Birchwood Meadow Housing Co-Operative

What you should know about Birchwood Meadow Housing Co-Operative

Birchwood Meadow Housing Co‑operative Inc. is a federally sponsored, not‑for‑profit housing co‑operative located at 1380 Ogilvie Road in Gloucester (Ottawa), Ontario. The property is a six‑storey, 70‑unit apartment building completed in 1989 and incorporated under Ontario’s Co‑operative Corporations Act in 1987. Birchwood Meadow operates under an Operating Agreement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); CMHC guarantees the co‑op’s mortgage, which the site describes as enabling the organization to operate on a not‑for‑profit basis. The community is family oriented and offers one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom apartments including five accessible units. Governance and member responsibilities: the co‑op is managed by a five‑member Board of Directors elected from the membership. Directors must reside in the building, serve two‑year terms and are unpaid. The site emphasizes democratic management as central to co‑op living: members collectively own and operate the housing, vote on the annual budget, elect the board, may run for board positions, and receive audited financial statements. Members are expected to follow the co‑op’s bylaws and policies; compliance and payment of housing charges are conditions for continued occupancy and “security of tenure.” Housing charges and unit information: published housing charges on the site list monthly rates as follows (hydro not included): 1‑bedroom $816; 2‑bedroom $1,037–$1,138; 3‑bedroom $1,143. Floor plans and unit details are made available for download from the site. Application and approval process: the co‑op requires a fully completed application package with supporting documentation; incomplete submissions are reportedly shredded and not retained. There is no fee to submit and be placed on the waiting list, but the site states a fee is charged when applicants are considered for an offer to offset credit report costs—$40 per adult is noted in one section, while another section references a $20 fee per applicant aged 16 or older, a discrepancy the site itself does not reconcile. All prospective members aged 16 and over must attend an interview conducted by two co‑op members; credit and landlord/tenant checks are carried out and the Board makes final membership decisions. The site currently indicates the waiting list is closed. Amenities and logistics: 28 indoor parking spaces are available to members only, with priority given to disabled members, seniors and large families; remaining spaces are allocated from a parking wait list on a first‑come, first‑served basis. The co‑op provides bylaws and policies covering subjects such as member selection and allocation, pets, parking, occupancy, housing charges and arrears, maintenance, workplace discrimination and harassment, smoking, and subsidy assistance. Birchwood Meadow is affiliated with regional and national co‑op organizations (CHASEO and CHF Canada) and provides links and downloadable documents for applicants and members.