affordable housing

Give to increase housing

The Metro Vancouver Jewish community continues to struggle with housing insecurity. There is an urgent need for affordable, safe and stable homes, with more than 300 applicants on the Jewish Housing Registry’s growing waitlist. Of those, 71 are families with children and 65 are persons with disabilities.

Tikva Housing Society currently serves more than 300 people, with 100% occupancy in its 128 subsidized rental units, and by providing rent subsidies for those living in market rentals facing a temporary crisis.

photo - Anat Gogo, executive director of Tikva Housing Society — Anat Gogo, executive director of Tikva Housing Society. (photo from Tikva Housing Society)

“The only way that Tikva can address our community’s housing needs is through your generosity. Donations are crucial to help in achieving our mission to provide innovative and affordable housing solutions,” said Anat Gogo, executive director of Tikva Housing Society.

That is why, this month, the society is calling upon the collective power of the community’s compassion and generosity, as it launches Tikva’s annual fundraising campaign. Here is how you can help:

1) Plan. Mark your calendars for March 17 to March 27.

2) Give. Starting March 17, go to tikvahousing.org/donate and make your gift.

3) Inspire. Encourage your family and friends to join you in making a difference.

4) Share. Spread the word by sharing Tikva’s campaign posts on your social media and tag @TikvaHousing to expand its reach on Twitter and Facebook.

When you donate, you help provide a safe and secure home for Jewish community members, enabling them to put food on their table, buy medication and send their kids to camps. Dignity comes with the stability of shelter, as does the strength to fight for a better future.

– Courtesy Tikva Housing Society

New housing partnership

Yaron Komari, a resident at Dogwood Gardens, speaks at the development’s opening ceremony Jan. 10, as Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim looks on. (photo by Al Lau)

Yaron Komari grew up in Israel, served in the Israel Defence Forces and moved to Canada in 2009. He was pursuing a career as an apprentice electrician and was hopeful for the future when he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2018. A year later, the diabetes progressed into serious neuropathy and his career was effectively halted.

“I had no financial safety net and soon found myself in tough times,” he said. “I quickly found myself living in a rooming house with drug addicts and prostitutes as my neighbours. I felt very unsafe. Just walking up the 12 stairs to my room became a daily challenge, never mind the chronic insomnia.”

Komari shared his story at the official opening Jan. 10 of Dogwood Gardens, an affordable housing development on West 59th Avenue near Cambie. The 138-unit building, part of the larger Cambie Gardens development, is a partnership between Tikva Housing Society, SUCCESS and the City of Vancouver.

“Even my doctor became concerned,” Komari recounted at the ceremony. “Without access to a kosher kitchen, my diabetes became unmanageable and further affected my overall health. I’m an observant, kosher Jew and my living situation simply added more stress to my everyday life.

“I never in my worst nightmares thought that I would live in an unbearable and unhealthy environment and rely on community generosity to help source kosher food and meals,” he said.

Komari knew of Tikva Housing, which has the mission of providing “access to innovative and affordable housing solutions for all those in the Jewish community who need it.” However, he thought that there were people in greater need.

“With the persuasion and the help of Tikva Housing and Jewish Family Services, I applied for housing,” he said. “You cannot even begin to imagine what I felt when I got the call from Tikva Housing that my application had been approved. There was no hope for me.… [But] the keys are now in my hand. I walked into my new home. I couldn’t even believe that was happening to me. It was emotionally overwhelming…. I have a fridge that I can store my food in. I have a kosher kitchen where I can prepare my own meals and I have the peace of mind that I am safe and secure. For the first time in years, I have slept through the night. Tikva Housing has changed my life. I’m proud of where I live…. My world feels more open and I no longer feel shame or embarrassed of where and how I live.”

Komari’s is just one of the lives positively affected by the opening of the new facility, which was made possible under the city’s inclusionary housing policy, which requires developers to provide social housing as part of large redevelopment projects. SUCCESS and Tikva will co-manage the facility, which also includes an amenity space, children’s play area, parking and storage. Of the 138 units, 30 are designated for Tikva and 108 for SUCCESS. There are studio apartments and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. About half the units are offered to tenants at 10% below market rents, while the rest are adjusted to income, based on provincial guidelines. The larger Cambie Gardens development, of which Dogwood Gardens is a part, will see a total of 540 affordable units when the project of more than 3,000 total apartments is completed on the 10-hectare (25-acre) site. The redevelopment is on the location of Vancouver Coastal Health’s former Pearson Dogwood complex, which housed adults with physical disabilities and seniors with complex needs.

Anat Gogo, Tikva’s executive director, told the Independent that about 90% of the homes designated for members of the Jewish community are now occupied, with the rest of the residents expected to move in within days. Earlier, she told the audience, which included elected officials and community leaders, that stable, affordable housing is a basic need that allows people to move from merely surviving to thriving.

“This project makes me feel like we can have a meaningful and long-lasting impact and actually make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “At Tikva, we are committed to tikkun olam, repairing the world, and we do this one home at a time. We are committed to building community.”

Rhonda Sacks, chair of the board of directors of Tikva, also spoke, highlighting the power of partnerships.

“While Tikva and SUCCESS serve diverse populations, we share a common passion for supporting our communities and making a genuine difference in their lives,” she said. Sacks also offered special thanks to lead supporters, including the Diamond Foundation, the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation, the Al Roadburg Foundation and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.

“Dogwood Gardens is perfectly positioned to inspire meaningful connections and provide a strong sense of belonging,” said Sacks.

photo - Supporters of Tikva Housing in one of the units at Dogwood Gardens on Jan. 10, left to right: Stephen Gaerber, Gord Kushner, Bernard Pinsky, Rory Richards, Anat Gogo, Ezra Shanken, Rhonda Sacks, Sheila Sontz and Daniella Givon — Supporters of Tikva Housing in one of the units at Dogwood Gardens on Jan. 10, left to right: Stephen Gaerber, Gord Kushner, Bernard Pinsky, Rory Richards, Anat Gogo, Ezra Shanken, Rhonda Sacks, Sheila Sontz and Daniella Givon. *(photo by Al Lau)*

Dogwood Gardens is not the first partnership between Tikva and SUCCESS. With other partners, the two agencies opened the 129-unit Diamond Residences (Storeys), in Richmond, six years ago. Last year, YWCA Metro Vancouver, the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of B.C. and Tikva opened xʷƛ̓əpicən, a 125-unit complex at Arbutus Centre. Tikva’s portfolio also includes the 32-unit Ben and Esther Dayson Residences, in south Vancouver’s River District, and Dany Guincher House, an 11-unit building for people at risk of homelessness and persons with disabilities who can live independently, which was Tikva’s first building. The house was built in 1970, purchased by Tikva in 2007 and began operations in 2008. With Dogwood Gardens now open, Tikva’s portfolio includes 128 units.

Currently under construction in Burnaby is the next Tikva initiative, Susana Cogan Place, which is named after the woman who led Tikva until her passing in 2017. This project will add another 20 units of affordable homes.

In addition, Tikva Housing has a rent subsidy program that provides eligible low-income singles and families with cash assistance towards their monthly rent, within available funding.

At the Dogwood Gardens opening, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim was joined by city councilors Sarah Kirby-Yung, Rebecca Bligh and Christine Boyle.

Sim noted that he grew up about a half-kilometre away in what was “effectively affordable housing” and said this new housing complex means that “the next generation of Vancouverites who may not have a lot … can still live in an amazing area like this one.”

The project is part of sprawling changes along the Cambie corridor, including the Oakridge redevelopment and smaller projects that increase density along the thoroughfare. JWest, the redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver campus a few blocks to the northwest, is a major component of the changing face of the broader area, which has traditionally been home to many of Vancouver’s Jewish residents and community institutions.

“The City of Vancouver is committed to delivering much-needed quality housing while developing collaborative relationships with community partners,” said Sim. “We applaud the work of SUCCESS and Tikva, who have helped expand options for culturally appropriate housing across our city.”

Queenie Choo, chief executive officer of SUCCESS, chaired the opening ceremony and acknowledged other representatives of her organization, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and has grown from a small charity in Chinatown to one of Canada’s largest social service agencies.

Stewart, Sim spar at forum

Left to right: Fred Harding, Colleen Hardwick, Mark Marissen, Ken Sim and Kennedy Stewart at the CIJA-SUCCESS Vancouver Mayoral Pre-Election Townhall last month at Temple Sholom. (photo by Pat Johnson)

A forum for Vancouver’s leading mayoral candidates briefly descended into mayhem when candidate Ken Sim criticized the current city council for failing to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism.

The only other notable drama was the presence of a small group of protesters who had positioned themselves throughout the sanctuary at Temple Sholom synagogue. They rose and unfolded signs contending that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. The protesters were ejected and the meeting continued.

In addition to the incumbent, Mayor Kennedy Stewart (who is running on the Forward Together slate), and Sim (with A Better City, or ABC), invitees included Fred Harding (Non-Partisan Association), Colleen Hardwick (TEAM for a Livable Vancouver) and Mark Marissen (Progress Vancouver).

There are 15 individuals running for mayor of Vancouver. The Sept. 7 forum’s organizers, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and SUCCESS, invited those they viewed as frontrunners.

The election is a rematch after Sim was bested by Stewart in 2018 by just 984 votes. Each candidate repeatedly accused the other of misrepresenting their own record or positions and those of their opponent.

Among other conflicts, Stewart and Sim argued over comments Sim had made on CKNW radio, in which Stewart claimed that Sim had promised to cut $330 million from the city’s budget. Stewart characterized this as a “massive and radical cut,” while Sim replied that he was not speaking about cutting the budget but about reallocating funds within the budget.

Sim’s proposal to add 100 police officers as well as 100 mental health nurses to deal with crime and social problems on the street were dismissed by Stewart, who said the mayor of Vancouver does not have the authority to make those hiring decisions.

Housing was the hottest topic at the meeting, with Stewart touting the incumbent council’s record.

“Last year, we approved almost 9,000 units of housing,” Stewart said. “That is double what we approved just a decade ago. We’ve changed the way and the kind of housing we’re approving…. We used to approve about 75% of very expensive condominiums, but we’ve switched now to about 60% rental and social housing. That is a massive change.… Just last year alone, we opened and built 1,600 units of social housing, which is an absolute record.”

Sim slammed Stewart’s claim as quantity over quality.

“He believes in providing quantity of housing and having big headlines in the media,” Sim said of Stewart, “but he’s not focused on the quality. How bad do these units have to be where people would rather live in a tent on Hastings Street than in one of these unlivable units?”

Later, Sim went on the offensive again when the topic came to community safety.

“You can’t just warehouse people,” he said. “If you do not have support services, you set them up for failure, and that’s what we have done.”

Hardwick lamented that the cost of housing may be pushing her children and grandchildren away.

“I don’t want to be the last generation of my family that can afford to live in Vancouver,” she said. “I have two kids in their 30s and during this term on council I gained two grandbabies and I have to say that I’m not happy … that they are seriously considering moving to Nanaimo because they can’t see a future here. This is what we hear over and over again.”

Marissen said the city of Vancouver has lost 7,000 people in the last year, even as the province gained 60,000 new residents.

Housing, homelessness and community safety merged in the discussion. Hardwick said she, her daughter and her grandchildren went to the Chinatown Festival in July.

“We were pushing along the stroller and trying to navigate between people passed out on the sidewalk with needles in plain view,” she said. “How am I supposed to explain to my grandchildren what’s going on here? It’s just shocking.… It has been 30 years since the closure of Riverview [mental hospital] and we’ve just seen things get progressively worse. Yet we continue to perpetuate the same failed policies. We’ve seen zero improvement and I’d like to hear anybody here saying we have an improved situation. What’s the solution? If we’re spending $1 million a day down there, maybe we better analyze where that money is going.”

Marissen seconded Hardwick’s words, saying there should be an audit of what is being spent in the Downtown Eastside.

Harding, a retired police officer, positioned himself as the voice of experience on safety.

“You cannot have harm reduction and safer supply without access to treatment,” he said. “We have to increase the treatment for people who are addicted and going through a crisis on our streets. I’m here basically because of this issue. I spent 30 years as a police officer. I understand what we need to do and how we need to work on strategic targeting of criminals. We have to work on cleaning up the streets and we do that by targeting the 3% who commit 95% of the crime.”

Stewart said the city is providing “wraparound services, including complex care,” to people who require them and accused opponents of advocating policing where medical interventions are needed.

“There is no way we are going to arrest our way out of it and that’s what a lot of my colleagues here at the table are pointing to,” Stewart said.

“Don’t let Mr. Kennedy [Stewart] trick you into believing that we are trying to police our way out of this,” Sim responded, saying that a range of responses are needed to confront what has become a dangerous situation, including for visible minorities. “In the last four years, our city has become more unsafe. Mayor Stewart was on the news saying that he felt safe in our city. Being a person of Chinese descent, I don’t have that same experience. In fact, residents across the city have told me over and over again that they do not feel safe.”

Safety as it pertains to minorities, including the Jewish community, emerged repeatedly. Sim noted that it was Councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung, who is running on Sim’s ABC slate, who proposed the adoption of the Working Definition of Antisemitism during the current council’s term.

“And Mayor Stewart actually voted it down,” Sim said. “I think it’s incredibly important that council [adopt the definition] so VPD can actually define what an antisemitic hate crime is.”

“The rise in antisemitism and the rise of anti-Asian hate has been profound,” said Marissen. “It’s a tragedy. Leadership matters.”

He said it wasn’t long ago that local politicians were accusing Asian people of causing the housing crisis in Vancouver. He said he would adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and urged more diversity work in schools.

“We need to educate our kids,” Marissen said. “It’s really important that people understand the history of all of this. We also need to give support to interfaith and intercultural groups.”

Candidates in Victoria

Tony Yacowar (PR photo)

Tony Yacowar will be vying for a seat on the Victoria city council this Oct. 15. Among his stated priorities, if elected, are affordable housing, addressing climate change and amalgamation within the Greater Victoria region.

Housing in Victoria, as in Metro Vancouver, is a primary concern among residents. Yacowar hopes to help pass the “Missing Middle Initiative,” a long-debated but deferred policy that he says would make it easier to add more housing units to areas of the city that have been traditionally residential.

“Victoria has an urgent housing crisis and we need leadership that will articulate a cohesive vision for the city in order to build the housing we need. We have an immediate deficit of between 4,500 and 6,300 homes. People need places to live. This impacts absolutely every aspect of city life. The healthcare crisis in this province is exacerbated by the fact that doctors and nurses can’t find places to live. We all want safe communities to live in and, if we aren’t able to provide housing to folks experiencing homelessness, we aren’t able to have safe communities for the long term,” Yacowar said.

“Gentle densification of our residential neighbourhoods is an important aspect of how we are going to accommodate the next generation of doctors and nurses, small business owners, artists and young professionals. Folks at all income levels need places to live. Missing Middle is not the solution to the affordability crisis, but it is the solution to the question of ‘where are these folks going to live?’”

Further, Yacowar would like to build density around the Douglas Street Corridor, the main thoroughfare linking the Victoria’s downtown and uptown, to support light rail transit. According to Yacowar, there is a strong connection between more homes and better transit in terms of reducing a city’s carbon footprint overall.

Yacowar is also pressing for amalgamation. “We need a cohesive vision for our city and we can’t have each municipality doing its own thing,” he said. “A city of 245,000 would be better able to advocate for more support from senior levels of government when it comes to housing and transit than a city of 91,000.”

A certified public accountant who is currently the chief financial officer at Royal Mountain Records, Yacowar regards having no prior involvement in politics as an advantage.

“I think it’s important to have a diverse set of views and backgrounds on council,” he said. “We don’t often get accountants in politics and I think there is a real benefit to having someone at the table with the kind of organizational and financial background that a CPA would bring, as well as someone representing the Jewish and LGBTQ communities. Quite often we have career politicians and bureaucrats running for office, but our democracy is at its best when we have folks of diverse backgrounds bringing different points of view to the table.”

photo - Ben Isitt — Ben Isitt *(PR photo)*

Of the eight present councilors in Victoria, only one, Ben Isitt, is seeking reelection. Five councilors elected in 2018 are stepping down and two are running for mayor. Isitt, too, identifies as a member of the Jewish community.

Isitt has served as a city councillor and regional director since 2011. His short bio on the City of Victoria website notes that he is an author, historian and legal scholar, who has taught at the University of Victoria and other institutions. It notes: “Ben’s involvement in civic politics builds from grassroots volunteer work for social and ecological justice, in support of worker rights, climate action, Indigenous rights, non-violence, the abolition of poverty and racism, and protection of forests and farmland. Ben’s research on housing, land use, forestry and public education reflect this community-based approach, as does his hands-on experience as a former housing support worker with Victoria’s street community.”

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Anat Gogo now heads Tikva

Anat Gogo, new executive director of Tikva Housing Society. (photo from Tikva Housing)

Anat Gogo is the new executive director of Tikva Housing Society. Gogo took over leadership of the affordable housing society on Sept. 1, after several years in other senior roles with the organization.

In making the announcement, Rhonda Sacks, board chair of the society, praised Gogo.

“As we welcome Rosh Hashanah and this exciting next chapter on an unprecedented growth trajectory, we are very pleased to welcome Anat as our new executive director and have full confidence in her ability to lead Tikva Housing,” said Sacks.

“The affordable housing issues in our communities across British Columbia continue to grow,” said Gogo. “I am honoured to take on the role of executive director and to continue the mission and vision of Tikva Housing.”

Originally from Israel, Gogo moved to Canada in 1991. She has worked with Tikva since 2016, initially as a housing administrator. In April 2020, she became manager of programs and donor relations.

“I feel very excited and very blessed to take over the management of the organization,” Gogo told the Independent. “I feel like I will be able to act on the mission and vision of Tikva and the values that it was formed on, which are dignity, community, innovation and tikkun olam [repair of the world].”

Tikva originated in 1994 as the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Non-Profit Housing Society, a response to the housing needs identified in the Jewish community. The name was changed to Tikva Housing Society in 2007.

image - An artist’s rendering of Susana Cogan Place, which is one of Tikva Housing Society’s many partner projects — An artist’s rendering of Susana Cogan Place, which is one of Tikva Housing Society’s many partner projects. *(photo from tikvahousing.org)*

Tikva’s mission is to provide access to innovative and affordable housing solutions, primarily for Jewish individuals and families. The agency addresses housing issues through a range of initiatives, including short-term rent subsidies to households living in market housing who are unable to afford their rent due to a temporary crisis.

More visibly, the society acquires and operates affordable rental housing developments, which are home to individuals and families with low incomes. Tenants pay about 30% of their income in rent.

To realize their mission Tikva focuses on partnerships. Tikva currently operates a constellation of housing facilities that have been created through alliances with other government, community and private groups.

Dany Guincher House, in South Vancouver, has 11 units and is funded through capital donations from the Guincher family and a B.C. Housing grant.

Diamond Residences, also known as Storeys, in Richmond, is a 129-unit joint venture with four other housing societies and with capital funding from the Diamond Foundation, the City of Richmond and the federal and provincial governments, as well as other private funders. In it, Tikva owns and operates 18 units.

The 32-unit Ben and Esther Dayson Residences, in Vancouver’s River District, was completed in August 2020 in partnership with the Community Land Trust Foundation and the City of Vancouver. It was made possible with a major capital donation from the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation. Sixty-seven children currently live in this development, a specific need Tikva identified.

“We are living in one of the most unaffordable places in the world,” said Gogo. “While all levels of government are focusing on increasing the inventory of affordable homes, the majority of this new inventory are studio, one- and two-bedroom units. This leaves a real void for families in need.”

Tikva operates 37 units in the 125-unit x^wƛ̓əpicən / Arbutus Centre. The centre is a partnership led by the YWCA, which leased the air space from the City of Vancouver and subleased it to Tikva and the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of British Columbia. Rents are subsidized through private donations, including a substantial initial donation from the Diamond Foundation.

In total, Tikva operates 98 housing units, all of which are always occupied, said Gogo, and there is a long and growing waitlist.

Currently under development is Dogwood Gardens, which is being created in partnership with SUCCESS Affordable Housing Society and a leased air space parcel from the City of Vancouver, as well as Susana Cogan Place, in Burnaby, which is in partnership with Polygon Homes and with the financial support of B.C. Housing. The completion of these two projects will bring Tikva’s total number of units to 148.

Tikva was led by Susana Cogan until she passed away in 2017. Since 2018, Tikva has been led by Alice Sundberg, director of operations and housing development.

xwƛ̓əpicən’s fall open house

Anat Gogo, manager of programs and donor relations, Tikva Housing Society, leads a tour at the xwƛ̓əpicən (Arbutus Centre) open house Nov. 21. (photo from Tikva Housing)

Tikva Housing Society held an open house at the Arbutus Centre – xwƛ̓əpicən, pronounced “hook la’pitzen”) – on Nov. 21. The name in the Musqueam language means “Hollow,” which represents safety and warmth. Showcased last month were some of the 37 new one-bedroom and studio suites that Tikva Housing operates, providing homes to people in the Jewish community who need affordable, safe and stable housing.

The project is the result of a collaboration between the City of Vancouver, the YWCA, Association of Neighbourhood Houses and Tikva Housing. The building as a whole has 125 new units of affordable homes.

The open house, hosted by Tikva board members and staff, greeted more than 40 people, at various times, to accommodate the COVID-19 protocols. By all accounts, those who participated in the day-long event were “blown away” by the quality and attention to detail of the units, which all include washer and dryers; some are totally accessible for mobility devices such as wheelchairs. There is an amenities room for community gatherings, a central courtyard shared by all tenants and a rooftop patio.

After a process of identifying people who qualified, and then help with “move-ins” over the past two months, all the Tikva units are filled. The society is grateful to the many donors who make its work possible and especially to the Diamond Foundation, who gave Tikva the initial donation to assist with rent subsidies for new tenants, for the first five years.

For more information about Tikva Housing Society, visit tikvahousing.org.

– Courtesy Tikva Housing Society

Opening of Dayson Residences

The Dayson and Barnett families were on hand to celebrate the opening of Tikva Housing Society’s Ben and Esther Dayson Residences. (photo from Tikva Housing)

Although the weather was not ideal, almost 100 people attended the opening of Tikva Housing Society’s Ben and Esther Dayson Residences on Sept. 26.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event had to be held outside under tents. Rhonda Sacks, chair of Tikva, welcomed everyone and thanked the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation and the Dayson and Barnett families for their ongoing generosity and support. She acknowledged the three generations of the Dayson and Barnett families who were present and the importance of the younger ones to witness this momentous occasion.

Sacks recognized the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver for understanding the immediate need for affordable housing in the Jewish community and thanked them for their leadership and advocacy. Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation, brought greetings and reiterated the importance of not only saying thank you but also showing the younger generation how, because of their great-grandparents, the community is taking care of those in need of affordable housing.

Philip Dayson spoke on behalf of the family and mentioned that it was the desire of his mother, Esther Dayson, to help those less fortunate and to have a lasting legacy, like these townhomes.

photo - The younger generation of the Dayson/Barnett family cut the ribbon at the opening of Tikva Housing Society’s Ben and Esther Dayson Residences — The younger generation of the Dayson/Barnett family cut the ribbon at the opening of Tikva Housing Society’s Ben and Esther Dayson Residences. *(photo from Tikva Housing)*

Many of the residents in attendance took the opportunity to personally thank the donors and their families.

Hannah Amar, one of the residents at the Dayson Residences, spoke on behalf of the 32 families who live there. She spoke of the importance of having safe and secure accommodation, especially during COVID, and how grateful she is to Tikva and to its donors for her beautiful home.

This housing development is part of a partnership of the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Community Land Trust; there were many donors and partners on the project.

More than 100 people live in the residences, including almost 60 children. As one of the residents said, “The sense of community and Jewish life is beyond what we could have imagined. We are so fortunate to be living here.”

The event also paid tribute to Susana Cogan, z’l, who was the driving force behind Tikva Housing from 2009 to 2017. Cogan was instrumental in developing these residences, as well as others that Tikva owns and/or operates. A commemorative bench in her memory sits adjacent to the children’s playground.

For more information about Tikva Housing, call the office at 778-998-4582.

– Courtesy Tikva Housing

Let’s create more land

In his December presentation, Michael Geller showed this photo of a building in Paris, where modular housing was added atop an existing apartment building to provide more units.

An old adage says that investing in real estate is always a good idea. “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore,” said Mark Twain. But local housing guru Michael Geller rejects this notion.

“I think sometimes you have to create land,” Geller said. Looking at Vancouver from above, he said, you see a lot of green and a lot of blue. But you also see a lot of grey. Making better use of parking lots, rooftops, the top levels of parkades and underused space around existing buildings are among the ways Geller imagines we can create more space for housing.

Geller spoke at Tikva Housing Society’s annual general meeting, held virtually on the first night of Chanukah. Tikva is a nonprofit society that provides access to affordable housing, primarily for Jewish low- to moderate-income adults and families. Its vision is “a safe, stable and affordable home for every Jewish person who needs one in Greater Vancouver.”

A screenshot from Michael Geller’s presentation at the Tikva Housing Society annual general meeting Dec. 11. It was one of eight ideas he suggested to create more space for housing.

In honour of the eight nights of Chanukah, Geller offered up eight ideas, including building houses like we build cars – in factories. Also, taking the concept of laneway housing to new heights by allowing the construction of housing on parking lots. And designing apartments that can be divided into two studio suites or opened up to create family accommodation. Plus, matching people who live alone, or in a couple, and have extra bedrooms in their house to connect with people who need housing.

He showed one instance of a high-rise complex in West Vancouver where two new low-rise buildings were constructed amid the landscaped gardens around the older buildings.

Geller was an early adopter of the concept of modular housing, having written a thesis on the subject in university. Modular housing consists of units manufactured and moved as completed (or mostly completed) structures to their temporary or permanent sites. He showed a photo of a building in Paris, where modular housing was added atop an existing apartment building to provide more units. The top levels of many urban parkades might make ideal locations for modular housing, he said, since few people park there unless the entire structure is full.

In European countries – Geller is doing work in Russia at present – families use space for more than one purpose, allowing better utilization of limited footage. Student accommodations, he suggested, could be developed by transforming a living area into a second bedroom through a pocket door or similar. Larger apartments could be made more flexible with extra external doors and tiny kitchenettes that allow one apartment to become two smaller ones – or those two smaller ones to be easily retrofitted for a growing family. He called these types of lock-off suites, “a mortgage helper in the sky.”

Identifying new municipal, provincial and federal lands for affordable housing is another option.

“I really like golfing at Langara,” Geller said. “But, I must say, if you were to take a 40-foot strip off that golf course all the way along Cambie Street, you could create a lot of land, which could be used for affordable housing and some market housing to support the non-market housing.”

He admitted that some of his golfing friends might think this is a terrible idea.

Many of Vancouver’s older residents are “over-housed,” according to Geller, meaning that one or two people might live in a three- or four-bedroom home. Not everyone would be comfortable sharing their home with erstwhile strangers, he admitted, but some would.

“They might want to share with another senior, they might want to share with a younger person who is willing to help around the house, to pick up prescriptions, to pick up food, to drive them to see friends,” he said.

Another idea Geller mooted was “the Tikva Suite.”

“Maybe we should start a program where we basically approach every member of the Jewish community who owns an apartment building and say, rent us a suite, give us a suite, and the clever accountants in the community can work out some way so there can be a tax receipt for this and that way you can have a suite in every one of those buildings,” he said. “It’s a dream, but many of the dreams I’ve had over the last 50 years actually do materialize. They take awhile, but this is not such a crazy idea.”

Geller is a planner, real estate developer and retired architect with five decades of experience in the public, private and institutional sectors. He is adjunct professor at the Simon Fraser University Centre for Sustainable Development.

Beginning with a seven-unit building in South Vancouver in 2007, Tikva Housing Society has grown to support the housing needs of 288 individuals. The society provides housing directly through three complexes – with another under construction – as well as through rent subsidies. The AGM heard that the society has net assets of about $2.6 million.

At the meeting, outgoing chair Shelley Karrel announced the launch of a new Jewish Housing Registry, an online platform for people who are looking for housing. It is a partnership between Tikva, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the other Jewish housing societies: Vancouver Jewish Building Society, Yaffa Housing Society, Haro Park Centre and Maple Crest Apartments (which is under the auspices of Royal Canadian Legion Shalom Branch 178). The registry will provide a single source for housing applications and will also provide partners with a more accurate way of determining the scope of the community’s housing needs. (See jewishindependent.ca/jewish-housing-registry-live.)

The 2011 Census reported 26,250 people in Metro Vancouver’s Jewish community, of which more than 16% reported incomes below the low-income cutoff, giving Vancouver the second highest rate of Jewish poor in Canada. Average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Metro Vancouver is more than $2,000 a month and the vacancy rate is about one percent.

Tikva has a lead role to play

Left to right: Linda Thomas (Tikva), Shirley Barnett, Shelley Karrel (Tikva) and Eldad Goldfarb (Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver) at Tikva Housing’s annual general meeting on Dec. 7. (photo from Tikva Housing)

The following remarks have been slightly modified from the original talk given at the Tikva Housing Society annual general meeting on Dec. 7, 2017, which took place at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.

I am sure some of you, if not most of you, are wondering, “Why has Shirley been asked to speak tonight?” I wondered the same thing. So, with some trepidation, I accepted the invitation to say a few words, but will start off with a few disclaimers.

First of all, I really don’t know much about housing. I have never been a part of any task force on housing. I have never attended a conference on housing. Experts in the field are in the media every single day, exploring solutions and dealing with options to solve Vancouver’s escalating housing crisis. Ideas range from adding back the 13th floor of high rises, using that floor for public amenities, to establishing a $100 million fund to speed up development applications. Other ideas have surfaced that call for a complete change in our zoning regulations.

Today, I was at a luncheon and sat next to two women who live at the Performing Arts Lodge (better known as the PAL Housing complex), which is across from the Westin Bayshore. They live under an arrangement I had previously heard about, called a life lease, which sort of bridges renting and ownership. You pay an entry fee for the right of a lifetime lease or for a fixed long-term period. That’s your equity. The society invests the money and you get your money back when you leave.

I have also heard about SAMs, shared appreciation mortgages, where mortgages are granted in exchange for sharing in the profits when the property is sold. This idea has been used to make down payments. The City of Calgary in a partnership with the Province of Alberta established a program whereby forgivable interest-free loans are provided through a housing society they started, and owners remit some of the equity when they leave or sell.

In Vancouver, no matter what the underlying causes are of the “affordability” issue, the very word conjures up the image of ownership as a priority. If we can, let’s discard that vocabulary for a minute and look at some alternative models because the one thing the experts agree on is that there is a need to think differently. Recently, I read there is no “housing crisis” but that there is a “housing supply myth” and we are building beyond our population numbers. In light of this, the City of Vancouver has stated they are now looking at the demand and not the supply.

What is the demand for housing in our own Jewish community?

Time and time again, people have expressed concern about members of our community moving away from the Oak Street corridor. This is already a reality and it will continue. So, instead of talking about people moving out, let’s talk about people moving into new neighbourhoods.

During the 2017 annual campaign, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s theme was to connect people who live in other municipalities or cities near Vancouver to Jewish programs and services. Their slogan for this was, “We can’t afford to lose them.” I have learned that Federation has hired a community development worker to liaise with emerging Jewish communities and that they are contacting many Jewish people who live in Langley, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford and so on, to ascertain what Jewish components residents in these places want in their lives and in their children’s lives; what initiatives they want to start or enhance or with which they need help.

We know that when an initiative comes from the grassroots, it becomes an emotional experience and, when there is emotion in a group of stakeholders, there is motivation, action and progress. This is how the Burquest Jewish Community Association started, which now has more than 70 families drawn from Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Moody and further east. The Chabad Centre for Judaism of the Lower Fraser Valley in Surrey started very small and also has grown tremendously. Closer to home, Or Shalom on Fraser Street, which used to be on the outskirts of Vancouver, is now in the city centre and is thriving. East Side Jews, a Temple Sholom initiative, recently had 80 people turn out for an event. And, last summer, 60 kids in outlying areas went for the first time to a Jewish summer day camp run by the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. So, we know that Jewish communities can begin and grow outside of Vancouver’s “traditional” neighbourhoods.

If there were an incentive for 10 Jewish families to move somewhere, maybe there could be resources to help them – rental subsidies for house-sharing, help to start a new daycare centre or to open a satellite shul in someone’s basement. Maybe the next development for Tikva Housing should be in one of the smaller communities that is growing a new Jewish population.

But let’s return for a moment to the situation in Vancouver. And let’s explore the availability of the existing housing inventory. Dozens of Jewish families own hundreds of condos in this city. If one unit per building or even one unit per owner were made available for Tikva to manage, this would create an inventory of housing. Tikva manages the inventory; it becomes a clearinghouse for rentals. And Tikva’s rental subsidy program could kick in – it would ensure that these units remain affordable, while providing owners with rental income at market rates. Alternatively, the owners of these rental or condo buildings could donate a unit to Tikva or become major donors to the Esther Dayson Rental Subsidy Program. So many more families could be helped by the above ways – like interest, the success would be compounded so many times.

What about incentives to families willing to create new suites from their unfinished basements and assign those new units to Tikva to manage, again creating new rental stock? I am not sure if you need a permit to finish off your basement but you may need some financial help. Perhaps that is an area of lending for the Hebrew Free Loan Association.

With the major redevelopment of Oakridge Centre and across the street from the Vancouver JCC at the former transit centre and all along 41st Avenue, as well as the need to redevelop both the current JCC and the Louis Brier Home and Hospital, we are in for an exciting time. The entire area will be repurposed and densified, whether we like it or not, and we need to do our part in a new, different way.

This should be the time when Tikva works together with Yaffa Housing, with the Vancouver Jewish Building Society that, together with the Netherlands Association, has 133 units, and with the Shalom Branch of the Canadian Legion that has 102 units. It boggles the mind (or, at least, my mind) that, for a community as small as ours, there are four Jewish housing societies that, for the most part, do not work together. Imagine the benefits that could be accomplished if these agencies were merged or formed loose partnerships or even a central registry. Why should someone in need in our community have to deal with sorting out the various agencies and options? But that’s a topic for another meeting.

There are more and more newspaper articles about redoing the concept of single-family zoning areas. There is much discussion about how large homes can be repurposed. How many people really want or need a home in Shaughnessy, on Marine Drive or in Richmond with eight or nine bedrooms and the same number of bathrooms? Should the city allow the change of dozens of these homes into four or six units for purchase or rental? Of course. What about financial incentives for young Jewish families, empty nesters or seniors who would like to share a large home but can’t afford the renovations to do so?

There is a philosophy about “aging in place,” staying in your own home until such time as your health requires you to leave. What about when your finances require you to leave because you can’t afford to pay your taxes or for the home’s upkeep? A recent article in the Vancouver Sun stated that one-third of the senior population, mostly women, live alone, and many suffer from depression, financial need and social isolation. We need to rethink what it means to live at home. Many people have said they don’t want to live in complexes built only for people their own age. This is a huge factor in senior living.

The same Sun article quotes a study published by the Gerontologist Society of America, which argues we have to broaden our meaning of “place” from an individual home to mean a neighbourhood. It continues, “Home is a refuge, but it is as much the background of the home, the familiarity with the places and contacts around it that provide security, as any emotional attachment to the home itself.”

We know people can feel as isolated and as disconnected living in a condo as they would living alone in a house. Not only do we need amenities in buildings but inviting spaces, not just gyms but places where the coffee and the lights are always on, lobbies where people can meet and chat – a community within a building within a neighbourhood.

Let me illustrate this point with a great example of building a new neighbourhood without cost. Those of us who live in condos know that the key fobs to enter our units usually cannot be used on other floors; you can’t visit someone on another floor without going down to the lobby and buzzing back up. We know that the intention is greater security and preventing unwanted visitors, but Tikva used an innovative approach. When the 18 units of the Diamond Residences in Richmond were being built, the fobs to the units on the Tikva floors – floors 12, 13 and 14 – were calibrated to give access to all the Tikva floors. You don’t have to go outside the building and buzz someone to get back in to visit them or borrow a cup of sugar. Families can visit other residents on the other Tikva floors. Children can go back and forth from their own apartments to their friends or relatives. That’s building a new neighbourhood.

As I mentioned before, I have no experience in solving these types of issues but I do know that the solutions will take much more creativity than we have ever seen, creativity at many different levels, including from within our Jewish community. One of my favourite quotations is from Albert Einstein, who said, “No problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it.”

I believe Tikva not only has a role in community development but also an expanded role. Our family feels good about this. We think we have chosen wisely to support the initiatives of Tikva because of their potential in being a leader in this area: affordable housing using many different models, but together with community development. My brother Philip Dayson and I are privileged to be able to participate in Tikva’s new project on Marine Drive – imagine 32 family homes in a new Jewish community in a land trust implemented by a group of nonprofit organizations together with the City of Vancouver. And we are very proud to say this complex will be named after our parents.

I cannot close without remembering the brilliance of Susana Cogan, z”l, and, thinking of her, we will recommit our support to Tikva Housing with the expectation that this organization will lead us down new pathways and, like Susana, show imagination, strength and leadership outside of anyone’s box.

***

More about Tikva Housing’s AGM

Tikva Housing had its annual general meeting on Dec. 7, 2017, at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, with approximately 50 people in attendance. The society provided an overview of its current housing capacity, the ongoing need for affordable housing and the challenges facing the Metro Vancouver Jewish community with regards to housing.

Tikva has 18 units in the Diamond Residences, in Richmond, which opened in September 2017; 11 units at the Danny Guincher Residences; and 32 units will be available at the Esther and Ben Dayson Residences, in Vancouver, opening in summer 2018. The society has the Esther Dayson Rent Subsidy Program, which supports approximately 40 recipients.

Tikva’s main partners are the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, which maintained annual funding for Tikva’s operations for 2017/18; Jewish Family Services, which refers people who are in need of affordable housing; and Kehila Society, which links tenants living in the Diamond Residences with events and services in Richmond.

The units at Diamond Residences range from studios to three-bedrooms. Because of the Diamond Foundation, as well as the Irving and Phyliss Snider, Lohn and Zalkow foundations, which contributed to the capital costs, it is posible to offer rents set at 30% of household income.

The Esther and Ben Dayson Residences is a partnership of Tikva Housing with the Community Land Trust Foundation and City of Vancouver. Its townhouses, ranging from two- to four-bedrooms, will offer 16 units for families on income assistance and 16 units renting at 30% of household income. The Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation have committed to fund Tikva’s equity loan to the Vancouver Land Trust project.

– Courtesy of Tikva Housing Society

Storeys is now officially open

Cutting the ribbon at the official opening of Storeys on Dec. 1. (photo from Shelley Karrel)

“Those involved in Storeys feel like a family,” said Brenda Plant, executive director of Turning Point Housing Society, speaking at the opening gala of the rental housing development in Richmond on Dec. 1. “We’ve been working on this together for eight years now.”

Storeys, on Granville Avenue, provides 129 units of affordable rentals, which have on-site supportive services. The project is managed by five nonprofits. The Jewish community’s Tikva Housing Society has three floors of housing for low-income families: 18 units in total with rents at 30% of a household’s income – known as the Diamond Residences at Storeys. The other organizations involved are Coast Mental Health, providing units for low-income clients who need mental health supports; SUCCESS, which provides units for low-income seniors; Pathways Clubhouse Society of Richmond, which provides supportive environments for individuals working towards mental wellness; and Turning Point Housing Society, which provides units for individuals in recovery from addiction.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie spoke of the importance of the new building, pointing out that the City of Richmond contributed $19.4 million to the project, or one-third of the construction funding. “Some of you here may remember this site as a former KFC and a small office building,” he noted. “Eight years later, here we stand.”

photo - Left to right, MLA Selina Robinson, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie and Shelley Karrel — Left to right, MLA Selina Robinson, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie and Shelley Karrel. *(photo by Matthew Gindin)*

“The housing units provided in this unique project will make such a difference in the lives of those who benefit from them,” said Selina Robinson, B.C. minister of municipal affairs and housing, during her address. To the nonprofits who made it happen, she said, “You guys rock.”

The event also featured remarks by MP Joe Peschisolido (Steveston-Richmond East); Kathleen Kennedy-Strath, chair of the board of Coast Mental Health; Jessica Berglund, president of the board of Pathways Clubhouse; Queenie Choo, chief executive officer of SUCCESS; Gord Argue, board chair of Turning Point Housing; and Shelley Karrel, co-chair of Tikva Housing.

The provincial and federal governments contributed just over $5 million and donors almost $2 million. BC Housing was key in assisting with providing the construction loan and will help organizations in securing their long-term mortgages at favourable rates.

Tikva’s involvement in Storeys was initiated under the leadership of Susana Cogan, who passed away before it was completed, and Linda Thomas, executive director of Tikva Housing, attended the opening with the society’s administrator, Anat Gogo, who led the Independent and others on a tour of the building. The suites are modern and well-designed, many with great views.

Tikva is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and worked with Jewish Family Services to place the tenants. The Diamond Foundation gave Tikva the equity to be able to be at the table with the other Storeys project partners. Tikva’s 18 units are now home to families and individuals, from children through seniors.

“What has happened is that we have created a real community within a community,” explained Tikva Housing’s Karrel of the Diamond Residences at Storeys. “At one point, when the elevator wasn’t working because of a power outage, one of the tenants offered to go check on everyone to make sure they were OK. We hope to have communal Shabbat dinners and holiday events for the tenants,” she told the Independent.

Storeys is located near Garden City Bakery, Brighouse Park, Richmond Public Library, and many other resources. The Bayit’s Rabbi Levi Varnai recently visited to put mezuzot on the doors of the Jewish homes.

“In order to honour everyone’s commitment, I have a little present,” said Turning Point’s Plant midway through her presentation. She then handed out Staples’ “that was easy” buttons – “because I want you all to know that we’re going to do this again.”

Matthew Gindin is a freelance journalist, writer and lecturer. He writes regularly for the Forward and All That Is Interesting, and has been published in Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, Tikkun and elsewhere. He can be found on Medium and Twitter.