Rooftops Canada's Barry Pinsky honoured for contribution to co-op housing

LONDON, ON, June 12 /CNW Telbec/ - The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) announced today that Rooftops Canada-Abri international executive director Barry Pinsky will receive the 2010 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) award for outstanding contribution to co-operative housing.

The award will be presented Saturday, June 12 at 11:15 AM during CHF Canada's annual meeting in the London Conference Centre.

Rooftops Canada, CHF Canada's international development arm, is celebrating 25 years helping create co-op homes for thousands of families in developing countries around the globe. Barry Pinsky has been the executive director since Rooftops Canada first opened its doors in 1984. He also developed many housing co-ops in Canada before taking on this role.

Today, in addition to honouring Barry, CHF Canada will celebrate this Rooftops Canada anniversary with more than 700 co-op members from across Canada and special guests from the Zimbabwe National Association of Housing Co-operatives, one of Rooftops Canada's many international partners.

"We're pleased to see this award go to Barry for his long and excellent commitment to developing co-operative housing around the globe," said CHF Canada president Ken Elliott. "Barry has been instrumental in every stage of Rooftops Canada's successful 25-year history, accomplishing great things on our behalf, from microfinance programs to progress on issues linked to housing such as gender equality, HIV/AIDS and human rights."

CMHC has presented its award for outstanding contribution to co-operative housing at each CHF Canada annual meeting since 1988.

"We're very pleased to honour Barry for his service with Rooftops Canada over the last 25 years," said Sharon Matthews, CMHC vice president, Assisted Housing. "He is a hands-on leader who gets projects off the ground in the toughest of circumstances."

CHF Canada is the national voice of the Canadian co-operative housing movement. Its members include nearly 900 non-profit housing co-operatives and other organizations across Canada. More than a quarter of a million Canadians live in housing co-ops, in every province and territory.

For further information: Scott Jackson, Program Manager, National Communications, 778-227-3864(cell), [email protected]