2008 Year in Review

SACHA provides a number of valuable services to its members. These include:

The Co-op Advantage Program
Education
Consulting
Government and Public Relations
Members' meetings
Newsletters
Operational Services
Mediation
Referrals
Sector Affiliation
Telephone Advice
The New Cooperatives Act
Website

Government and Public Relations
• Advise and support members in matters involving CMHC.
• Lobbying: Represent housing co-op's political interests federally and provincially.
• Voice member concerns with municipal, provincial and federal governments.

Members' meetings
• SACHA holds two general meetings a year.
• The Annual meeting in April
• The Budget meeting in November
• Special meetings are held when necessary

Newsletters
• SACHA Shares - distributed to all member co-op households twice a year.
• FLASHES - provided to Directors of member housing co-ops four times a year

Operational Services
• Financial - monthly financial statements, basic bookkeeping, invoice and cheque writing, preparing
  and making deposits.
• Move-in-Move-out and annual unit inspections.
• Temporary staffing for holidays.
• Staff training.

Referrals
• Legal, auditors, trades Yellow Pages
• Direct prospective members toward suitable accommodation
• Inform the public about co-op housing

Conflict Mediation
• Help resolve disputes among co-op members
• Consultants facilitate difficult meetings

Consulting
SACHA offers the following services for a fee:
• Plain language document review
• Board orientations
• Assistance with board/committee functioning
• Meeting facilitation
• Policy development

Sector Affiliation
• Links with NACHA (Northern Alberta Co-operative Housing Association) and other regional federations
• Member of CHF Canada (Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada)
• Member of the Co-op Council of Alberta

Telephone Advice
• Advice and referrals to members and individual members of housing co-ops.

The New Cooperatives Act
• Came into force on April 1, 2002
• Certificate of Continuance by March 31, 2005
• SACHA offers assistance to co-ops through guided discussion - final product is new set of Articles,By-laws and a Shareholder's Agreement in plain language
• Workshops offered on:
• Member rights and responsibilities
• Directors - qualifications and duties
• Termination of membership and occupancy rights
• The act can be viewed at www.gov.ab.ca/gs/depts/acts_regs.cfm#Cooperative

Website
• Helps explain About Co-op Housing.
• The Co-op Directory has information on all the individual co-ops.
• Information on Availability of membership in the co-ops.
• Upcoming Events
• SACHA's Services