Residents of the Rosewood Housing Co-operative paid off their building’s mortgage after 33 and a half years and celebrated the milestone by burning a copy of the document in front of their building on June 24.
The Rosewood is a result of a mid-'80s push by the provincial government to build sustainable housing. Representatives from the province’s Department of Small Business and Co-operatives and from the Co-operative Housing Association of Saskatchewan were present at the Dec. 17, 1987, meeting that formed the initial managing committees.
The mortgage document was signed on Dec. 20, 1988. It was a 35-year term for just over $4 million. The building was purpose-built for people aged 55 and up.
A newspaper article from the time states that criticisms of co-op type housing centre on the unwillingness of every member to help. Regina-Wascana MP Larry Schneider said that “what makes a housing co-operative function is the commitment of its members.”
Living in a co-operative means becoming a member. Together, the members elect the board of directors, which runs the building using committees such as the Site and Building Committee, the Furnishings Committee, and the Finance Committee.
Having full membership participation is essential for a co-op — the rewards come along with the responsibilities.
Shirley and Don Stockton and Adella Hetke are the three remaining original residents of the building. They moved in just after construction completed in 1990. Don is now 98 years old, Shirley is 94, and Adella is 88.
“When you come in, you’re supposed to say that you will help on any committee that’s required of you,” Don said. He looked after the boilers in the building in the beginning years before moving on to other responsibilities. Shirley served as chairman of the co-op board for six years.
Adella has also served on almost every committee. She laughs as she recalls moving in initially — there were only five other tenants at first, before the rest of the members started moving in.
Melynda Anderson is the current administrator of the building, hired by the board to take care of the day-to-day requirements.
“By being a member of the co-op, you have a say on everything that happens here,” Anderson explained. “So, when we do big things, like the elevators, everybody votes on whether to spend the money.
“Otherwise, we’re a non-profit. We have no big overhead that we have to pay out, and everything is kept local. … All the people that live here take turns volunteering for little jobs. … We don’t make lots of money, but we make enough to repair the building and keep things functioning.”
Because everyone who lives in the building is also a co-owner of the building, it has stayed in excellent shape over the years, keeping maintenance — and, in turn, rent — relatively low.
The original monthly rent for the building was $465 for a single-bedroom apartment and $545 for a two-bedroom. More than 30 years later, those costs have barely budged: $725 for a single and $805 for a double.
In addition, as part of the co-op agreement, the government capped the amount of interest on the mortgage, and also supplements rent for a number of units for lower-income members.
Anderson noted that she’s been disturbed by the skyrocketing cost of living in for-profit senior’s homes. Many seniors are having trouble affording the base costs of living — much less enjoying their retirement.
“Hopefully living here may help them to save some dollars,” she said. “So they can enjoy some of their retirement and possibly go on holidays and stuff.”
Now that the mortgage is paid off, the Rosewood is conducting an energy audit, said Debbie Firth, the current president of the board. With some energy upgrades, the building can be future-proofed, helping to continue to keep rent low.
The Rosewood is currently looking for new tenants.
Contact the Rosewood at rosewoodhousing@sasktel.net or by calling 306-692-2200 to apply for a unit.
