Building Community Housing

Building Community Housing
The Conversion of Alexandra Park Public Housing
to Atkinson Housing Co-operative
A Film Premiere and Discussion
Aymen Eldardiry, Ana Mendonca, & Jorge Sousa

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
252 Bloor St. West, Room 2-214 (St. George subway)

On April 1, 2003, Toronto’s Alexandra Park community became Canada’s first public housing complex to be converted into a tenant-managed, non-profit housing co-operative. Now known as the Atkinson Housing Co-operative, it straddles the line separating co-operative and public housing models. The conversion means that the members have greater control over decision-making and can develop and implement policies that directly affect their lives and the health of their community. The film “Building Community Housing: The Conversion of Alexandra Park Public Housing to Atkinson Housing Co-operative” documents the efforts of the Atkinson Co-operative at building and defining their community.

The film consists of current and archived footage of the community, including photographs and film taken by members and former residents. The screening will be followed by a discussion.

Aymen Eldardiry and Ana Mendonca are leading members of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative. Jorge Sousa, who completed his Ph.D. at OISE, University of Toronto, is a former resident and member of the board of directors of the Atkinson co-op. Currently he is affiliated to the Social Economy Centre at U of T and also teaches at York University and George Brown College.

www.urbancentre.utoronto.ca/pdfs/communitydevelopment/CDSeminar-Eldardiryetal.pdf