Formed as a co‑op in 1989, Killarney Gardens was built in 1968 as privately owned condominiums with townhouses and apartments, but was turned into a rental complex in the 1970s. By the time it became a co‑op there were a lot of unresolved maintenance issues.

“They never had the extra funds they needed to manage repairs,” says John Waldo of COHO Repair Services (CRS). “Every winter there were leaks and other problems. They were band-aiding everything.”

Things began to turn around for the co‑op in 2006 when they set up a full management contract with COHO, a professional management company for co‑ops that worked with them to restructure their financing and free up some money for urgent repairs and maintenance. The co‑op had to recover from vacancy loss and arrears, partly due to the poor state of some of the units.

The members agreed to increase their housing charges to help with costs. COHO let the co‑op know about grant programs and the board members rolled up their sleeves and applied.

At the same time, City Green Solutions (a non-profit enterprise working on energy efficiency programs) was looking for housing projects that could qualify for a Livesmart BC Efficiency Assistance (LEAP) program grant. City Green knew Killarney Gardens from an Affordable Warmth walk-through assessment and report in 2007. Once City Green completed energy efficiency assessments, eaga Canada (a social enterprise that provides environmental efficiency contracting) put together a quote for the costs. Killarney Gardens received a grant for $385,000, the largest LEAP program project to date. This paid for energy upgrades including:

• compact fluorescent lights (CFLs),
• low-flow showerheads,
• low-flow bathroom aerators,
• bathroom fans,
• weather stripping, and
• insulation for townhouse crawlspaces.

With these upgrades, Killarney Gardens is projected to save 1290 GJ of energy annually, which is equivalent to savings of 32.813 tonnes of co2 a year, or taking 26 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The fuel cost savings for the co‑op will amount to an estimated $14,000 annually.

With a grant from KaBOOM, an American company that builds playgrounds by partnering with local corporate sponsors,(in this case Home Depot), the co‑op was able to build a playground. Killarney’s new “Nature & Play” themed playground includes a mural, children’s handmade stepping stones and native plant landscaping from Projects in Place , worth about $100,000.

Co‑op members and CRS staff recruited and organized volunteers for the playground build day, and brought in donations from local businesses for a salmon barbecue, coffee, tea and other food.

Eaga Canada also contributed $2000 to the landscaping and volunteered on the build.

The biggest windfall for Killarney came with a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) retro fit grant for close to $2.9 million to replace their roofs, windows and sliding doors.

“Everyone has been working very hard,” says Laura Sleeman, the co‑op’s treasurer who has worked on the projects.

“Killarney has been fantastic. Working with a really progressive board who understand the difference between governance and management is critical,”says John Waldo, COHO Repair Services. John Waldo agrees. “Killarney has been fantastic. Working with a really progressive board who understand the difference between governance and management is critical.”

The co‑op had to be willing to commit their own funds to cover lawyer fees and to pay for anything not covered by the grant funding. But the work and extra cost are worth it.

“My son has a developmental handicap,” says Sleeman. “The co‑op is important for people like him. It’s important if you’re a young family starting out, if you’re at the end of your life and you want to be part of a community or if you’re vulnerable, like my son. That’s why we live in a housing co‑op.”

The co‑op still has more work to do. Like other co‑ops they hurry to meet the March 31 first-year funding deadline to finish the repairs. When the co‑op’s second mortgage is paid off this year, they will borrow more to continue the work: replacing old flooring is a high priority. But they are in a better place now.

“Before, only vacant units were getting repairs,” says co‑op member Liz Chaput. “Now you can put a work order in and expect it to be dealt with that day or the next. Before, it could take weeks or longer.”