As you walk into Co:Here, you’re greeted with the chatter of friendly neighbours, a large open space with communal tables, a seating area by a warm fireplace, and a small library. Believing that loneliness is a universal human condition, Salsbury Community Society aims to reduce the experience of social isolation in housing. Salsbury has been providing housing in the Grandview-Woodland neighborhood for over 25 years, and its most recent building, Co:Here, just celebrated its five-year anniversary.
An Opportunity for Shared Living
When Co:Here Housing first started, not everyone was sure the model, featuring mixed incomes and mutual support by tenants rather than wraparound services, would work. “I was at a meeting a few years ago, where an executive from BC Housing was at Co:Here, and he said, ‘You’ve all proved me wrong. I now believe that this model can work well,’” recounts Tim Dickau, Director, CityGate Vancouver.
