Let's Talk Housing: A Podcast by BC Housing

This past summer, Canada had its worst wildfire season on record. In this two-part series, Sara speaks with Kathleen MacKinnon from Turning Points Collaborative Society and BC Housing’s Nanette Drobot about how partners worked together using a trauma-informed approach to evacuate people experiencing homelessness from the raging wildfires in Kelowna. To learn more about Turning Points Collaborative...

Kiwassa Neighbourhood House is helping young people in East Vancouver thrive, despite the many challenges they face. In this episode, Sara speaks with Rohani Seddiq, who runs Kiwassa's summer youth program at a BC Housing property. Rohani shares her story as a refugee and immigrant growing up in BC Housing, along with her mission to empower East Vancouver's youth.    To learn more about Kiwassa Ne...

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 th...

Sara speaks to filmmaker Joseph Kafka and storyteller Patrick Stewart about an Indigenous-led video series titled ‘Where Are All My Relations’. Each story offers a human perspective on the data associated with an overrepresentation of Indigenous people in homeless counts. Home is a sense of belonging and connection. Patrick and Joseph explore the unique pathways into homelessness for Indigenous pe...

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...

We hear a lot about single room occupancy (SRO) hotels in the news - most of it pretty grim. In today's episode, Sara visits the Rainier Hotel, a low-barrier SRO located in Vancouver’s Gastown. It’s home to self-identifying women, many of whom have experienced trauma and violence. In this episode, Sara tours the Rainier with Tanya Fader, Director of Housing for the PHS Community Services Society,...

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)...

More than 30,000 people live in co-op housing in BC. Together, co-op members are creating homes and communities. Like other housing groups, co-op members face challenges, aging buildings and higher construction costs. Sara talks with Thom Armstrong, CEO, Co-operative Housing Federation of BC and Tiffany Duzita, Executive Director, Community Land Trust. They discuss how partnerships, committed co-o...

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 buil...

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. G...

Project Rise is a new program in Nanaimo that helps people in supportive housing find employment. Run by Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS), Project Rise provides skill-training and opportunities for internship. People involved in the project join Sara on this episode of Let’s Talk Housing to discuss the innovative program. To learn more about Project Rise, read our Community Story below: https://n...

The first dedicated women-only shelter in Kamloops opened this fall, providing specialized services for women experiencing homelessness. Harbour House is operated by The Mustard Seed , a local not-for-profit. Katie Hutchins from The Mustard Seed joins Sara on this episode of Let’s Talk Housing to discuss why this shelter is so important in the community. Guests include: Katie Hutchins, Manager of...

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-s...

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 Jo...

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...

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 Gardin...

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 

In this episode of Let’s Talk Housing we’ll be talking about systemic changes to address the root causes of homelessness. To foster this discussion, we’re joined by Chrissy Brett, Indigenous Housing and Community Advocate, and Stephanie Allen, BC Housing’s Vice President of Strategic Business Operations and Performance. They sit down with Sara to discuss how developing relationships with communiti...

The Riverview Lands became many things to many people over the past 100 years, including as an institution for people with mental illness. Before it was “Riverview,” the lands were used and stewarded by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm people for food, medicine, ceremony and shelter.   In the spring of 2021, BC Housing and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation signed a partnership agreement, confirming that both partners have eq...

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 m...

This episode explores the challenges around proposing new supportive housing for a neighbourhood and the typical concerns and fears that come up from communities. Guests join Sara to talk about their experience working together to deliver supportive housing in Kamloops.  Guests include: Kim Galloway, Chief Operating Officer, ASK Wellness Carmin Mazzotta, City of Kamloops Social, Housing and Commun...

This episode discusses how BC Housing and partners collaborated during the early days of the pandemic to quickly set up effective shelter solutions and open isolation sites. We dive into lessons learned and new approaches to improve access to care for shelter guests as we move beyond the pandemic. This episode features guests: Mike Musgrove, Executive Director, Surrey Urban Mission Gwyneth Jones,...

This episode discusses BC Housing’s collaboration with First Nations communities around British Columbia to improve the quality and boost the amount of culturally appropriate homes. We also discuss where there are still significant gaps in housing availability and how First Nations and the provincial and federal governments can partner on delivering for more and improved housing.   Guests include:...

This week’s episode features a discussion about homelessness, and in particular how to approach and create meaningful housing solutions with support services for people in an encampment. Episode guests include: Janice Abbott, CEO, Atira Women’s Resource Society Heidi Hartman, Executive Director, Supportive Housing and Homelessness, BC Housing Janice and Heidi dig into why it’s important to take a...

This episode explores what women’s transition housing is, the types of housing and services provided, why this type of housing is critical, and some of the challenges that women at-risk face, particularly Indigenous women. Guests include Sairoz Sekhon, Director, Women’s Transition Housing and Supports Program at BC Housing, as well as Allison McLauchlan, Executive Director, Kelowna Women’s Shelter...