Let's Talk Housing: a Podcast by BC Housing

The Legion Veterans Village (LVV) is an integrated centre of excellence for veterans and first responders focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health. In this episode, Sara talks with Melissa DeGenova, Director of Development Partnerships at VRS Communities, a nonprofit that owns and operates the new homes, and Brian Mckenna, a veteran and resident of LVV. They discuss the unique needs of veterans and first responders, and how integrated housing provides a sense of belonging, community and safety.

Guests:

Melissa DeGenova,

Director, Development Partnerships, VRS Communities

Brian Mckenna,

Veteran

Carla Guerrera of Purpose Driven Developments and Carla Busnardo, Board Member of Soroptimist House talk about their innovative and ground-breaking housing redevelopment project in Vancouver – a 13-storey concrete tower at West 13th Avenue and Cambie Street which will provide 135 units of affordable housing for senior women, women-led families, and workforce women. It’s the only project in North America that’s providing housing for women by an all-woman team. The project is a visionary example of affordable housing built to best meet the needs of women.

Guests:

• Carla Guerrera, CEO and Founder of Purpose Driven Developments

• Carla Busnardo, Chair of the Board of Soroptimist of Vancouver

Vancouver’s Chinatown has been home to newcomers for generations, including many immigrants from China who were often excluded from other neighborhoods. In this episode, Sara talks with Queenie Choo, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S, and Tim Lam, whose grandfather lived in Chinatown for many years. His home, Grace Manor was sold in 2021, leaving Tim’s grandfather and other residents without much time to find a new place to live. This is when S.U.C.C.E.S.S stepped in to run the building, with funding from the Province through BC Housing. Tim shares his grandfather’s journey, including the importance of culturally inclusive community.

Guests:

- Queenie Choo, CEO, S.U.C.C.E.S.S

- Tim Lam, grandchild of senior living in Grace Seniors Housing

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第六集簡介

溫哥華華埠一直以來是新移民的家園，幾代人的居所，包括很多來自於中國的移民，他們曾經常常在其他社區遭到排斥。在本集中，Sara和中僑互助會行政總裁周潘坤玲（Queenie Choo）以及一位華埠多年住戶的孫兒Tim Lam對話。Tim 的祖父所居住的房屋Grace Manor 在2021年被出售，令他和其他住戶沒有多少時間來尋找新的地方居住。這個時候中僑互助會在卑詩省房屋局的支持下介入，營運這棟大樓。Tim分享他的祖父的經歷，以及建設文化包容社區的重要性。

嘉賓：

- 周潘坤玲（Queenie Choo）, 中僑互助會行政總裁

- Tim Lam, Grace Seniors Housing 住戶的孫兒

For many young people, moving into their first home is challenging. It’s even more so for youth with disabilities, who face additional barriers. In this episode, Sara talks with Linden, a resident of The Village at Pleasant Valley, Linden’s mother, Andrea, and Cindy Masters, executive director, Okanagan Village Housing Society. They discuss Linden’s journey to his own home and the importance of accessible housing.

Guests:

• Linden, resident of The Village at Pleasant Valley
  
• Cindy Masters, executive director, Okanagan Village Housing Society
  
• Andrea, parent of Linden  

Sara continues the conversation with Kathleen MacKinnon from Turning Points Collaborative Society and Nanette Drobot from BC Housing, exploring the warm community welcome folks received once arriving in Penticton, and the lasting impacts collaboration had on Turning Points staff. To learn more about Turning Points Collaborative Society, visit: https://turningpoints.ngo/

Minister Ravi Kahlon shares his thoughts on the biggest housing challenges facing British Columbia and the efforts being made to address them. The Minister shares his vision for the future of housing in the Province. Sara also speaks to Minister Kahlon about what it means to be the first Minister dedicated to housing, his approach to leadership, and what he has learned in his first 10 months in the role.

Guests: 

Hon. Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, British Columbia   

This week we’re resharing an interview with Sairoz Sekhon, Director of Women’s Transition Housing & Supports Program at BC Housing, and Allison McLauchlan, Executive Director at Kelowna Women’s Shelter. This episode explores what women’s transition housing is, the types of housing and services provided, and why this type of housing is critical. We also discuss some of the challenges that women at-risk face, particularly Indigenous women.

Guests include:
Sairoz Sekhon, Director, Women’s Transition Housing and Supports Program, BC Housing
Allison McLauchlan, Executive Director, Kelowna Women’s Shelter

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org
Women in BC who need more info about programs/services for people fleeing violence can call or text Victim Link: 1-800-563-0808

Getting affordable, rental housing is hard for large families. Finding homes with enough space for kids, in a family-friendly neighbourhood, can be challenging. On this episode, Sara talks with Stanley Ihemanma, tenant and father of three young boys, about some of the obstacles he encountered. Stanley secured stable family housing for this family through the Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS). Virginia Holden, Executive Director, GVHS, talks about the importance of supporting, and growing, family housing.

Guests include:
Stanley Ihemanma, Tenant
Virginia Holden, Executive Director, Greater Victoria Housing Society

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

Climate change is spurring architects and housing developers around the world to think about how to make homes more comfortable and safe during extreme weather. Those who are most at risk from climate change are marginalized populations, including: people with low incomes, experiencing or at risk of homelessness, Indigenous people, and people with disabilities. Vienna House is a project being built in Vancouver that is creating affordable housing resilient to climate change. In this episode, Sara talks with John Wall, project architect, about how passive design will make Vienna House more affordable and comfortable for residents.

Project partners:
BC Housing, City of Vancouver’s Affordable Housing Agency, More Than A Roof Housing Society, the City of Vienna in partnership with the City of Vancouver.

Guest:
John Wall, Architect, Public Architecture and Communications

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

About six million Canadians aged 15 and older have one or more disabilities. That number is expected to grow. This episode explores how BC Housing is designing homes for people of all ages and abilities. Sara talks with two accessible housing design advocates, an architect and an accessibility specialist, both working on BC Housing projects. They discuss how accessible housing benefits everyone.

Guests include:
Darby Lee Young, Founder & Principal Accessibility Strategist, Level Playing Field Inc.
Brad Tone, Architect & Director of Development, Vancouver Resource Society (VRS)

To learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

In 2021, BC welcomed more newcomers than any other region in Canada. With an aging population, declining birthrate, and the lowest unemployment rate in decades, Canada is set to welcome hundreds of thousands of new residents, including humanitarian refugees, for the next several years. According to immigrant and refugee settlement service providers, securing permanent, secure, affordable, family-sized housing is the biggest challenge to helping folks settle. What is being done to help newcomers secure housing amidst a housing affordability crisis? In this episode, Chris Friesen, Chief Operating Officer with Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISS of BC), joins host Sara Goldvine to talk about the challenges for refugees and immigrants, and approaches ISS of BC is taking to secure affordable housing for newcomers. Fazel Noorian, a newcomer from Afghanistan who has found housing for himself and his family through BC Housing, also shares his story of searching for housing.

Guests include:

• Chris Friesen, Chief Operating Officer, Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia
• Fazel Noorian,  new BC Housing resident.

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

In November 2021, devastating floods affected thousands of British Columbians. Five people lost their lives. Property damage was in the billions of dollars. Princeton was one of the towns particularly hard hit. Ten per cent of the town’s residents lost their homes. Seniors, living in two BC Housing buildings, were amongst Princeton’s displaced. In this episode, Princeton mayor Spencer Coyne and John McEown, Director of Regional Development at BC Housing (now Associate Vice-President, Development Strategies), join Sara to talk about how working together helped get displaced seniors and others housed. They discuss lessons learned and ways to better manage housing emergencies for future weather disasters.

Guests include:  

• Spencer Coyne, Mayor of Princeton, BC
• John McEown, Director, Regional Development, BC Housing 

For more information about Mobilizing Building Adaptation and Resilience (MBAR): bchousing.org/research-centre/library/residential-design-construction-guides/MBAR  

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org 

Municipalities across B.C. are working hard to address the housing affordability crisis. In this episode, two outgoing mayors, Lyn Hall of Prince George and Lisa Helps of Victoria, join Sara to discuss the housing challenges facing their communities and their insights on partnering with other levels of government, health authorities, Indigenous groups, First Nations, and local non-profits.

Guests include:

Lyn Hall, Outgoing Mayor, City of Prince George

Lisa Helps, Outgoing Mayor, City of Victoria

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

Like many communities across BC, Quesnel is facing an increasing number of people that are precariously housed. This episode explores the challenges of moving from a shelter to permanent housing, and the role of homelessness outreach workers in supporting people at risk and those experiencing homelessness. Sara is joined by Joe, a shelter guest at Quesnel Shelter and Support Society and Jen Gardiner, a Homelessness Prevention Program outreach worker living in northern BC. Joe and Jen talk about how access to housing could change to help people experiencing homelessness.

Guests include:
Jen Gardiner, Homelessness Prevention Program Outreach Worker, Quesnel Shelter and Support Society
Joe, shelter guest, Quesnel Shelter and Support Society

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org

This episode explores what it’s like to run a thriving business in the same building where supportive housing residents live and a shelter is operating for people experiencing homelessness. 

This week’s guests include:

• Dani Trueman, Owner, Spoons Diner, on Instagram @spoonsdiner
• Ramsay Moffat, Site Manager, PHS Community Services, on Twitter @PHScs

Learn more about BC Housing: bchousing.org 

This episode explores how BC Housing is partnering with private developers and municipalities to increase affordable homeownership options for middle-income British Columbians. Through the Affordable Homeownership Program, BC Housing takes on a mortgage of 10% of the purchase price of a home, which reduces the down payment for buyers. For middle-income families who are struggling to get into the market, this program provides access by reducing the financial burden. 

Guests include:

• Armin Amrolia, Former Associate Vice President, Development Strategies, BC Housing
• Byron Chard, CEO, Chard Developments, on Twitter: @ChardDev

Learn more about the Affordable Homeownership Program, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/housinghub/programs-and-eligibility

Coming Soon: Let's Talk Housing 

British Columbia is in the grips of a housing affordability crisis decades in the making, which has been compounded by a poisoned drug supply crisis and by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Province has an ambitious plan to tackle the housing crisis through the largest investment in housing affordability in B.C.’s history. Tasked with building tens of thousands of homes in hundreds of communities is BC Housing, the agency responsible for developing, managing, and administering a wide range of subsidized housing and homelessness services across the province. BC Housing doesn’t do this alone. To address the challenge, they’re working with hundreds of partners. In this podcast, you’ll get to hear from those delivering innovative and exciting affordable housing solutions.