Skip to content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer
Central Ontario Co-operative Housing Federation > Co-operative Staff Association

REPRESENTING CO-OP HOUSING EMPLOYEES SINCE 1994

The Co-operative Staff Association of Central Ontario (CSACO) is a co-operative whose members are individuals who work in housing co-operatives.  The co-op staff association members include managers, co-ordinators, bookkeepers, maintenance workers and administrative staff working full or part time.

It is a separate organization from COCHF and it has its own by-laws and its own Board of Directors.  CSACO members work primarily in Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Brantford and Cambridge.

CSACO Member Services

CSACO Members meet once a month to exchange information, share ideas, and organize activities.  The monthly networking meetings include guest speakers from the co-op housing sector, Co-op Cost Cutters suppliers, and other organizations who can provide support to housing co-operatives. Other stand-alone educational events sponsored by the co-op staff association have included WHMIS training, software training, conflict resolution training, and First Aid/CPR certification.  The co-op staff association can also provide financial assistance to members who require legal advice. We also publish a contact list (phone, fax and e-mail) for members to encourage the growth of a staff network.

The co-op staff association holds social events for CSACO members to increase opportunities to network in a less formal setting.  The annual Staff Education Forum has become CSACO`s signature event, organized in co-operation with the Co-ordinators`Association of Southwestern Ontario (CASO). It is normally held each February at the Elm Hurst Inn in Ingersoll. This annual event is an incredible networking and learning opportunity at an affordable cost.

Email the CSACO Administrator, Joyce Nieuwesteeg, for additional information about the co-op staff association – csaco.online@gmail.com.  You can also contact CSACO President, Trevor Black at: 519-836-6732  / trevor@fiferoadco-op.ca.

Annual Member Dues: $160/year. Some co-ops choose to pay the dues on behalf of their staff person. Dues paid directly by staff members are tax deductible.

CSACO is a non-profit organization that represents and supports the staff of housing co-ops.

CSACO promotes co-op staff as stakeholders in the co-op housing sector and values the principles of co-operation.

Board of Directors

President: Trevor Black
Vice-President: Marcie Cote
Treasurer: Darlene Slater
Secretary: Judith Sainsbury
Director-at-Large: Allan Steinwall

CSACO Membership Application

CSACO is a full member organization of CHF Canada and COCHF, and works to ensure that the staff’s voice is heard in the co-op sector. 

Back to top