Toronto, Ontario, September 24, 2013 — The Co‑operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) and Ontario’s housing co‑ops are delighted with the passage of Bill 14, the Non-profit Housing Co‑operatives Statute Law Amendment Act, 2013, by the Ontario legislature today. The Bill passed with the support of every MPP from all three parties in the minority legislature.
The legislation amends the Co‑operative Corporations Act and the Residential Tenancies Act to move most co‑op eviction disputes from the courts to the Landlord and Tenant Board.
“Housing co‑ops have been advocating for changes to the co‑op eviction system for some time and we very much appreciate that the bill was given priority in this legislative session,” says Harvey Cooper, Manager of Government Relations for CHF Canada’s Ontario Region. Cooper notes that Bill 14 is the first non-budget bill to make it to third reading since the house was prorogued last October. “Bill 14 is a great example of minority government working well,” says Cooper, “and we look forward to the bill being proclaimed and then implemented.”
Bill 14 benefits housing co‑ops, individual co‑op members and the government. The Bill improves the speed and fairness of the eviction process for both co‑ops and their members and reduces cost. It also serves the wider public interest by giving relief to the over-burdened court system, reducing the cost to the public.
CHF Canada’s Ontario Region represents and serves over 500 housing co ops in the province, home to some 125,000 co op members. Co operative housing has a solid track record of over four decades of building and providing safe, secure, affordable housing in member-owned communities.
For more information:
Harvey Cooper, Manager of Government Relations
416-366-1711, ext. 237 or 416-809-5048 (cell)