About Us

What we do

What we fight for

Supportive Housing in B.C.

In the mid-nineties, the BC government assumed a leadership role in housing by making significant amendments to the Municipal Act. Local governments were now directed to include policies regarding affordable, special needs and rental housing in their Official Community Plan. They were authorized to leverage tools such as density bonuses, comprehensive development zonings and Housing Agreements. And finally, municipalities were given clear authority to develop and enforce standards of maintenance bylaws and to offer non-profit housing societies a discount on the cost of public land.

A variety of “made in B.C.” programs and strategies were developed. Homes B.C. for families, Provincial Homelessness Initiative for vulnerable singles Supported Independent Living for those with persistent and severe mental illness and Independent Living B.C. for low income seniors were but a few of these.

The addition of a much-needed National Housing Strategy in 2017, with a significant infusion of federal social investment dollars over the next decade, make for a positive outlook in the field of social and affordable housing.

What matters to us

Communities and Neighbourhoods

More Than A Roof has a 30 plus year history of developing inclusive communities that offer affordable housing for families, seniors, and individuals with low to moderate incomes, those suffering with mental health issues, and people working to recover from addiction. With an operating budget of just over $15 million annually, the Society provides housing to over 1700 tenants across 12 housing communities throughout Metro Vancouver, Victoria, and Prince George, including approximately 130 Supported Independent and Apartment Living units on the North Shore in a scattered site model for folks struggling with mental health challenges.

Make a Lasting Impact.

Current More Than A Roof Communities include the following

More Than a Roof Mennonite Housing Society	Affordable Family & Senior’s Housing Communities • Charleswood Court, (26) Vancouver • LakePark Village, (43) Burnaby • Dockside Village, (40) Richmond • Church Hill Estates, (28) Saanich • Dewdney Villas, (35) Maple Ridge • City Heights, (53), Vancouver
West End Mennonite Housing Society	Communities with supports for low-income, urban Seniors • Sunset Towers, (475), Vancouver
Prince George Mennonite Housing Society	Affordable Family Housing • Ospika heights, (30) Prince George
Granville Mennonite Housing Society	Low Income Urban Single Housing Communities with supports • Candela Place, (63) Vancouver • Kindred Place, (87) Vancouver • Karis Place, (105) Vancouver
I8th Street Community Care Society	Low Income Urban Single independent housing communities • Esperanza House • Sutherland • Queens • Hendecourt • MCC Place • Westview • Highlands House Semi Independent Living (SIL) Program • Approximately 100 clients at various North Shore locations

Our Five Strategies.

Reducing Poverty

We recognized poverty can have a crippling and de-humanizing effect. By providing low rents and other community development initiatives, including a low-cost food program and access to social supports on a not for profit basis, our tenants have the opportunity to stabilize financially.

Improving Health

Health and poverty are closely intertwined, so much of our work brings awareness and focus to people’s health; be it physical, mental, emotional, relational, spiritual or financial.

Programs like our low-cost meal program, mental health support and addiction recovery all encourage people towards wellness so they can enjoy productive and meaningful lives.

Building Networks of Support

Many who come to more than a roof come as a result of some sort of life trauma. At More Than a Roof we are intentional about building and rebuilding friendships, families and social networks. Building healthy, positive relationships can be a powerful motivating factor for people to experience positive change.

Rekindling Hope

Rebuilding personal hope is at the very centre of our work and a central factor in people being able to rebound from the most challenging of circumstances.

Resolving Conflict

Many of our tenants come from very conflicted situations and they don‘t know how to cope. We know that unresolved conflict can result in long term depression or repressed anger, so much of our informal work is to teach and model healthy ways to resolve conflict. It’s one of the most essential and necessary skills for people to live in community.

Healthcare Based Housing

A recent report by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) stated that for those living in supportive housing, emergency room visits go down by almost one third and days spent in hospital go down by over half during the first year living in a supported housing environment. It also gives individuals living in supported housing the assistance they need to maintain their housing and reduce or eliminate their risk of homelessness. Tenants enjoy increased stability and independence, empowerment and reduction of mental health symptoms.

Situated in North Vancouver, More Than A Roof Housing Society’s 18^th Street Community Care Division supplies housing and support in a semi-independent living environment to over 150 individuals living with chronic or severe mental illness. With full time support, each tenant is able to live active and meaningful lives.

More Than A Roof also partners with VCH to offer addiction recovery supportive housing for 60 singles just outside of Yaletown in Vancouver. Full time program coordinators work closely with program participants with the goal of becoming fully stable in their recovery to be able to thrive in community while moving toward independence.

Soulkitchen Food Security

Karis Place is one of More Than A Roof Housing’s buildings for singles located in downtown Vancouver on the edge of Yaletown. Completed in 2011, it has a large commercial kitchen just off the main level common space. Here, under the guidance of international chef Hännes Tischhauser, the program Soul Kitchen currently provides approximately 1200 low cost meals a month to vulnerable tenants.

Funding from More Than A Roof Foundation and donations from the community allow us to utilize the kitchen as a multi-purpose facility. Tenants can engage as volunteers who prepare or help serve healthy food and menu options, or participate in entry level instruction in culinary arts giving them pre-employment training giving them the experience they need for their resumes and their futures.

Tenants can also get involved in Soulkitchen outreach activities that support other local charities and offers nourishing meals to folks on the street. Support through the More Than A Roof Foundation provides additional funding that helps fuel the future sustainability of the program ensuring tenants from all More Than A Roof Communities and beyond can benefit for years to come.

More Than A Roof & Soulkitchen would like to acknowledge the generous support of
IGA on Robson Street and Earl’s Test Kitchen.

Our Foundation

In 2005, we added More Than A Roof Foundation to bring philanthropy into the mix to support the intangible realities of our brand promise of doing and being “More Than“.

We have a bold vision to address the needs of the hard to house… one person at a time. We believe it is more effective to work “with people instead of for people.” While we provide affordable, secure housing, we seek to do so in a context that builds community and develops life skills as a means of assisting tenants to build a better life. Our goal is to provide “More Than a Roof.” Through the work of our Foundation, our goal is to provide hope and healing as well as carry out programs and activities that help alleviate poverty and homelessness, and empower our tenants to realize their worth as individuals and to participate in the larger community.

All this has resulted in the growth and expansion of four distinct portfolio divisions. Affordable Family Housing, Supported Healthcare-based Housing and Supportive Housing with onsite services for homeless at risk singles. Our most recent is a Seniors Housing component that we anticipate will be a separate and growing division in response to this rapidly growing demographic

About Us

What we do

What we fight for

Supportive Housing in B.C.

What matters to us

Communities and Neighbourhoods

Make a Lasting Impact.

Current More Than A Roof Communities include the following

Our Five Strategies.

Healthcare Based Housing

About Us

Talk with us