Board Spotlight: Meet Jaclyn Johnston
Jaclyn Johnston is Program Manager of Cooperative and Planning Services for Atlantic Canada at CHF Canada and serves on the Rooftops Canada Board of Directors as President. A long-time supporter of community-led housing, Jaclyn brings both professional expertise and personal passion to advancing housing justice in Canada and around the world.
What inspired you to join the Rooftops Canada Board, and what does Rooftops Canada's mission mean to you personally?
I had admired Rooftops Canada's work long before joining the Board. I've always been drawn to its commitment to community-led housing solutions and the way it connects people through shared knowledge and practice across borders.
My connection to this work is also deeply personal. My grandmother played a significant role in raising me and taught me the importance of women's rights, independence, and equity. She rebuilt her life more than once and showed me how safe, secure housing provides the stability and financial foundation people need to thrive. Those lessons shaped my belief that housing is fundamental to independence and resilience.
Professionally, I've also seen the long-standing relationship between CHF Canada and Rooftops Canada. From my very first days at CHF Canada, I learned about Rooftops Canada’s work and its important history. It's a partnership I am proud to be part of, and it's an honour to serve alongside a Board and staff team whose knowledge, experience, and commitment bring the organization's mission to life every day.
Rooftops Canada and CHF Canada have a long history of working together. Why is that partnership so valuable?
In my role at CHF Canada, I support the development, governance, and long-term sustainability of cooperative housing across Atlantic Canada. Much of that work aligns closely with Rooftops Canada's focus on relationship-building and the belief that housing is a human right.
The partnership is powerful because it connects local experience with global learning. CHF Canada brings decades of expertise in developing and sustaining cooperative housing, while Rooftops Canada creates opportunities for that knowledge to be shared internationally—and for us to learn from partners around the world. Housing challenges don't stop at borders. Whether it's affordability, displacement, or inadequate housing, these are global issues that require shared solutions.
International partnerships allow Canada to contribute to the global movement for housing justice while also learning from communities facing similar challenges. The ideas, innovations, and resilience we see internationally can strengthen our own housing systems here at home. Ultimately, these partnerships help build more resilient, inclusive communities, both in Canada and around the world.
Serving on the Rooftops Canada Board and participating in peer learning exchanges has also deepened my own understanding of community-led housing in different contexts. It's one of the reasons I'm also proud to support Rooftops Canada as a personal donor.
What gives you hope for the future of housing?
I'm encouraged by the growing recognition that housing is a human right and by the momentum behind non-market and community-led housing models, including co-operative housing.
I'm especially inspired by the leadership coming directly from communities—people organizing, advocating, and creating solutions rooted in equity. That people-centred approach gives me hope for the future of housing, both in Canada and globally.
What message would you like to share with Rooftops Canada's supporters?
First and foremost, thank you.
Your support is helping build much more than housing. You're creating opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and connecting communities across countries. Together, we're contributing to a global movement for housing justice while helping create safer, more secure communities where people can build better futures.
Every contribution helps strengthen those partnerships and expand the impact of community-led housing around the world.