Aboriginal Co-operatives in Canada - Centre for the Study of Co ...

A P P E N D I X I ~When they do have their gatherings I would say that maybe 65 percent of the peopleshow up and so you get to see them, their children, and guests that they bring all interactingand it is usually a potluck gathering and everybody brings something and thesocial committee provides so much. That’s the highlight, these are the nice times. 24Advice was also offered in a number of areas relating to the organization and administrationof the co-operative. Perhaps most importantly, all respondents recommended that a Nativehousing co-op must provide scattered rather than a group-home type of development. For theNITH co-op, for example, the condo-style arrangement has led to lack-of-privacy concerns andsmall-community-type intermember conflicts that require conciliation at the board level andconsequently keep board members from other more pressing matters.It is further important to set careful and fair standards for membership eligibility. It is imperativethat each member be able to pay their rent, and so conducting a thorough landlord referencecheck is very helpful. As well, applicants to the co-op must be clearly informed as tothe ethic or community culture of the organization and be willing to play an active part in itsactivities.Before people move into the co-op here they are required to attend an information sessionand we go through what is expected from you as a member and what you can expect inreturn. We talk about all of the committees and the board of directors. We talk about howwe calculate their housing charges, when they are due for payment, we talk about our petpolicy, etc. And sometimes after they have attended our information session some peoplesay, ‘Hey, this is not for me. I don’t want all that hassle.’ 25In terms of the early stages of development, the NITH housing experience demonstrated theneed for between six to twelve people who are willing to commit a great deal of their time andwho are prepared to meet at least two to three times per week. As well, it was considered importantto develop both internally as well as externally. There must be equal attention paid tomember education and training as well as to expanding into new properties. It was consideredcritical that founding members be trained in the area of house selection and purchasing; toomany of FNHC’s early homes were poorly selected, which resulted in ongoing high maintenancecosts. And internal development must also mean ensuring adequate resources be allocatedto the management of the co-op. In the case of the FNHC, there was a clear need fordecent office space as well as a common area for members.24 Mary Smith, FNHC.25 Denise McGahan, NITH.346 ~