Reimagining Co-op Housing with Heather Tremain

On this episode of On the Way Home, we sit down with Heather Tremain, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto Development Society, whose career spans architecture, sustainable development, nonprofit transformation, and impact investing. Heather shares what “home” means to her, the journey that led her into social-purpose real estate, and why the renewal of co-op housing is so urgently needed today. She reflects on the often-underestimated strengths of the nonprofit sector, lessons from delivering nearly 900 homes at Options for Homes, the complexities of scaling affordable homeownership, and how strong cross-sector partnerships, from private developers to impact investors, can move solutions forward. Heather also explores the balance between sustainability and affordability, the policy shifts that could unlock progress, and the reasons she remains hopeful about the future of co-ops and nonprofit-led housing across Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.