Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the committee members for having me here today. My name is Tim Ross, and I'm the CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, or CHF Canada, which represents co-operative housing across the country.
Canada has more than 2,200 non-profit housing co-operatives that house over a quarter of a million people. Over the past 50-plus years, co-ops have established a proven track record of providing long-term, safe, affordable, resident-managed housing with deep roots in communities.
Canadians are facing growing economic uncertainty and housing insecurity. In that context, housing co-ops offer something increasingly rare: stability. For more than 50 years, co-op housing has delivered just that: secure, affordable homes.
Our message to the federal government in this pre-budget consultation is clear. You hold the key to protecting and expanding access to affordable co-operative homes in Canada. Canada does not lack for housing solutions. What we lack is policy scale and predictability needed to deliver. Co-operative housing is one of the proven models that the federal government can use right now.
Today, I'll make four brief recommendations for budget 2026. In the context of a national housing strategy with many programs and budgets expiring—and expiring sooner than forecast—there's a need for greater certainty in the system.
First, it's imperative that the federal government renew rental assistance for co-op and non-profit housing for at least 10 years. Programs like the federal community housing initiative and the Canada community housing initiative are set to expire in 2028. Without renewal, thousands of low- and moderate-income households living in co-ops risk losing their homes.
Rental assistance is one of the most effective tools we have. It's a nimble tool that ensures households pay no more than what they can afford for housing: typically, 30% of income. It prevents displacement and homelessness, especially when life circumstances change, and it's cost-effective. Supporting households in co-ops costs significantly less than supporting the same households in comparable market rents, because co-ops are permanently affordable and more relatively affordable than market housing over time. That's why rental assistance must remain a core pillar in the national housing policy.
Second, we must also see continued and increased investment in urban, rural and northern indigenous housing, taking a “for indigenous, by indigenous” approach. We recognize the federal government's recent updates regarding funding for urban, rural and northern indigenous housing. We strongly encourage the use of a “for indigenous, by indigenous” approach in deploying these dollars. This will ensure the resulting housing is culturally appropriate and responds effectively to the nature of housing need. As well, the scale of housing need in indigenous communities is significant and sustained, and this investment is absolutely required.
Third, we must prioritize co-op housing in Build Canada Homes. The co-op housing sector has thousands of units in our development pipeline, thanks to the momentum created by the co-operative housing development program. This program has already committed to nearly 2,800 new co-op homes, with roughly 1,500 now under construction. This is a great success story, but the demand for the program greatly exceeds its funding envelope. This is a window of opportunity to advance new shovel-ready co-op construction through a strategic partnership with Build Canada Homes. To do that at scale, non-market developers, including co-ops, need long-term predictable funding and financing tools, along with workable guarantees and security requirements.
Lastly, let's protect the housing that's already out there and is affordable. The federal government should continue to enable the repair and renewal of non-market community housing. Many co-ops and non-profits were first developed in the 1970s and 1980s and now require repair and renewal. While some work can be undertaken through commercial lending and refinancing, additional support is often required, particularly for non-market homes whose original federal operating agreements disallowed the generation of sufficient capital reserves for capital renewal.
Federal repair programs have recently closed without a sense of when or if they will reopen. These initiatives need to be recapitalized or successor programs created. There is great uncertainty in the marketplace right now. Without action, we risk losing affordable homes faster than we can replace them. If we fail to preserve these homes, we will lose affordable units faster than we can build them.
Canada does not lack housing solutions. We lack the scale and predictability needed to deliver. Partnering with co-op housing is a strategic investment in Canada's future.
Thank you.