The Central Ontario Co-operative Housing Federation is a federation of non-profit housing co-operatives in the cities of Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Brantford and Guelph. The federation currently has 42 member organizations that represent roughly 3,000 units of member controlled co-operative housing in the five cities in Central Ontario.
The Central Ontario Co-operative Housing Federation (COCHF) was incorporated in 1992 under the Co-operative Corporations Act. The federation was founded by local housing co-operatives to provide a means for co-ops to network with each other and offer sector resources and tools to support our membership.
Out of the 40 housing co-ops that exist in the five cities COCHF serves, 39 housing co-ops are COCHF Members, including:
- 6 housing co-ops in Brantford
- 6 housing co-ops in Cambridge
- 7 housing co-ops in Guelph
- 12 housing co-ops in Kitchener
- 7 housing co-ops in Waterloo
Additionally, other sector organizations that are members of our federation include the following: Co-operative Staff Association of Central Ontario (CSACO), Homestarts Inc, and Niagara Peninsula Homes.
Understanding Your Local Federation
The housing co-op sector shares a common purpose, which is to promote the long-term sustainability of non-profit housing co-ops in Canada and the development of more non-profit co-operative housing.
COCHF is financed by annual membership dues, fees for services, and revenue shared by CHF Canada.
COCHF is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors – from member housing co-ops within the catchment area. COCHF currently employs one staff person.
