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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

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Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has given special awards to six affordable housing initiatives, acknowledged for their excellence, hard work and accomplishments. At a diner at Courtyard Marriott hotel in downtown Toronto the Canadian minister of Transport and minister responsible for CMHC David Collenette congratulated the winners and other nominees* for their accomplishments and encouraged all the participants to take the innovative ideas shown by the best projects back to their respective communities and across the country.

The CMHC awards are given every two years for accomplishments having excelled in particular topic, selected for each cycle. Past awards themes were housing for seniors, for young families, for persons with disabilities, for the aboriginal people, for young people and housing challenges of the new millennium. The theme for 2002 awards is affordable housing and it reflects the official policy of the federal government to supply the market with cheap and good quality houses and apartments.

Among the winners one of the most exciting projects (Housing cooperation LeZarts) was made in Montreal by the architect Colin Munro and Group CDH. In March 2002 some 33 painters and sculptors with their families moved into new, custom-designed lofts at LeZarts, a former 2-storey clothing factory near Montreal downtown. The initiative has been made possible with the help of Acceslogis and City of Montreal subsidy programs. The essential here is that LeZarts integrates both work and living spaces, which spares artists from paying two rents. The renovated building includes also a basement exhibition space for the residents and the public.

Other Montreal initiative rewarded by CHMC is Terrasse St.Michel, a 14-building development neglected by its previous owners. After the renovation the local tenants, people with modest revenues, are paying rents below the average although the rents are market based.

Special attention has been paid to the revolving loan program for the aboriginal Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (Ontario). These Mohawks, a community of 2,200 people, has offered to its young people, singles and elders, the opportunity to obtain low-cost mortgages to build or purchase their own homes. With some federal funding, the community created a revolving loan program that has been used by hundreds of people, which resulted in the fact that 85% of the households possess their own house.

Among the other nominees that didn't receive awards we can point out Hilditch Architect of Toronto. It has done a complex of 10 townhouses that would fit into any typical Toronto neighborhood. The key was to give the residents responsibility for maintaining their townhouses. They also have to participate in grounds-keeping activities, which further lowers the maintenance costs.

Housing cooperation LeZarts in Montreal.

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