The Enquiry

The one-time encounter between myself and a previous Office Co-ordinator:

*****

Me: Hi there, I just want to hand in my housing charge cheque.

O/C: That's good - on time too! [We're never late!]

Me: Oh yeah, there's an outstanding issue on my file.

O/C: Well, there are 93 units in this co-op and you'll receive a letter. I'm sure that ODSP will pay your arrears.

Me: Arrears? What arrears?

O/C: Members just have to be patient. You'll receive a letter.

Me: OK, but all I want to know is what did you mean that ODSP will pay my arrears?

A woman walks in and asks the Office Co-ordinator a question.

O/C: There are 93 units in this co-op and I'll get to your request when it comes up.

The woman said, 'But, it's been going on for 2 years'.

O/C: People will just have to be patient.

As I was walking out, I still felt uneasy and asked the woman if I could have a moment with the Office Co-ordinator. The Office Co-ordinator then told the woman that it will take time to get back to her. The woman again stated, '... but I've been waiting for 2 years'.

The Office Co-ordinator closed the door and told me to sit down. She looked on the computer and said that I owed a balance of $XX. Then she corrected herself and said that I owed nothing. She stated to me that I should never again calculate my own housing charge - that I would have to pay what the co-op said I had to pay.

I told her that I couldn't get an answer out of the co-op - that I had never received a letter from the co-op. Then she got out my file and found a letter with the ODSP utility breakdowns.

Me: That's the problem - the utility breakdowns are what we actually pay. The previous Office Co-ordinator told me that the co-op wouldn't accept that - that it was unrealistic.

O/C: I don't want to hear anything more about what the previous Office Co-ordinator did or did not do.

Then she asked:

'And your question IS'?

I was dumbfounded.

Me: The previous Office Co-ordinator then told me that they were handing over my file to CMHC. For two years I've been handing in cheques monthly, because I've been waiting for an answer from CMHC. When I approached the previous Office Co-ordinator again about the progress of our file, she said that CMHC was in the process of offloading co-ops to a co-op agency.

The Office Co-ordinator then said that she knew what our subsidy would be in June - did I want to know it. She stated to me that our housing charge would be in the $XX range - that they were going to apply the same formula they apply in Phase II. That if I were to earn $XX mth. that would be OK. If I were to earn $XX mth., they'd take 30% of our gross income.

Me: ODSP already takes 50% of my earnings. If the co-op were to take an additional 30% off my earnings, I'd only make 20%.

O/C: OBVIOUSLY you don't understand what I'm saying.

Me: No, I'm actually quite smart. I understand full well what you're saying.

I got up to leave.

O/C: Now I want to make sure you understand what I'm saying, because I don't want people coming back week after week with more questions.

In order to be polite, as I was standing near the door, I tried to encapsulate our conversation, i.e. I owe no arrears; that she told me what our subsidy would be in June, etc.

Then the Office Co-ordinator looked squarely at me and said:

You know it's really hard to talk to you when you keep interrupting me.

At that point I replied:

DON'T you ever talk to me like that again - you are talking down to me.

I then turned around and walked out of the office.

*****

Frightening!