Who we are
Who we are, what we do
Our Mission
Our mission and purpose at More Than A Roof is to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness in the lives of our tenants through transformative affordable housing.
What we aspire to be
Our Vision
To see every life transformed through the healing power of home, community and belonging.
What drives us forward
Our Values
Welcoming People Home
Affirming the Dignity & Worth of Every Individual
Practicing Radical Generosity
Creating Holistic Community
Putting Faith in Action
Pursuing Excellence with Purpose
Our History
“Bringing People Home” since 1984
More Than Roof Housing was founded in 1984 as MCC (BC) Social Housing Society, an affiliate of the British Columbia chapter of the Mennonite Central Committee. The specific mandate was to develop housing-based solutions to bring hope and assistance to those in our province who struggled with the poverty, poor health and difficult circumstances. In November of 2003, the board of directors, together with the directors and members of MCC BC, adopted a comprehensive package of changes that concluded the traditional ties to MCC BC and “More Than A Roof Housing” came to be.
Since the 1500’s, Mennonites have sought to put Christian faith into action. The fundamental motivating force of all our activities is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it pertains to the alleviation of human suffering and need. This desire, along with the rich tradition and social teaching of Christian scripture, has compelled us to care without regard to religion, ethnicity, race, nationality or sexual orientation, but purely on the basis of need.
Our society’s first project in 1984 was the 26 unit Charleswood Court complex for low and moderate income families in Vancouver. The focus was to provide a supportive, affordable housing community that enhanced human life and dignity while bringing a sense of meaning and hope into difficult personal circumstances. Since that time our organization has grown to house over 1700 people across four divisions in 12 locations throughout British Columbia. Our “More Than A Roof” approach builds aspects and qualities of “home” that go far beyond mere housing. The building of relationships and a sense of belonging in a supportive community represents new opportunities and a chance for “personal comeback” for many of our tenants.
Believing we are called to more, in 2005, we founded More Than A Roof Foundation, a conduit for philanthropic support for our brand’s promise of doing and being “More Than”.
Today, More Than A Roof as a non-profit society and “generalist” housing provider develops and manages housing for low-moderate income seniors, families and singles. We are also a housing based healthcare provider offering mental health support and addiction recovery services in various locations. We are unique in that we have a province-wide mandate, with operations in Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, the Fraser Valley, and Prince George, as well as on Vancouver Island.
The hallmark of MTR is to stay focused on core competencies and perform these well while fostering a “culture of care” and a mindset of growth and excellence in all our undertakings.
Leadership
Leadership
Our staff team operates collaboratively distributing leadership and responsibility across the organization. This empowers our people to work effectively and proactively in their settings while ensuring our tenants are well served and we continue to do business with excellence.
The Senior Leadership Team is comprised of:
Lee-Anne Michayluk Chief Executive Officer
Sylvia Nickel Chief Financial Officer
Jim Loney Senior Director of Operations
Don Kroeker Senior Director of Real Estate
Felix Perello Director of Health Care
Tina Varghese Director of People & Culture
Meet our Operational Leadership Team
Gerald Phang Manager of Operations
Nery Flores Manager of Administration
Evadney Chambers Associate Operations Manager – Sunset Towers
May Durley Associate Operations Manager – 18th Street Community Care Society
Hannes Tischhauser Soulkitchen Program Coordinator
Governance
Governance
Under the Society Act of B.C., all corporate powers of More than A Roof Group and its subsidiaries are vested in and exercised by the Board of Directors who are responsible for a governance and policy platform that supports the successful achievement of the organization’s mandate, mission, and strategic directions and goals. The board is also engaged in developing key policies that undergird the work of the society. The board follows a “closely held” corporate governance model, where the members are also the directors, allowing for business agility and relatively quick turnaround on complex decision-making.
The Board has supported a policy of steady growth and recognized the benefits of achieving economies of scale. This reinforces the core mission and focus.All of our practices, policies and procedures can be directly linked to one or more of the following organizational principles:
- Leading by example: a strong sense of purpose is balanced by strong values
- Leading with our core competence (Community Building, Property Mgt. and Spiritual Care giving)
- Our “value added” approach is reflected in our commitment to community
- Built-in accountability and evaluation encourages an efficient staff structure
- Autonomy, ownership and independent thinking is encouraged
- We value being connected to the people we serve
- Our strong volunteer mindset is also evident in the commitment of staff
- The manner in which we do things is as important as what we do
- Sense of spiritual calling to service, commitment and prayer is essential
- Practicing discernment in achieving consensus on key group decisions
- We preserve those things that bring us stability and test new things that bring us growth
- A “nose in-fingers out” approach keeps directors in touch with our essential business
- A homegrown management emphasis promotes leadership development from within
Over the years the Board has systematically renewed itself and recruited strategically for necessary board skills such as construction, design, finance, law, etc., while maintaining a good mix of Directors with social policy and business perspectives. The Board also makes liberal use of outside expertise and consulting in areas where specialized knowledge is needed.
