; The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development; and Jack Layton, Federal NDP leader, along with many other renowned experts in the field.

Housing is an essential public policy issue and the Congress brought together representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal governments to address the need for a modern housing policy to deal with the housing and homelessness crisis in Canada. Stories of housing successes and challenges were shared among everyone who is working to ensure that Canada has decent, affordable housing for all.

CHRA would like to thank the sponsors who helped make the Congress a tremendous success, as well as the speakers and delegates who shared their thoughts and ideas with us to help shape the future of affordable housing policy in Canada.

We would also like to announce that there were two award presentations during the Congress. The CMHC Award went to Deborah Kraus and the Graham Emslie Award was given posthumously to Tom Moore (accepted by his family). Congratulations to both deserving award winners! CHRA also welcomed its new Board of Directors during the Congress. We´d like to congratulate our new Executive:

David Eddy, President
Danielle Juteau, 1st Vice President
Bruce Pearce, 2nd Vice President
Menno Peters, Secretary
Shayne Ramsay, Treasurer
Catherine Boucher, At large
James McGregor, At large

THANK YOU TO OUR CONGRESS VOLUNTEERS!

We couldn´t have done it without you!

CHRA would like to thank everyone who volunteered at our 40th Annual Congress. You were instrumental in helping make the Congress a success and we´d like to recognize your skills and ambition. We never could have achieved the results we did without your energy and eagerness. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

CHRA Staff and Board  

Volunteers at the President's Gala Reception

CHISHOLM URGES LIBERAL URBAN COMMUNITIES CAUCUS TO RECOGNIZE KEY ROLE OF HOUSING

February 26, 2008

CHRA Executive Director Sharon Chisholm was asked by Senator Larry Campbell to speak to the Liberal Urban Communities Caucus. Liberal Leader, Stephane Dion has promised a 20-year plan for infrastructure funding and the caucus is consulting with stakeholders on critical issues for the plan. Questions arose around the Maintain the Investment campaign. Senator Art Eggleton asked whether Sharon thought the Conservative Government would change its position that housing is solely a provincial matter in which the feds have no interest. The members showed a lot of interest in economic case for governments to invest in housing and much of the discussion focused on this area. They did commit to ask Mr. Dion to consider supporting the Maintain the Investment position. The presentation and exchange took close to an hour. Sharon was the only presenter.

Building Relevance
A Strategic Plan for the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association – 2008 to 2012

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association´s (CHRA) is delighted to unveil its 2008-2012 Strategic Plan, Building Relevance: A Strategic Plan for the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, Building Relevance lays out key objectives for 2008 – 2012.  The CHRA will strive to: Shape and influence housing policy across Canada Increase, engage and support our membership Support the development of strong housing networks and leaders across the country Strengthen CHRA´s organizational capacity  You can look forward to an improved and more interactive website, more opportunities to have your voice heard including consultation on topics for policy work and educational events and enhanced leadership from CHRA on housing policy issues.  Expect more events and plan for the launch of new learning activities. CHRA is also building its longer tern sustainability as the current, dynamic and timely voice of housing in Canada. Please click here for the full document...