Co-op Check-Ins w/ Patrice Pratt, Thom Armstrong and Ross Gentlemen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:22 — 110.6MB)

On tonight’s show our panel is:

• Patrice Pratt, Manager Director (and President) of the British Columbia Co-operative Association

• Thom Armstrong, Executive Director, CHFBC

• Shares the latest news on co-op housing developments and on the challenges facing our local housing co-ops.

• Ross Gentleman, Retired General Manager of Community Congress for Economic Change, CCEC
  • Ross Gentleman ­has been involved in financial institution regulation for 16 years and worked with co­ops and credit unions around B.C.  ­
  • CCEC is a self described radical activist credit union on Commercial Drive – http://www.ccec.bc.ca

BC Co-op Sector Check-in Topics Include: 

• Local
  • Co-op Week in Vancouver
  • A New Economy film

• Provincial
  • BC Co-operative Association changes
  • Strategic Planning

• Federal
  • International Summit of Cooperatives – October 11-13
  • November 2 -5, 2016: Canadian Worker Co-op Federation Conference in Vancouver
  • Federal Government
    • November hitting the hill with all the co-op folks
    • National collaboration with co-op lobbying (CHFBC / BCCA / Ross)

Co-op Housing Federation of BC Topics Include:

Local Update:

• Last week the City of Vancouver hosted a large summit on housing that involved hordes of international experts and others to talk about housing policy and housing action.  http://readdress.ca/ re:address
  • Recurring theme was the role that the non-profit and co-op housing sectors can play in delivering affordable housing with municipal partners and other levels of government.  Not just the housing sector but the financial sector too.
• CHFBC – Our AGM is also on November 20
• Oct 11th, 2016 – Co-op Housing Federation of BC presented a budget brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services today. Executive Director Thom Armstrong and Board of Directors President Patty Shaw appearing before the committee this afternoon in Victoria. Armstrong and Shaw outlined the current financial situation housing co-ops find themselves in. They also answered committee questions. CHFBC requested provincially funded rent supplements for low income co-op members. This would replace federal subsidies that expire between now and 2025.

Provincial Update:

• “The government says it’s the largest single housing investment in a single year by any province in Canada.”
  • $500 million dollars to make sure more BC families have access to affordable housing.
  • The Premier says a total of 2,900 rental units will be created in partnership with non-profit groups, local governments, community agencies and the private sector.
  • Election – May 9, 2017

Credit Union Sector Check-in w/Ross Gentleman Topics Include:

1. What does it mean to be a federally incorporated credit union?
2. In the wake of Coast Capital’s special resolution to its members we discuss what motivates a credit union to make this move and the potential benefits and impacts for members.