Canadian Housing and Renewal Association

What Canadian Housing and Renewal Association does

Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA), founded in 1968 and headquartered in Ottawa, is a federally-focused, membership-based non-profit association that serves as the national voice of Canada's community housing sector. It represents affordable and social housing providers, Indigenous housing providers, municipalities, provincial and territorial housing departments, housing associations, individual professionals, and businesses in the housing sector across all 13 provinces and territories. The organization is governed by a board of 14 elected directors and operates with a small staff of approximately 10-12 personnel.

CHRA's core offerings are organized around four pillars: advocacy (Blueprint for Housing, Build Canada Homes campaign, Housing Canada Coalition, Housing on the Hill, and Indigenous Caucus policy work); professional development (Housing Professionals Mentorship Program, CIH Canada designations, Housing Book Club, and Communities of Practice on 2SLGBTQ+ and Supportive Housing); events and convening (annual National Congress on Housing and Homelessness, study tours, webinars); and member benefits (Affinity Programs with Home Depot Pro Xtra, HUB International tenant insurance, and Cooperators employee benefits). It also operates the new Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS), which provides free climate-readiness consulting to community housing providers.

Revenue is generated through tiered annual membership dues (ranging from $95 for reduced-fee individuals to $30,142 for the largest housing providers), event registration fees with member discounts, digital and event sponsorships ($1,500-$2,000 per placement), mentee fees for the HPMP ($500 per participant), and revenue-share from affinity partner programs. CHRA has no proprietary technology products, no external investment, and no public listing; it is funded entirely through member revenue, program fees, and partnerships.

Name

Canadian Housing and Renewal Association

Legal name

Canadian Housing and Renewal Association

Website

https://chra-achru.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) is a national Ottawa-based non-profit association, founded in 1968, that represents Canada's community housing sector through federal advocacy, professional development, events, and member services for housing providers, municipalities, and Indigenous organizations across all provinces and territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CHRA generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees paid by organizations and individuals in the housing sector. Membership tiers are based on organizational type (housing providers, associations, municipalities, non-profits, businesses) and size (units managed, population, operating budget). Fees are structured to be affordable for organizations of all sizes and are pro-rated mid-year.
2. Event Revenue: The organization generates revenue through registration fees for the National Congress on Housing and Homelessness, Housing on the Hill events, CHRA/CIH Canada Study Tours, and webinars. Members receive discounted rates compared to non-members.
3. Sponsorships and Advertising: CHRA offers sponsorship opportunities including sponsored blog posts ($1,500), sponsored newsletter items ($1,850), and website banner ads ($2,000/month). Event sponsorships and program sponsorships (such as the HPMP program) also generate revenue.
4. Program Fees: Revenue is generated through the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program where mentees pay $500 to participate (with bursaries available), while mentors participate free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CHRA is a national, non-profit membership association that convenes and represents Canada's community, cooperative, municipal, and Indigenous housing providers. It sells organizational and individual memberships, runs paid annual conferences and advocacy events, delivers professional development programs (including the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program and the CIH Canada chartered designation), publishes policy research such as the Blueprint for Housing, and operates member benefit and affinity programs.

Product overview

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) operates as a membership-based national non-profit organization rather than a technology product company. CHRA's service portfolio comprises advocacy initiatives, professional development programs, events, and member services. The core offerings include the annual National Congress on Housing and Homelessness and Housing on the Hill advocacy event; the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program and Chartered Institute of Housing Canada partnership for professional development; CHRA Awards recognizing sector excellence; the Housing Book Club and Climate Ready Infrastructure Service for knowledge sharing; 2SLGBTQ and Supportive Housing Communities of Practice; Indigenous Caucus programming; and Affinity Programs providing member discounts. CHRA also conducts extensive policy advocacy through its Blueprint for Housing framework, Build Canada Homes initiative, Urban Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy advocacy, Canada Community Housing Growth Fund proposals, and Housing Canada Coalition partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHRA Organizational and Individual Membership Annual tiered membership providing housing providers, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, associations, businesses, and individuals with access to CHRA's advocacy, policy research, member communities of practice, affinity programs, member communications, and the CHRA Housing Book Club.
• National Congress on Housing and Homelessness
• Housing on the Hill
• CHRA/CIH Canada Study Tour
• Housing Professionals Mentorship Program (HPMP)
• Chartered Institute of Housing Canada (CIH Canada)
• CHRA Awards Program
• Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS)
• CHRA Affinity Programs
• CHRA Housing Book Club
• CHRA Policy Research and Blueprint for Housing

Quantifiable outcome

• Advocacy contributed to National Housing Strategy Act and recognition of housing as a human right in 2019
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NICHI was created through advocacy efforts of the CHRA Indigenous Caucus in 2023. The organization leads and facilitates change for Indigenous housing providers across the country. CHRA and NICHI collaborate on advocacy for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing strategy and $4.3 billion in federal funding commitments.
• Community Housing Transformation CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA works with the Community Housing Transformation Centre as a partner in advocating for the community housing sector and on the proposed Canada Community Housing Growth Fund.
• The Black Communities Technical Housing Resource CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA partners with The Black Communities Technical Housing Resource Centre on the proposed Canada Community Housing Growth Fund, with priority funding for Black-led organizations.
• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA partners with CAEH, Habitat for Humanity Canada, and Canadian Real Estate Association in the Housing Canada Coalition to advocate for housing solutions. Together they launched the 'End the Housing Game' campaign and developed the Housing Canada policy plan.
• Habitat for Humanity CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Housing Canada Coalition working together on federal election campaigns and housing policy advocacy.
• Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Housing Canada Coalition bringing together housing providers, real estate agents, homebuilders, and homelessness organizations for shared advocacy.
• Chartered Institute of Housing Canada (CIH Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA administers CIH Canada, which leads educational opportunities and professional designations for housing professionals across Canada. CIH Canada is featured as a key program on CHRA's website.
• Housing Partnership CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA partners with Housing Partnership Canada on the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program, requiring membership in HPC or CHRA for program eligibility.
• Home Depot CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHome Depot Canada partners with CHRA through the Pro Xtra affinity program, where CHRA members receive perks and discounts while CHRA receives funding support from Home Depot.
• HUB InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCHRA partners with HUB International and Community Housing Coverage to offer digital tenant insurance solutions designed for affordable housing operator members.
• Community Housing CoverageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with HUB International through CHRA to offer tenant insurance programs for members, administered through EasyInsure platform.
• CooperatorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCHRA offers members access to employee benefits including life, disability, health, and dental coverage through Cooperators at competitive group rates.
• EQ CareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual health subscription available as add-on to employee benefits program for CHRA members.
• Homewood HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee assistance program available as add-on to employee benefits program for CHRA members.
• Phoenix Youth ProgramsminorGTM or Marketing Partner2026 sponsor of the Housing Professionals Mentorship Program.
• Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHRA partners with the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service to offer free professional consulting services for community housing projects through the Resilient Housing Cohort program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness: National advocacy organization working to end homelessness in Canada. Closely comparable to CHRA as a coalition partner within the Housing Canada Coalition, sharing overlapping membership across housing providers and a national advocacy mandate.
• Habitat for Humanity Canada: National affordable housing organization that builds and advocates for affordable housing. Directly comparable as a Housing Canada Coalition partner and fellow national voice on community housing supply and policy.
• Community Housing Transformation Centre: Sector support organization for Canada's community housing sector focused on capacity building and transformation. Comparable to CHRA in serving the same member base and partnering on the proposed Canada Community Housing Growth Fund.
• National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI): Indigenous-led national housing organization spun out of CHRA's Indigenous Caucus in 2023. Directly comparable as a national advocacy body for Indigenous housing providers and a current partner to CHRA on URN Indigenous Housing Strategy advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities: National municipal government association with a much broader mandate. Comparable to CHRA because its municipal members overlap with CHRA's municipal members and it engages on federal housing policy as a larger, more established advocacy voice.
• Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA): National association representing the broader real estate industry. Comparable as a Housing Canada Coalition partner, though its scope (market-rate real estate) is much wider than CHRA's community housing focus.

Regional players

• Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA): Provincial non-profit housing association serving Ontario providers. Directly comparable to CHRA at the provincial level, representing overlapping members and offering similar advocacy and professional development within Ontario.
• BC Non-Profit Housing Association: Provincial association representing non-profit housing providers in British Columbia. Comparable to CHRA as a sector advocacy and capacity-building body, operating regionally rather than nationally.
• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): U.S. national association of housing and redevelopment officials. Closely comparable as the historical parent of CHRA (CHRA originated from a NAHRO chapter), serving the same role of representing public and affordable housing providers in a different jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Maytree Foundation: Canadian foundation focused on poverty reduction and housing policy. Comparable in advocacy and policy influence on community housing and homelessness, though operating as a private foundation rather than membership association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHRA_ACHRU
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHRA.ACHRU.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chra-achru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Housing and Renewal Association