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May 29, 2009
Housing forum slated
Designers and residents gather, create solutions.
SUSAN J. KATZ
People who have never struggled with housing don't realize how huge that is. Housing is primary; it affects the rest of your life. When troubles with landlords increase, so do health problems."
These are the reflections of Pauline Leah Rankin, who would like to see more affordable housing provided by the Jewish community that she could access. She has chosen housing outside of the Jewish community in order to keep her pets; they are essential members of her household.
Rankin, along with architects and planners, all agree that a range of options and choices for affordable housing are a necessary component of the Jewish community.
Dr. Michael Geller is a Vancouver-based architect, planner, real estate consultant and property developer with four decades of experience in the public, private and institutional sectors. Greg Henriquez is the managing partner of Henriquez Partners Architects and the architect leading the socially inclusive Woodward's Redevelopment, the largest mixed-use project in the history of Vancouver. Both men will be keynote speakers on Sunday, June 14, at the community-wide meeting Exploring Solutions for Affordable Housing.
According to Henriquez, awareness is one of the single most important parts of the housing solution. Homelessness is not an attractive topic: it is easier to donate to a cultural institution. "We need to see affordable housing as not threatening by creating beautiful buildings where market units subsidize amenities and nonprofit spaces."
According to Geller, "Good housing is more than a roof over your head." One of Geller's first projects targeting the need for housing for Jewish seniors was the Oak Gardens. "It's not 'affordable housing,' but this Jewish seniors housing at 42nd and Oak is in a perfect location for older Jewish people."
When built, the building had two features attractive to seniors: a live-in couple who were caretakers/ managers and not medical staff and a guest suite that enabled people to comfortably downsize and still have visitors. He even added a billiards room as an incentive for kids to visit their grandparents.
The Weinberg Residence in Vancouver is another success story, providing seniors with more support than conventional apartments but without full medical care, like that given in the Louis Brier Home and Hospital. The downside is providing that quality of housing and services for all seniors is too expensive.
Geller sees two needs in the community: facilities for seniors looking for choices like Oak Gardens and the Weinberg at significantly reduced cost and more choices for lower income families. Some are happy with just shelter in a conventional building with subsidized rent, while others want to be in a Jewish environment.
Some of the solutions he will discuss at the housing forum are alternatives to homeownership or renting, such as co-op housing, and co-housing, a cross between condominiums and communes with owned individual apartments and communal dining, play areas, amenities, etc. It's "a model that is going to grow in terms of its attractiveness," he said.
Henriquez believes that the combination of awareness, education and donors of land and money are the keys to successful development of integrated community growth.
Geller is hoping that the forum attendees will be both consumers of housing choices, as well as people who are producers, developers and apartment owners. He'd like to see the people who come out share their experiences and expertise and "provoke discussion and help identify some community champions who will take the lead to build some housing – for all of us who are looking for different choices. One reason why we all need to work together on this: we might all be the beneficiaries."
The housing forum will take place from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at Temple Sholom, 7190 Oak St., in Vancouver. To register, call 604-725-1190 or e-mail [email protected].
Susan J. Katz is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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