In this episode of the New Housing Alternatives podcast, hosts Cherise Berda and Ren Thomas are joined by Jill Atkey, CEO of the BC NonProfit Housing Association, to explore the critical role of nonprofit and cooperative housing in addressing Canada’s affordability crisis. Through a policy and advocacy lens, the conversation unpacks the history, challenges, and opportunities facing the sector, with a special focus on British Columbia’s unique approach and recent federal initiatives.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the historical context of affordable housing in Canada, including the impact of federal disinvestment in the 1990s.
- Identify the structure and scale of nonprofit and cooperative housing in BC and how it compares nationally.
- Examine the benefits of cross-sector collaboration among nonprofit, cooperative, and Indigenous housing organizations.
- Analyze the significance of new funding mechanisms like the BC Rental Protection Fund and the Canada Rental Protection Fund.
- Discuss the potential of the Build Canada Homes program and the evolving role of government in supporting nonprofit housing growth.
- Reflect on the long-term benefits of nonprofit and co-op housing for affordability, security, and sector resilience.
Key Takeaways:
- Nonprofit and cooperative housing organizations are essential partners in delivering affordable housing, especially in BC where provincial investment has been strong.
- Collaboration across the nonprofit, co-op, and Indigenous housing sectors amplifies advocacy and education efforts, making it easier for governments to respond.
- New funding programs at the provincial and federal levels are enabling nonprofits to acquire and preserve affordable housing, preventing financialization and rent spikes.
- The Build Canada Homes program signals a renewed federal interest in supporting nonprofit housing, with a focus on flexibility, long-term planning, and portfolio growth.
- Nonprofit and co-op housing models offer long-term affordability and security, leveraging assets for sector growth and reducing reliance on government ownership.
Chapters:00:00 –
Introduction: Hosts, guest, and episode overview 02:00 –
The history of affordable housing policy in Canada 05:00 –
The structure and scale of nonprofit housing in BC 08:00 –
Provincial investment and the growth of nonprofit housing 11:00 –
Collaboration: Nonprofit, co-op, and Indigenous housing organizations 14:00 –
The BC Rental Protection Fund and its impact 17:00 –
National implications: The Canada Rental Protection Fund 20:00 –
The Build Canada Homes program and future directions 23:00 –
Long-term benefits of nonprofit and co-op housing 25:00 –
Resources, further learning, and closing remarks
New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the
New Housing Alternatives grant, led by Alan Walks and Susannah Bunce, based at the University of Toronto. Explore our
Vision & Objectives and
Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below:
https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/
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.