4 MILLION CANADIANS IN NEED OF HOUSING

With 4 million Canadians in need of housing and 40,000 sleeping in shelters every night, Canada's affordable housing shortage is not a problem that is too big to fix; it's a problem that is to big not to fix, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada said today.

Speaking at a meeting with provincial and territorial housing ministers, the Federation of Canadian municipalities, and other national housing organizations, Nicholas Gazzard, Executive Director, made a case for co-operative housing as part of the solution.

"Co-op housing in Canada is a success story. Co-op housing iscost-effective for government and offers a truly community-driven housingsolution that puts the residents in control of their housing."

CHF Canada recognized the importance of the renewal of the three federalhousing programs just prior to the call of the federal election and called onthe provinces and territories to make a matching commitment. But Gazzard called for a long term strategy."

The renewed federal spending, while welcome, will not deliver the newaffordable housing needed to address the challenges of core housing need.

The federal government must commit to further funding and develop a strategy to respond to the expiry of existing federal housing commitments.

Canadian housing co-ops are also calling for

- A strategic partnership among different levels of government- Consultation with stakeholder groups

- New spending tied to both supply and demand solutions, and

- Efficiency in scale in program design.

CHF Canada is the national voice of co-operative housing in Canada, with more than 900 housing co-operatives and other members, representing 56,000