In the 2023 Lanark County Vital Signs Report, the need for safe, affordable and attainable housing was cited as the most urgent priority for the community. The Linden Housing Co-op is one group that has since formed to help meet that need, via the development of non-profit cooperative housing in the Town of Perth.

PDCF has supported Linden with two grants totaling $27,000 and by providing letters of support to the Centre of Community Transformation, the Taggart Parkes Foundation, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which have resulted in further financial support for the group’s development project.

Today, we want to congratulate Linden for their latest success – funding from CMHC’s Co-operative Housing Development Program, announced on March 22, 2025:

“The federal government announced the first co-operative housing projects to receive funding under the new Co-operative Housing Development Program (CHDP), a $1.5 billion initiative designed to support the creation of new co-op housing across the country.

Through the first application window, $423 million in funding has been allocated to support eight new co-ops, creating a total of 837 new homes. The first three projects, which are the most advanced in their development process, will receive formal funding agreements this month, representing $81 million in funding to build 206 units of new co-op housing. The other projects receiving funding will be announced in the following months.

In the Town of Perth, Ontario, Linden Housing Co-operative will receive $12.3 million to create 38 units, including 36 newly constructed homes and 2 units within an existing house. This project will include 8 accessible units and will target 8 units for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, providing housing to those most in need.”

For more information on the Linden Housing Co-op, visit their website at www.lindencoop.ca