Housing and the 127 Society

L1090308 is Mona with a typewriter
L1090688 is Diane and Jeff

L1090619 is Peter with a christening photo
L1090409 is Sam with a beard

L10066562 is Marc by a doorway
L10006645 is Joanne with a saxophone

The recent dismantling of tents on the Downtown East Side put the issue of housing front and centre. One of the organizations the Cathedral is connected to - the 127 Society for Housing - is helping people access affordable housing.   
 
The 127 Society was founded in the 1980s by a group of local Anglicans. They felt called to address the housing crisis created by the gentrification in the lead up to Expo ‘86. The Diocese gave the 127 Society a crucial grant early on that enabled its first housing project. Since then the Cathedral has kept a decent-sized grant to the 127 Society in its annual budget.
 
The Society takes its name from Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders will have toiled in vain.” The staff and volunteers at "The 127"  are not just giving their time and talents to a good cause. They see the task of providing housing for low-income  people as one way to answer the call to work for social justice.
 
Legally, The 127 Society is a not-for-profit society registered under the B.C. Societies Act, and a charity registered with Revenue Canada. Spiritually, The Society is an outreach ministry of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster and of Christ Church Cathedral parish.
 
The 127 Society strives to offer more than just housing to all tenants. They encourage tenants to stabilize their lives by helping them enter into community. The goal is to help tenants find fun, friendship, and a sense of purpose through their participation in community activites.
 
The majority of tenants at the society's apartment buildings are aged 45 and older. They are often established residents of the Downtown South or West End areas. Often, they are folks who receive BC benefits, and pensions, and have little to no savings. Some residents are employed but have a low income. While they may need some social supports, they are capable of living independently.
 
While Expo 86 is a distant memory, the housing crisis is not. Joan Seidl, of the 127 Society says, "For years, our waiting list for housing has never seemed to dip much below 200 people. But these days we are receiving even more applications, from even more desperate people, who often need even more significant support." 
 
If you'd like to learn how to support the 127, or if you need help securing affordable housing please click here: http://www.127society.ca/