First United has launched a “redevelopment project” in which we will strive to make tangible our commitment to building an inclusive community located at the margins of society. What follows is the text of the press statement made at the public launch of this initiative.  

 

The Context

There has been real progress made in recent months to address the issue of homelessness in this Province. Both the Provincial government and the City of Vancouver have made dramatic efforts and invested significant funds to this end.

However the challenges remain daunting and the need remains overwhelming. There are at least 1000 people in the Province and about 500 in the Downtown Eastside for whom there will not be sustainable housing in the near future.   We know there is no simple solution, but there are three basic imperatives:

  1. Recognise that homelessness is about belonging and “feeling at home” (it’s about having a place where I feel safe, where my possessions are stored, and where I know I belong as a full and interdependent member of the family or community).  To just construct new buildings – even when they are supported with professional services – does not in itself combat the alienation, dislocation, and broken relationships that underlie life at the margins of society.
  2. Provide housing that spans the whole spectrum –a place of refuge for those most angry with and distrustful of society,  supportive housing for those in treatment, supported housing for those who will need long-term support, and affordable housing for those who just need a place they can afford.
  3. Address housing in the larger context of poverty, addiction, mental illness and sense of despair.  We urgently need a comprehensive and integrated approach across ministries such as welfare, healthcare, and housing and across all the different initiatives on the ground

In responding to this need, we cannot leave it all to Government.  Nor can we pick away at this, addressing it bit by bit over a number of years. There are real people, in real need, right now. There is an urgent requirement for bold and courageous leadership from all of us.

First United Church: “Hope Lives Here” initiative

In this 125th year of First United’s presence in the Downtown Eastside, and as our part in responding to the need for bold leadership, we are today announcing a commitment to a $31million redevelopment on our site at the corner of East Hastings Street and Gore Avenue.

On that strategic corner, joining China Town, Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside, we will build a facility that invites and includes people from all walks of life – while intentionally meeting the needs of those at the margins of society.  The building will provide a wide range of housing;  facilities for medical, dental  and basic health care; attractions for children and families; space for reflection, prayer and celebration; areas for advocacy and counselling; and rooms for classroom  learning, for art, and music.  But this is not about providing housing or services. It is about building an inclusive community in which we encounter the Sacred within us and beyond us, in which we grow into our full potential individually and collectively, in which we enjoy a deep sense of belonging and of mutual interdependence, and in which we constantly strive for Justice and Wholeness. The United Church of Canada has provided us with an initial $6million in land and capital.

The Paint Your Faith mural reflects the creativity, colour and energy at the core of the Downtown Eastside. The  “Hope Lives Here”  project wants to take what is reflected on the wall and help it come alive on the streets. This is a neighbourhood that speaks of human suffering – and it is a neighbourhood that sings of hope. It is where Vancouver was born and is now where we will together define the future of our city and Province.  With creative and courageous leadership we can not only address the challenges of homelessness, but we can free the Spirit at the centre of this community, and see on these streets not despair but a beacon of Hope.

It  has been very tempting to delay the announcement until we had more details and more funding in place but I am convinced it is necessary to make the announcement now. I really hope that our announcement of this initiative will be one of many by concerned groups who see the urgent need, risk stepping up and are willing to partner with Government, but not leave it all up to them to do. We need to act and we need to do it now!