Submitted by Sarah Reimer
The following is a written version of the presentation given at the Summer GM by Sarah Reimer
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit” – an ancient Greek proverb.
This saying featured strongly in both the presentations and the theme, culture and spirit of the CHF AGM in Victoria. We, the co-op movement as a whole, seems to be at a unique crossroads where we will find ourselves faced with choices that will greatly impact future generations of co-op members.
We’re stronger together- that’s the essence of the whole co-op movement- what struck me at the AGM, in the workshops and networking was that this is not only true on a per co-op/ individual member basis, but as a movement too. Seeing the variety of co-ops represented and hearing about their creative solutions put our co-op into a clearer perspective for me. I was particularly impressed by the work done by CHF, namely the successful lobbying they’ve been championing which has brought the co-op model to the table at the federal level. I also learned more about the land trust movement, which also shows that by joining forces with other co-ops, we, as a whole, have the opportunity to become a force to be reckoned with.
Vision and purpose of co-op housing as presented at CHF AGM- we were challenged with working to create opportunities and develop sustainable systems of governance and housing to ensure that co-op housing expands in scope, cultural awareness, and helps to solve housing crisis for variety of people.
CHF and its members pledged to uphold and work towards UN’s 17 sustainable development goals in 4 broad areas of eradicating poverty, improving access to basic goods and services (in our case, housing), protecting the environment (by making our co-ops increasingly green) and by building a more sustainable food system (in the form of permaculture projects on our land).
I had the privilege to attend three amazing workshops, one about boards and their structure, function and procedures, another about funding opportunities and practical solutions around increasing our ‘green’ness; one presenter focussed on the value of updating or renewing items, even something as simple as dual flush toilets en masse, rather than piecemeal as this makes available refunds/ rebates etc not otherwise available. I also took full advantage of networking opportunities and met key people around new and innovative funding options; discovering in the process that, in many ways, we are like other co-ops, but we are also amazing; we have a lot of hidden strengths and live-in assets yet to be fully appreciated. There’s a lot we can learn from organisations like CHF and SACHA; yet I was amazed at how ‘on the ball’ we are. A funding option which had been released less than a month prior and was news to me, was already known to the planning and development committee, who were already working to position us to access that resource. It was great to be able to see some of the pieces of the puzzle together, against our own unique backdrop.
I made some amazing connections, the full value of which hasn’t yet been realised; I look forward to continuing those relationships for the betterment of Sunnyhill and for the co-op movement as a whole.
My biggest takeaway is that co-op housing isn’t, nor can it be, simply about our current housing stock and current members; it is and must also be about who still needs a co-op unit and who will be housed in our units in 10, 15, and even 50 years; we need to make decisions now to enable us to secure co-op housing in perpetuity.