• Co-operative and Community-led Regeneration Partnerships Symposium;
  • Making the case for a vibrant co-operative sector in Poland;
  • India and Kenya join ICA Housing;
  • Canadian partnership;
  • Dot.coop Awards;
  • International Year of Co-operatives 2012;
  • Board Vacancy -Looking for someone to join the team

A Message from ICA Housing President, David Rodgers

Welcome to this seventh edition e-bulletin for Members of ICA Housing around the World.  Our members are the national and regional housing co-operative federations and housing co-operative development and service agencies that are members or affiliate members of the International Co-operative Alliance

We are pleased to share with you news on the work we have carried out and the plans we have for the future.

With co-operative greetings to all fellow housing co-operators.

ICA Housing & Türkkent – Istanbul Symposium – 28-29 June 2011

Are you registered yet? Don’t wait!

Only a few weeks remain before the Symposium ‘Co-operative and Community-led Regeneration Partnerships’, sponsored by ICA Housing and TURKKENT, takes place.  Do not miss this gathering of housing co-operators and housing experts.

Keynote speaker Professor Wulf Daseking, Head of Urban Planning of Freiburg the European City 2010, heads a list of eminent international expert speakers. The Symposium programme challenges participants to reflect and discuss ways to actively promote sustainable urban development through partnerships between communities and co-operatives and local, regional and national governments. It will be an interesting, stimulating and informative day.

The Symposium starts the day before with a site visit toYeşilkent Greencity Co-operative Housing Project in the Gürpınar, Büyükçekmece District, İstanbul.

We look forward to seeing you in Istanbul for this major international event.

For a program brochure and registration information, click here

 

Making the case for a vibrant co-operative sector in Poland

ICA Housing and CECODHAS Housing Co-operative Section join forces to support the Auditing Union of Housing Co-operatives

In letters to the President, Prime Minister and Marshal of SEJM (the Parliament) of the Republic of Poland, the Presidents of ICA Housing and CECODHAS Co-operative Section, David Rodgers and Luciano Caffini, have expressed their grave concerns and reservations about the impact on housing co-operatives in Poland of two Bills that are currently making their way through the Polish Parliament. The two Bills, the Bill on Co-operatives and the Bill on Housing Co-operatives, severely jeopardize the unique constitutional character of co-operatives by interfering with the Co-operative Principles of Open and Voluntary Membership, Democratic Member Control and Autonomy and Independence. Of concern are the provisions in the two Bills that will impose state supervision of co-operatives, mandatory membership without the approval of the co-operative and restrictions on general assemblies that will interfere with member democratic control. A provision in the Bill on Housing Co-operatives provides for the obligatory transfer of co-operative ownership rights to residential premises into separate resident ownership rights which will effectively liquidate housing co-operatives and their assets.

In the letters, both ICA Housing and CECODHAS Co-op Section Presidents stressed the importance of the Co-operative enterprise sector in the world economy. Today, over 900 million people are members of co-operative enterprises. Co-operatives are a vital part of the European economy accounting for 160,000 co-operatives with 5.4 million jobs and a combined turnover of 300 billion Euros.

Instead of imposing discriminatory rules against co-operatives Rodgers and Caffini called upon the Polish government to recognize the power of co-operatives as a distinct form of business enterprise. They also urged Poland to comply with its international treaty obligations by creating a legislative, financial and administrative framework for co-operatives that enables them to operate on an equal footing with other forms of business enterprise in a vibrant and growing Polish economy. They made the case for the Polish government to recognize that co-operatives have a very specific role to play in the social, economic and democratic life of the citizens of Poland.

Membership News

It is with great pleasure that ICA Housing welcomes the knowledge and experience of two new members.

The Co-operative House Building & Finance Corporation of India joined ICA last November as full member. Operating in six Indian states, its objectives include: to procure land; to develop infrastructure and housing; to grant loans to members for construction, land and repairs; to survey land; to train member farmers; to produce, distribute and develop construction material and to develop tourism facilities, transport systems, recreation and entertainment facilities.

The National Co-operative Housing Union Ltd of Kenya (NACHU) joined ICA as full member in February.  NACHU is the housing co-operatives apex organization in Kenya. Their aims are to contribute to the improved shelter and quality of life for modest and low-income communities through access to capacity development, technical services and financial solutions. In 2010, their membership included 160 societies. They have 8 employees with a turnover (in 2009) of CHF 483,343.

Both organizations will bring significant insights to the work of ICA Housing and we welcome them into membership.

Constructive and Beneficial Partnerships: an example from Canada

Take the time to look at another example of a great partnership that benefits housing co-operatives. The Co-operative Housing Federation of British Columbia, Van City Credit Union and Terra Housing from Canada have joined forces to create a vehicle for developing and financing co-ops and other ‘social purpose’ real estate.

As you will recall, participants at the October 2010 London Symposium discussed ways of facing the financial challenges created for housing co-operatives by the global financial crisis of 2007/8. This is an interesting story showing what co-operation can accomplish. Click here to read about this new venture

Getting Ready for the International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) 2012

ICA Housing is gearing up for Our Year, the International Year of Co-operatives. Several initiatives will be considered at the next ICA Housing Board meeting to be held just before the Istanbul Symposium in June. Here are some of the ideas:

  • Secure ICA Housing members’ commitment to use FSC or PERC timber in renovation/maintenance/construction projects; bring a recommendation to that effect at the ICA Congress in Cancun, Mexico, in November for all co-operatives.
  • Promote to all ICA Housing members the use of the IYC logo and banner as widely as possible. Note that ICA Housing members can use the logo and the banner without having to go through the UN approval process.  
  • Unite forces with CECODHAS Housing Europe – Co-operatives Section to publish updated country profiles for all ICA Housing member countries. Recommend to housing co-operatives around the world the adoption of the good governance framework developed by the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada).  This model in place in Canada has just been adopted by the UK co-op housing sector.
  • Finally but not least, the organization of a Co-op Housing Development Conference in 2012 to be held in Africa. Kenya and South Africa are both being considered as possible venues for this initiative.

If you have any UN International Year of Co-operative initiatives that you would like ICA Housing to consider and include in its programme for the International Year, please submit your proposals to Sylvie Moreau. The Board will review them at its forthcoming meeting in Istanbul.

Canada prepares for International Year of Co-operatives 2012 with an inspiring video….

Watch this inspiring video produced by the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA) inviting the Canadian Co-operators “to shine and to show the world the power of the co-operative difference”.   

Mark your calendar for the next ICA Housing Plenary and Seminar

ICA will hold its General Assembly in Cancun on November 17 and 18, 2011. Prior to the GA, the ICA sectoral organizations will have their meetings. ICA Housing will hold its Plenary and Seminar on 15 and 16 November 2011.

You need to be a member of ICA to participate. Ready to join our great international co-operative movement? Visit ICA website for more information or contact us.

Tell us what you need from ICA Housing

A key part of ICA Housing’s strategy is to offer to support and respond to the needs of members. We are also keen to develop our ‘added value’ service offer to ICA housing co-operative members. Please contact us if you need information and/or assistance and tell us what additional services you think we could provide to members.

Final Words:  Board Vacancy – Looking for someone to join the team

There is a position vacant on the ICA Housing Board for the remainder of a four-year term ending in 2013.  Being an ICA Housing Board member involves 2 face-to-face meetings and 2 electronic meetings per year as well as contributing your expertise, knowledge and contacts to assist in the activities of ICA Housing.  Each board member’s organization must be ready to pay for their expenses in attending Board meetings.

ICA Housing Board is keen to improve the gender balance of its members, so particularly welcomes applications from women interested in joining the Board. We are also keen to extend representation from other regions, such as Africa, the Pacific sub-region and South America. If you are an ICA Housing member (or wish to become one) and are interested in nominating a representative to join the Board, please send a letter to the ICA Housing Secretariat for the attention of the President of ICA Housing.  The Board of Directors will review applications at its next meeting.

Download this issue here