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Vancouver, B.C.
Mennonite group begins construction on 63-unit non-profit housing complex in downtown Vancouver


To address the urgent need for safe, affordable housing in downtown Vancouver, MCC Housing, a society affiliated with Mennonite Central Committee B.C., joined with the city of Vancouver, BC Housing and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board to begin construction of a 63-unit housing complex on May 26.

The housing complex, located on Granville Street between Drake and Davie, will provide housing for some of the most vulnerable residents in the downtown south area. Called Candela Place, the project stems from MCC Housing’s belief that safe,

Patti Penner, vice-chair of MCC Housing and board member Paul Heidebrecht celebrate the start of construction of Candela Place.

affordable housing is a key factor in bringing stability and security to individuals who by circumstance are vulnerable.

“We don’t claim to have all the answers when it comes to meeting the complex needs of this area, but we have a strong sense of passion and mission around this undertaking and a strong sense that we need to be here,” said Lorne Epp, executive director of MCC Housing.

“Our dream is that Candela Place will bring a legacy of hope and new beginnings for those who come to call this place their home. Candela means ‘light’ in Spanish and it is a reminder of Jesus’ challenge to be a light to the world around us,” said Epp.

Working with the motto “More Than a Roof”, MCC Housing provides housing for over 500 people at five locations in British Columbia, including Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver and Prince George. The society’s first project was the 26-unit Charleswood Court complex for low- and moderate-income families in the Commercial Drive area, built in 1984.

The foremost need for low-income people in the downtown area is for stable, affordable, safe, clean housing. Beyond that, there are intertwined factors in the areas of poverty, health care, substance abuse and networks of support, said Epp.

“Our experience has been that when we can get the foremost need met, people can begin to address the other needs. Twenty of the 63 units are designated for housing victims and survivors of mental illness. Our ‘More Than a Roof’ approach will be to build community and bring new opportunities for positive change in people’s lives.”

This construction in downtown Vancouver marks the first of two projects. A similar housing complex is being planned for the same neighbourhood. However, as the old “residential hotels” in the downtown south are demolished or renovated, a number of low-income people are left without accommodations. This is an ongoing struggle for residents in the area.

“So far, the Mennonite project looks very good, and the project is needed by people down here,” said Laura Stannard, organizer of the Downtown South Residents Rights Association. Her organization will help prepare a list of prospective tenants. “We will want to work with them to ensure that the neediest people get into the housing,” said Stannard.

Since 1995, half of the residential hotels in the downtown south have been closed down, renovated or demolished, taking away 700 residential units, said Stannard.

“I don’t recommend hotel housing for anybody, it’s lousy, it’s substandard,” said Stannard. But it’s the only housing many people have, and it is only acceptable to take it away if it is replaced with new housing on a one-to-one basis, she added.

Candela Place is a four-way partnership. The city of Vancouver housing department purchased the land and leased it to MCC Housing for 60 years. BC Housing, the provincial housing agency, has provided the capital financing and will provide an annual operating subsidy to ensure rents are affordable for residents. MCC Housing will provide non-profit management and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board will provide onsite support staff for mental health services, said Epp.

MCC Housing is a non-profit, charitable organization seeking to alleviate human suffering and need by providing safe, affordable housing and building communities in which people can heal and grow.

 – MCC Housing

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Last modified October 6, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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