Resources + Publications

Image: Martin Knowles Photography

Resources

  • Tap Turners & Game Changers: Lessons for Melbourne, Victoria and Australia from Affordable Housing Systems in Vancouver, Portland, and Toronto

    Carolyn WhitzmanSeptember 2018

    Vancouver has created the most social and affordable housing, both new construction and renewed stock, in the past three years... Although outcomes are not yet meeing the needs of low and moderate income households, they show promise of growing suitable supportive, social, and rental housing to the point where ‘affordable housing for all’ is more than a meaningless slogan.Read More

  • Cross-Cutting Theme: Housing Vulnerable Canadians

    Meg Holden and Yushu Zhu, Professor and Assistant Professor, respectively, in SFU’s Urban Studies program.May 2020

    ...For (many households on low and modest incomes) households, community housing offers a pathway to home; indeed, it has been characterized as “the backbone of Canada’s response to housing challenges.”Read More

  • Developing Truly Complete Communities - Social Equity, Social Connectedness, and Multi-unit Housing in an Age of Public Health and Climate Crises

    Meghan Hogg & Michelle HoarDecember 14, 2020

    A Hey Neighbour Collective discussion paper to inform Metro 2050Read more

Publications

  • Homes that Connect Us: Building social connections and community engagement among residents of multi-family rental housing

    Michelle HoarSpring, 2018

    The intent of this report is to highlight inspiring examples of community building in multi-family housing developments of different types. The hope is that insights gleaned from studying these examples stimulate a broader dialogue about opportunities to foster social connectedness in dense typology housing, and influence the sector toward a greater focus on affordability, security of tenure and sociability.Download PDF

  • The Role of Social Investment in Canadian Affordable Housing

    Katrina MayFall 2018

    Diversified funding models enable affordable and inspiring non-market rental homes and places for people to work and play, to be consistently delivered to meet community needs, even in the absence of government funding.Download PDF

  • White Paper: Options for Legal and Tax Structures of Below Market Rental Housing

    Norton Rose Fullbright Canada LLP & Catalyst Community Developments SocietyMarch 2018

    The purpose of this White Paper is to outline the current challenges faced by these charities and non-profits wishing to undertake such development. We also describe possible solutions to these challenges. It is hoped that this White Paper will support charities and non-profits, generate discussion, and prompt consideration of changes to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “Act”) to allow such developments to proceed in a less elaborate and more efficient manner. We describe two possible structures for the development of below market rental housing in British Columbia.Download PDF

  • Spaces that Connect Us: Key Considerations for Delivering Social Infrastructure

    Jean RoeFebruary 28, 2020

    This report provides a set of Key Considerations for the creation, design and maintenance of activated, welcoming and useful spaces of social infrastructure in new mixed-use developments...for community organizations seeking to redevelop land into mixed- use projects that include social infrastructure. Download PDF

  • Connecting on Community Redevelopment: Existing Capacity-Building Initiatives for the Community Housing Sector in BC

    Katrina May February 2019

    The objective of the research is to identify gaps in existing capacity-building efforts and to support further research and development of a not-for-profit, community-led platform that would facilitate information-sharing and relationship-building.Download PDF

  • Financing Affordable Housing: Documenting the Development and Expansion of Vancity's Housing Accelerator Fund

    Andrea WitoszkinSeptember 17, 2020

    Vancity’s Housing Accelerator Fund will provide non-profit developers, such as Catalyst, with pre-development, pre-construction, and acquisition capital to progress new development projects and bridge financing to senior affordable housing financing programs.Download PDF

  • Insecurity of Tenure and Effects on Families: Analyzing the intersection of well-being, rental housing tenure, and famlies with children in British Columbia

    Emilia OscilowiczOctober 2020

    This report then explores the impact these policies has on families with children living in British Columbia whereby six themes are identified. This is complemented by an exploration of discussions with key housing informants in British Columbia and a review of the current security of tenure housing landscape in the province.Read more

  • Madrona Community Connections Pilot - Final Report & Recommendations

    Michelle HoarNovember 2020

    In anticipation of tenants moving into Madrona, Catalyst’s first fully owned and operated rental development in Vic West, staff asked themselves what it really meant to build vibrant, affordable and inspiring places for people to live. Was it enough to offer security of tenure and rents affordable to working people? Or could they be more ambitious, and take active steps to intentionally foster a friendly, socially connected, resilient community at Madrona?Read more