New Research: Creating Opportunities With Green Jobs  In a new CCPA-MB report, Kirsten Bernas (CCEDNet's Policy Advisor) and Blair Hamilton document the quantitative and qualitative value produced by BUILD and BEEP - two Manitoba-based social enterprises that perform energy efficiency retrofits on low-income homes while providing training and jobs for local people with barriers to employment. The report reveals that BUILD and BEEP are effectively achieving their social missions, while generating significant energy cost savings - over $359,300 and $116,900 respectively every year!
Northern CED News Northern Food Summit: Call for Abstracts The Inaugural Northern Food Summit is being held in September 2013 in Alaska. Conference organizers are currently seeking abstracts for posters relevant to all aspects of circumpolar agriculture and food security in the north. The conference will consist of invited plenary talks organized around featured topics followed by formal poster sessions where presenters will provide a brief overview of the content and purpose of their poster to organized groups The theme for this event is: Advancing food security and sustainable agriculture in the circumpolar north; Building an integrated vision and creating a process for sustainable food security in northern communities. 
Legislation Changes Improve Housing Affordability in Nunavut The Government of Nunavut announced changes to Nunavut’s Public Housing Rent Scale last month, which will have positive impacts the lives of Nunavummiut and support the Government of Nunavut’s Poverty Reduction initiatives. Some of the changes include: - Rent will be assessed on the income of the two primary leaseholders only;
- New method for calculating rent is based on a step scale that is similar to federal income tax;
- The minimum rent threshold will be indexed to Nunavut’s minimum wage;
- Elders will only pay rent on the portion of their income over their community’s Core Need Income Threshold.
(source: Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction)
Housing Outside the Box: 2013 Northern Housing Conference Yukon Housing Corporation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada are pleased to host the 2013 Northern Housing Conference: Housing Outside the Box. The need for adequate and safe housing continues to be one of the single most important concerns facing northern communities. Time-honored solutions are failing to satisfy today’s need for safe, secure, attainable and affordable housing, especially for those most in need. This conference, being held in Whitehorse on March 26-27, will showcase innovative approaches to the provision of housing and housing services which have been successful in other locations.
National CED NewsCo-operators CED Fund recipients announced  Thirteen community organizations across Canada will receive $255,000 in support of their community-strengthening work thanks to The Co-operators Foundation Community Economy Development Fund. Six organizations will receive new grants totalling $120,000 and an additional seven organizations will receive $135,000 as a result of previously-approved multi-year funding commitments. Several CCEDNet members were among the recipients, including: Enterprising Non-Profits, SEED Winnipeg Inc., Community Ownership Solutions, and Atira Women's Resource Society. Since the CED Fund was established in 1995, the Co-operators have granted $3.8 million to 91 organizations.
Federal government pledges support for enp-Canada  Trico Charitable Foundation will receive $1.5 million in federal funding to support the launch their Enterprising Non-Profits Canada project. This project will test the ability of non-profit organizations to leverage non-federal government funding to address social challenges. Trico will support the development of the social enterprise sector by coordinating and pooling ideas and resources across the country. By working closely with communities and relying on local expertise to find local solutions to social issues, the government is exploring new approaches to increase the impact of federal spending.
Co-ops are on the move  Although 2012 was the International Year of Co-operatives, the Canadian co-op sector is off to a good start in 2013. On January 28, the federal government announced its decision to move responsibility for the co-operative sector from Agriculture Canada to Industry Canada. After engaging key co-op stakeholders (including CCEDNet) across the country, the Special Committee on Co-ops endorsed the move among its eight recommendations to support the growth of the sector. The government also responded positively to other recommendations of the Special Committee, including efforts to collaborate with financial institutions, the provinces and territories to offer business financing and capitalization to co-ops. (Source: CCA News Brief)
From Bridging to Bonding: Examining the Social Enterprise Research-Practice Continuum The Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal University and Simon Fraser University are co-hosting a research day on October 31, in collaboration with the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF-2013). This dedicated research day will provide the opportunity for the presentation and discussion of research case studies; research partnerships; educational programs and workshops; collaborative evidence‐based policy development; and research‐based studies on social enterprise operations, financing, or governance. If you are interested in participating, please submit a title, an abstract of 250 words and complete contact information to Peter R. Elson: pelson@mtroyal.ca by March 31st, 2013.
Take Action for a National Housing Strategy: Support Bill C-400
 Canadians have a rare opportunity this week to make an impact on poverty in our country. The Secure, Adequate, Accessible and Affordable Housing Act - a bill currently before Parliament - calls on our federal government to develop a national housing strategy. Bill C-400 would oblige the federal government to bring provincial and municipal governments to the table with Aboriginal communities, civil society, non-profits and the private sector to create a plan that ensures everyone in Canada lives in decent and affordable housing. MPs will be voting on the bill on February 27, so we encourage you to act now. Make Poverty History Manitoba has made it easy to submit a letter to your MP with an online form (see link).
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The Parliamentary Secretary for HRSDC recently hosted a budget consultation meeting with various stakeholders to discuss federal strategies on economic development, job creation, and skills development. Brendan Reimer attended the meeting to represent the priorities of CCEDNet members, and spoke to the importance of federal government support for co-operatives, social enterprises, and community-based employment development programs. In a follow-up letter, CCEDNet submitted seven recommended actions that HRSDC could take to support the growth and development of co-operatives and social enterprises in 2013.
