EXPANDING ACCESSIBLE & AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Client: Urban Land Institute BC | North Shore Disability Resource Centre | 2016

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The North Shore Disability Resource Centre(NSDRC) was host to a ULI BC Technical Assistance Panel (TAP). The NSDRC was founded over 40 years ago by a group of families and professionals and today serves approximately 2,000 people who live with disabilities on the North Shore of Vancouver. The NSDRC residential services provide 11 group homes supporting about 44 individuals requiring independent and supported living. The homes are custom-built, accessible, and constructed over 40 years ago -some with clear titles and others with operating agreements with BC Housing that are expiring soon. A home located on Hendry Avenue in North Vancouver was identified as most in need of repair and was the catalyst for exploring options on how and if the NSDRC-owned properties should be repaired, redeveloped, or sold to support an alternative housing model.

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ULI BC retained Uplift Co. to plan and execute the event as well as deliver a final report. Our work included meeting with the NSDRC to understand their project challenge, developing a challenge statement, and five key questions, advising on the creation of a Project Briefing Book, and identification and invitation for stakeholder participation.

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We worked with the ULI BC TAP Committee to solicit professional volunteers for the event; in this case, eight professionals formed the panel bringing expertise in Architecture, urban planning, Real Estate Strategy and development, and Non-profit Housing Development. Our team coordinated the logistics of introductory presentations, a site tour, and a group dinner. Following this, we managed a one-day charette with the TAP volunteers, developed a presentation of their recommendations (on the fly), and completed the writing and production of the final report.

 

The work of this TAP provided the NSDRC with highly informative considerations and recommendations on how they could move forward with the potential redevelopment of their housing site.

 

View report