The Co:Here Story
Vision
To foster human flourishing through the creation of affordable housing communities by committing to the care for the whole person.
Mission
To respond to Vancouver’s housing crisis by building an affordable and holistic housing community of 26 units on the southwest corner of Victoria Drive and 1st Avenue East that fosters human flourishing.
Co:Here’s Residents
Co:Here’s residents come from a diversity of backgrounds. All have roots in the Grandview-Woodlands neighbourhood and a desire to be good neighbours to one another. Co:Here’s operating model depends on an income mix and therefore Co:Here Residents come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. All residents move in with a understanding and desire to build community with people who are different than themselves. CoHere is affordable housing that provides not only a home, but the opportunity to belong to a community. The residents are committed to participating and collective decision-making in community life.
Goals
- To provide economically sustainable housing for people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness in the Grandview-Woodlands neighbourhood.
- To create a community that fosters mutual support and the common good among a socio-economically diverse group of residents.
- To provide housing committed to the reduction of negative environmental impact.
- To offer a prototype of an alternative, refreshing model of sustainable and affordable housing.
Affordable Housing
Co:Here envisions addressing housing and transformation through community living.
Affordable housing is well-known as one of the biggest challenges facing the homeless and those at-risk-of-homelessness in Vancouver today. However, significant issues that are often overlooked are the feelings of loneliness and isolation that go hand-in-hand with homelessness and poverty. Isolation has been called the hallmark of North American urban poverty and is a problem that cannot be solved by simply putting a roof over someone’s head.
Homelessness, Loneliness & Isolation
BC Non-Profit Housing Association: The Preliminary Data Report for the 2017 Homeless Count in Metro Vancouver prepared by BCNPHA and M. Thomson Consulting found 3,605 people homeless in the region-wide count, an increase of 30% from the previous 2014 count.
2018 Vancouver Homeless Count
2017 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count
Application Process & Tenant Selection
Salsbury Community Society oversees the application process and tenant selection and facilitates the shaping, fostering and sustaining spirit of the community. All tenants selected actively participate in and contributes to this unique vision. Please visit Salsbury’s website (salsbury.ca) or contact Salsbury by email (info@salsburycs.ca) for more information.
Community Formation
To create a community that fosters mutual support and the common good among a socio-economically diverse group of residents. This is achieved through a rhythm of life in communal spaces, which fosters a sense of belonging, community, friendship, and a shared stewardship of the building.