Co-operative Housing for Seniors

Co-operative Housing for Seniors

Also known as ‘co-op housing’, it is a kind of non-profit housing in which the residents or ‘members’ are actively and equally involved in making decisions and running the community they live in. Co-op settings come in many shapes and sizes and can range from apartment-style dwellings to townhouse structures. The members do not usually hold any ownership in the property (it’s usually owned by a co-operative corporation with an elected board of directors) but do pay monthly rent that may be income-based and possibly less than market rates depending on their situation and the rules of the co-operative. This option would be geared to the independent person as opposed to someone with care needs. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has created an information guide on Co-operative Housing that can be found at www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/maintaining-and-managing/co-operative-housing-guide. To locate co-operatives for seniors or where there may be a large percentage of seniors, you may wish to do an internet search for ‘senior co-op housing’ in your city or region. Additionally, you can contact the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada at 1 (800) 465-2752 or chfcanada.coop and/or for those in Ontario, visit the website for The Ontario Co-operative Association at www.ontario.coop.

Excerpted with permission from The Comprehensive Guide to Retirement Living - 23rd  Edition.

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If you are looking for assistance locating a home or resources for your loved one, you can reach out to our consulting team at consulting@seniorcareaccess.com or visit our consulting page for more information. Our Discover 3 program offers decision-makers and seniors an opportunity to have a professional consultant identify three housing solutions based on their needs. 
For additional questions, feel free to contact us at connect@seniorcareaccess.com.
SeniorCareAccess.com is Canada’s largest unbiased seniors’ housing database, offering consulting services and both seniors’ service and housing directories for professionals, seniors, and their families.


 

59 other articles by Esther Goldstein, B.Sc., B.S.W., RSW

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