The demands of housing co-operatives

Large priorities elections qc eng

6 priorities

FECHIMM members set their campaign priorities in order to make social and co-operative housing an electoral issue. The right to housing, the defense of housing co-operatives and measures for a fairer society are at the heart of housing co-operatives' demands. Each issue presented is followed by a question that we invite you to submit to the candidates you will be talking to.

  1. Improving and enhancing the AccèsLogis program
  2. Reserving institutional buildings for the development of new housing co-operatives
  3. A subsidy program enabling co-operatives to renovate their buildings and keep them in good condition
  4. Safeguarding all the money invested by the co-operatives in the Fonds québécois d'habitation communautaire (FQHC)
  5. Amending the Act respecting municipal taxation allowing municipalities to allocate a differentiated tax rate to co-operatives
  6. Combating all forms of violence against women

1. Improving and enhancing the AccèsLogis program

FECHIMM identifies four main measures to improve the only co-operative housing development program.

  • Increasing the number of units completed annually taking the tenants’ needs into account
  • Maximum indexing of implementation costs, capped since 2009, in order to reflect the reality of the metropolitan real estate market, including the need to decontaminate land
  • Changing the method of rent setting for non-subsidized housing so that it remains accessible to low-income households
  • Reinstating complementary programs in the area of renovations, innovation and community services.

What do you intend to do to promote the development of housing co-operatives?

2. Reserving institutional buildings for the development of new housing co-operatives

To address the housing crisis, in a context where land to be used for construction is scarce and unaffordable, FECHIMM calls on the government to reserve institutional buildings for the development of new housing co-operatives. Among other things, we are thinking of hospitals that close their doors.

Do you agree with the idea of reserving institutional buildings for the development of new housing co-operatives?

3. A real subsidy program to renovate co-operatives

According to the survey conducted by FECHIMM, renovation needs for co-operatives in the territory will cost $ 400 million over the next ten years. Even if they are newer, the co-operatives developed under the AccèsLogis and Affordable Housing Québec (LAQ) programs require significant investments. It is important today that the government does not allow the collective heritage it has helped build to deteriorate. That is why it is necessary that renovation subsidies are made available to co-operatives.

Do you commit to creating a renovation subsidy program for housing co-operatives?

4. A differentiated tax status for housing co-operatives

Although they do not participate in the speculative market and manage social housing for low-income households, housing co-operatives are taxed on the same basis as the private market. The movement considers this situation unfair.

FECHIMM is therefore campaigning for a minor amendment to the Act respecting municipal taxation in order to assign a differentiated tax status for continuing housing co-operatives, including solidarity co-operatives. This optional measure would allow municipalities to allocate a lower tax rate than the one set for the private market.

Do you agree with assigning a differentiated tax status to housing co-operatives?

5. Safeguarding the Fonds québécois d’habitation communautaire

Since the creation of the AccèsLogis program in 1997 and the LAQ program in 2004, co-operatives and NPOs that have benefited from those programs have paid $ 200 million to the Fonds québécois d'habitation communautaire (FQHC). The Fund, which was intended to support both the development and maintenance of co-operatives and non-profit housing, has for all intents and purposes never been used in the last 20 years. Even worse, despite opposition from social housing organizations, the government transferred the assets of the Fund to the Société d'habitation du Québec.

FECHIMM is therefore demanding that Quebec restore the autonomy of the FQHC by setting up a structure controlled mainly by the contributing organizations. It also asks the government to pay its share as stipulated in the agreement that governed its creation and to make it available to contributing co-operatives with significant renovation needs.

Do you agree with restoring the autonomy of the FQHC and making it available to contributing co-operatives that must carry out renovations?

6. Combating all forms of violence against women

FECHIMM calls for commitments from parties to combat all forms of violence against women, specifically violence in the homes (harassment, intimidation, sexual violence, domestic violence, etc.). The Federation is also calling for amendments to the Cooperatives Act to make it more fair to survivors and make sure they can remain in their home.

What measures are you proposing to combat violence, specifically violence in the homes?

See also

For more information