Catherine Donnelly Foundation Winter 2024 Newsletter: Mobilizing, networking and collaborating for effective housing solutions

In January, we were delighted to receive news from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto that a Fall 2023 grant project, contingent on the City of Toronto approving their proposal for 612 affordable and market rental co-op units, would go ahead. Using City land and partnering with private development companies, the scheme will create the largest co-operative housing project built in Ontario since 1995. Funding from the Catherine Donnelly Foundation will assist the Federation to build the necessary capacity to move the project forward.

The new co-op units reaffirm our belief that facilitating collaboration amongst key housing organizations and supporting a wide spectrum of housing model solutions is critical to address Canada’s urgent need for affordable and accessible housing. The Foundation funds a range of innovative housing initiatives, including expanding tenants’ capacity to advocate for affordable housing, developing innovative models for accessible housing, emerging community land trust models, supporting culturally appropriate solutions for BIPOC-led and serving communities and embedding recognition of the human right to housing in solutions and government responses to those who are unhoused.

In this housing-focused newsletter you can read about the essential – and hopeful – work of The Circle Community LandTrust, The Shift and Janine Harvey and Lisa Alikamik’s collaboration with the National Right to Housing Network. All too frequently we read stories about the ongoing crisis in housing and homelessness, but these organizations highlight existing and emerging housing solutions rooted in accessibility, equality, justice and environmental awareness. We are proud to be associated with their bold and creative responses.

Claire Barcik, Executive Director

Read the entire Winter 2024 Newsletter here