Housing co-operatives consist basically of people joining together as a corporation to provide housing through group action for themselves. The corporation owns the housing project and each member owns stocks in the corporation which entitles him to live in a unit and share management of the project together with the other members. Housing co-operatives, when supported by adequate education, comprehensive organization and governmental assistance, can provide housing at lower costs than those of equivalent housing in the private market. They are a widely-developed sector of housing in Latin American and European countries. They also exist in the United States Housing, Cooperative |z British Columbiaand various provinces of Canada. Their manifestation in British Columbia is very limited and this constitutes the main concern of this thesis. Such concern focuses on the hypothesis that the formation of housing co-operatives in this province has been retarded by the lack of specific provincial or municipal policies regarding such co-operatives. This hypothesis is supported by various cases, in foreign countries and some Canadian provinces, where legislation for such type of housing caused definite and unprecedented activity in the field. It is thus the conclusion of this thesis that the field of housing co-operatives in British Columbia would develop if specific governmental legislation for such co-operatives were adopted and combined with improvements in education and organization in the field. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the satisfaction which co-operative housing members experience during the process of obtaining and living in their dwellings. With the recent surge of growth of housing co-operatives in British Columbia, an evaluation of this form of tenure seems timely. Traditionally evaluation studies have assessed a program or agency by relying on the input of the administrators. Although several government studies have investigated co-operative housing, little work has been completed which assesses this type of tenure from the user point of view. A distinctive characteristic of co-operative housing is the opportunity for the members to be totally involved in the planning and management of the project. This study therefore evaluates co-operative housing by investigating the satisfaction which users derive from their living environment. Members of co-operatives in the Greater Vancouver Regional District whose projects were completed or in the planning stages were personally interviewed and factors relating to satisfaction were discussed. From this survey, it became clear that the majority of people are very satisfied with their housing and the process they experienced to obtain it. In the case of completed projects, satisfaction was strongly linked with co-operators' perceptions of a strong sense of community, attendance at recent co-operative housing meetings, understanding of co-operative ownership, the kind's of-expectations of co-operative living which members have, and previous co-operative experience. For members of projects in the planning stages satisfaction was linked with understanding of co-operative ownership, ability to contact the co-operative's Board of Directors and desire to join other co-operative activities. Recommendations for improving or influencing those factors which are related to satisfaction are suggested. Two major issues emerged that relate to the co-operative housing movement in general. These are: user participation in the planning and management of the project, and member education. It is suggested that by enlarging and improving the education program the financial and social responsibilities of co-operative housing will be better understood and more people will take advantage of the opportunity to participate. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The United Housing Foundation (UHF) was founded in 1972 to provide organizational, administrative, and technical advice to housing cooperatives in British Columbia. The purpose of the Foundation was to promote the success of housing cooperatives through the centralization of the substantial knowledge and skills hitherto scattered throughout many small groups in the cooperative sector. Within three and one-half years UHF grew from a grassroots organization under the auspices of the credit union movement to a government funded bureaucracy capable of producing over 1000 cooperative units annually. UHF's apparent success was marred by a bitter conflict be-UHF and its client cooperatives who charged the organization with elitism, insensitivity, and failure to represent cooperatives and by a provincial review of the Foundation and subsequent withholding of funds. These events led to the final collapse of UHF in February 1976. This thesis investigates the role of UHF and concludes that it was a divisive force in the cooperative movement in this province. It was discovered that the local cooperative movement was severely damaged by UHF's frustration of individual cooperatives' needs, provincial interference in UHF policy, and UHF's less-than-professional technical services. The problems of UHF were found to pertain to a large extent to difficulties inherent in the dual nature of cooperative housing — both economic enterprise and . social movement — and the distinct lack of Cooperation among cooperatives. The main recommendations are for self-financing and, therefore, resource groups representative of the cooperatives served, and for the establishment of several types of resource groups to meet the various needs of different housing cooperatives, a recognition that the field is too diverse to be contained within one group. i / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Adequate and affordable housing for low-income residents is essential for the well being of the community. In the City of Vancouver, the majority of available low-income housing is located in the inner city and, in particular, the area around the Downtown Eastside neighborhood. The continued loss of units due to redevelopment and conversion is a serious concern in relation to the lagging replacement of units. This study explores the relationship between inner city gentrification and social housing provision. It looks at current gentrification trends in Canadian inner cities and uses the case example of the Four Sisters Housing Cooperative in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood to illustrate a possible model for future housing. Gentrification is shown to be a major factor behind the increased pressure for residential development and the conversion of existing units in the inner city. A second contributing factor is the planned redevelopment of large parts of the inner city. Both are considered by-products of the restructuring of the urban economy from manufacturing to the service industries, which increases competition for and around the central business district. The study provides a cursory examination of current theory on gentrification with an emphasis on the impact on social housing provision. A number of factors are shown to influence the demand for residential accommodation in Vancouver’s inner city. These are: -the favourable central location of the inner city relative to suburban locations; -the shift of the economy to the service sector, which has resulted in the growth of residential opportunities to capture the growing market of downtown workers; -the increase in tertiary and quaternary employment; -new consumer preferences which value the inner city lifestyle; -significant demographic changes related to the age, household size and composition, employment profile, and income of inner-city population; -the continued economic dominance of the downtown. Research carried out in various Canadian cities indicates that gentrification is becoming more complex, often moderate or gradual, and potentially chaotic. The observed encroachment of development activity, growth in the number of families, and the prognosis for new residents with a higher socioeconomic status, is a concern in terms of the future ability to develop housing for local residents and establish policy for the protection of existing private housing. The study shows that the Four Sisters Cooperative has achieved both practical and political goals by providing secure, long-term accommodation for Downtown Eastside residents, providing further economic stability in the area, and adding to the needed stock of family housing. Through its income base, the Four Sisters also caters to a rising demand for low-end market housing in the inner city. The new advocacy for family accommodation in the inner city on the part of the Vancouver Planning Department is evidence of the success of the project. The findings suggest that, as the Canadian inner city becomes more economically and socially diverse, initiatives like the Four Sisters are uniquely suited to respond effectively to the future need for long-term, low-income accommodation. However, the Four Sisters model is unlikely to be readily replicated in the difficult economic times ahead, particularly given the deep level of subsidy that it requires and the current fiscal constraints which all levels of government are under. This implies that future housing solutions must be formulated through government leadership and in cooperation with the community, all levels of government, the non-profit sector, and the private sector.

Adequate and affordable housing for low-income residents is essential for the well being of the community. In the City of Vancouver, the majority of available low-income housing is located in the inner city and, in particular, the area around the Downtown Eastside neighborhood. The continued loss of units due to redevelopment and conversion is a serious concern in relation to the lagging replacement of units. This study explores the relationship between inner city gentrification and social housing provision. It looks at current gentrification trends in Canadian inner cities and uses the case example of the Four Sisters Housing Cooperative in the Downtown Eastside neighborhood to illustrate a possible model for future housing. Gentrification is shown to be a major factor behind the increased pressure for residential development and the conversion of existing units in the inner city. A second contributing factor is the planned redevelopment of large parts of the inner city. Both are considered by-products of the restructuring of the urban economy from manufacturing to the service industries, which increases competition for and around the central business district. The study provides a cursory examination of current theory on gentrification with an emphasis on the impact on social housing provision. A number of factors are shown to influence the demand for residential accommodation in Vancouver’s inner city. These are: -the favourable central location of the inner city relative to suburban locations; -the shift of the economy to the service sector, which has resulted in the growth of residential opportunities to capture the growing market of downtown workers; -the increase in tertiary and quaternary employment; -new consumer preferences which value the inner city lifestyle; -significant demographic changes related to the age, household size and composition, employment profile, and income of inner-city population; -the continued economic dominance of the downtown. Research carried out in various Canadian cities indicates that gentrification is becoming more complex, often moderate or gradual, and potentially chaotic. The observed encroachment of development activity, growth in the number of families, and the prognosis for new residents with a higher socioeconomic status, is a concern in terms of the future ability to develop housing for local residents and establish policy for the protection of existing private housing. The study shows that the Four Sisters Cooperative has achieved both practical and political goals by providing secure, long-term accommodation for Downtown Eastside residents, providing further economic stability in the area, and adding to the needed stock of family housing. Through its income base, the Four Sisters also caters to a rising demand for low-end market housing in the inner city. The new advocacy for family accommodation in the inner city on the part of the Vancouver Planning Department is evidence of the success of the project. The findings suggest that, as the Canadian inner city becomes more economically and socially diverse, initiatives like the Four Sisters are uniquely suited to respond effectively to the future need for long-term, low-income accommodation. However, the Four Sisters model is unlikely to be readily replicated in the difficult economic times ahead, particularly given the deep level of subsidy that it requires and the current fiscal constraints which all levels of government are under. This implies that future housing solutions must be formulated through government leadership and in cooperation with the community, all levels of government, the non-profit sector, and the private sector. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate