In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada), about why co‑operative housing is one of Canada’s most promising – and underused – tools for tackling the housing crisis. Tim explains what housing co‑ops are, how they differ from other forms of non‑market housing, and why they offer stability, community, and long-term affordability in ways that market housing often cannot.
Drawing on decades of sector experience and recent federal policy wins, Tim walks us through the renewed momentum behind co‑ops: the National Housing Strategy, the $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program, new partnerships with municipalities and the private sector, and landmark projects like the major new co‑op at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown site. He also unpacks the practical challenges of growing the sector – from capital repairs in aging co-ops to governance capacity among member‑volunteers – and what it will take to scale co-operative housing across Canada.
Key Takeaways
- Co-op housing is democratic, community‑centred, and non‑speculative. Members govern through elected boards and collective decision‑making, giving them real power over their housing in ways most nonprofit and private rental models do not.
- Co-ops provide security of tenure and long-term affordability. Because they are nonprofit and not traded on speculative markets, co-ops shield members from demovictions, renovictions, and extreme rent hikes.
- Co-ops house diverse, mixed‑income communities. They intentionally combine low-income households (often with rent supplements) with seniors, families, students, newcomers, and workers in one stable community.
- Policy is finally catching up after decades of neglect. Following years of federal withdrawal from non‑market housing, the National Housing Strategy and CHF Canada’s advocacy have secured $1.5B for new co-op development, $500M in rental assistance, and new sector support.
- Co-op rents increasingly outpace the market—in a good way. CHF Canada’s research shows co-op housing charges were already $150–$200/month below comparable private rents and, by 2021, the gap had widened to $400–$500/month, generating major long-term savings for members.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & Episode Overview
00:21 – Introducing Tim Ross & CHF Canada
02:10 – What Is Co-op Housing? Governance, Tenure & Community
04:45 – Why Don’t We See More Co-ops? Policy Gaps & “Tortoise vs. Hare” Development
07:30 – Who Lives in Co-ops? Mixed-Income Models & Diverse Households
11:20 – Member Governance, Volunteer Roles & Capacity Challenges
14:30 – Aging Co-ops, Capital Planning & Renewal Needs
15:52 – Can Co-ops Grow? Financing Tools & the Co-op Housing Development Program
18:25 – Public Land, Federal Programs & Scaling New Co-op Supply
21:15 – Private Sector Partnerships & the Eglinton Crosstown Co-op Project
21:37 – Affordability: How Co-op Rents Compare to Market Rents Over Time
23:57 – Public Opinion, Polling Results & Cross‑Partisan Support for Co-ops
27:01 – Where to Learn More: CHF Canada Resources & Getting Involved
27:43 – Outro & Credits
Learn more about CHF Canada and co-operative housing development on their website and social channels, including their “build” section for organizations interested in starting or expanding co-ops: https://chfcanada.coop/build/why-build/
New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below:
What is New Housing Alternatives?
What if the solutions to Canada’s housing crisis are already out there, just hidden in plain sight? New Housing Alternatives Podcast digs deeper to uncover what really works in solving the affordability issue.
Despite dominant narratives claiming our housing crisis can be solved by simply building more market-rate supply, nearly half of Canadian households can’t afford average rents today. The crisis is deeper than a numbers game; it’s about who we’re building for, who gets left out, and what kind of communities we want to live in.
Join hosts Ren Thomas and Cherise Burda as they explore real solutions to this once-in-a-generation housing crisis and cut through the noise on Canada’s housing affordability crisis to spotlight real solutions that already exist, and the people making them happen.
New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Grant, a partnership that is co-directed by Alan Walks and Susannah Bunce and based at the University of Toronto.
In this series, we talk to the people doing the work: nonprofit and co-operative developers, community organizers, and researchers reimagining housing not as a commodity, but as a human right. These are the underdogs creating affordable homes against the odds, proving it’s possible to build housing for people, not profit.
You’ll hear from:
-Ground-breaking developers creating alternative models of co-ownership and co-ops
-Policy experts who challenge the supply-only narrative
-Economists and data experts unpack how affordability vanishes, and how to bring it back
-Community leaders who are preserving existing homes and building new ones in ways that centre dignity and access
Whether you're a policymaker, housing advocate, or simply someone trying to make rent, this podcast brings you stories and insights that show a different future is not only possible, it’s already being built.