Nathan Edelson: Co-ops need leases significantly longer than the 30 years currently proposed
Credit to Author: Hardip Johal| Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 02:00:50 +0000
City of Vancouver staff produced a thought-provoking discussion paper on Jan. 28 to help guide the future of housing co-ops on city-owned land. They propose that co-ops that agree to file annual reports demonstrating they are housing more low-income residents can pay a lower land rent. The paper also indicates the city may offer some co-ops partnership opportunities in redevelopment.
Many co-ops will be working with the Co-op Housing Federation over the coming weeks to determine whether the staff report contains a mutually agreeable path forward or a devil in the details.
At the core of successful housing co-ops is a sense of community, generated in part through affordability and security of tenure, but also through the inclusion of residents in their management.
These all contribute to opportunities for members to know their neighbours and overcome the sense of social isolation that is one of the leading issues facing many residents of Vancouver and beyond. Isolation is not just a serious concern for the individuals experiencing it. It carries significant public costs in health care, policing and other services.
At the core of a strong sense of community is trust. What greater trust can you place in your neighbours than to have them look after your children, or to ensure you will have a place to live should your income decline either through retirement, job loss or illness?
Trust and mutual respect are at the core of any successful agreement. Co-ops are — and should be — willing to share mutually agreed upon information with the city in a reasonable time frame about income bands and the ways that members can “right size” as households grow and contract over time.
But the city also needs to demonstrate genuine respect for the incredible work co-op members and their leaders do, not only for their own residents, but for the city and its taxpayers as a whole. Co-ops and other providers of non-market housing need to be recognized, not just as temporary occupants, but as full partners at the table.
Co-ops have earned this right by the ways they have managed their homes over the last 40 years. For example, all the co-ops in False Creek South have lived up to or exceeded the requirements of the leases they signed with the city. Most have housed considerably more lower-income residents than their leases require. Almost all have properly maintained their buildings. Where there are challenges, it is because they have found it difficult or impossible to carry out major repairs since they cannot borrow funds due to the short time remaining on their leases.
To demonstrate respect, the city needs processes that are more transparent. Co-ops should be involved in developing the content and the public processes for future city reports on this and related topics.
Co-ops also need leases significantly longer than the 30 years currently proposed. This will enable co-ops to properly plan and borrow funds for ongoing maintenance and possible expansion or redevelopment — 99-year leases would enable them to borrow funds to participate in new development. This would also enable them to be full partners at the table in guiding the future of their homes and communities.
Finally, the city should acknowledge the (hopefully) unintended impact of the time it has taken staff to prepare the discussion paper and that will be needed to resume and complete lease negotiations, which began prior to 2016. Many residents living in co-ops with short amounts of time remaining on their leases have experienced considerable stress due to the resulting uncertainty. The city can and should unilaterally extend these leases so that co-op members can know the reality of housing security and co-ops can borrow funds for needed repairs and maintenance.
As Mayor Kennedy Stewart has stated, “Co-ops on city-owned land have provided a vital source of affordable housing.” The city can learn many lessons from the diversity of ways in which co-ops have helped make our city a better place for all. And can take action now to make co-ops partners in the future of our region.
Nathan Edelson, former city planner, is project manager for the RePlan Committee of the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association.