“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.