Rental housing operators and community building

In our first three years of project work (2019–2022), HNC has engaged deeply with our Community of Practice members – learning about programming and practices from the six core “demonstration partners” as well as connecting to a larger number of housing organizations in more episodic ways through webinars and workshops. But we were curious whether the insights and findings that emerged from this small (but mighty!) group of core partners were reflective of the purpose-built rental sector more broadly.

Throughout the fall of 2022, Keltie Craig and Anson Ching (consultants with HNC) connected with 21 medium- and larger-sized owner-operators and third party property managers of independent housing.¹ Through focus groups and interviews, these conversations provided an opportunity to test some of our learnings and assumptions with a wider sample of BC’s purpose-built rental sector. There was a mix of participants, with 14 coming from the market housing sector, and seven from the non-market housing sector; most were based in BC’s Lower Mainland, though some managed properties on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan. Conversation focused on participants’ awareness of loneliness and social isolation as issues relevant to housing operation, perceived concerns and barriers to taking action, and programming and design ideas.

1. Awareness and Role

There is already a segment of proactive rental housing providers in BC that are not only aware of the impact of loneliness and social isolation on tenants but are also actively confronting the issue by attempting to foster neighbourly social connections. In many of the participating housing organizations, playing a role in resident social connectedness is part of their mission statement or mandate. But assessing the outcomes of efforts towards these goals, and understanding just how much tenants may be struggling with loneliness and social isolation, continues to be challenge throughout the industry. Most often, formal and informal surveys were not designed with a primary intention to determine levels of social isolation and loneliness among residents and were instead geared towards general tenant satisfaction or were simple exit surveys.

2. Challenges

Although most housing provider participants have experience with a range of demographic groups—seniors, families, young professionals, people with accessibility concerns or mobility requirements, and more—a key point of difference between market and non-market rental housing providers is the level of agency residents have in choosing one home over another, and that housing operators have in selecting their tenants. 

In the case of market housing providers, they are generally able to market to tenants who fit well into their community, and self-select into the level of social connectedness already present in the building. However, societal demographics are shifting, and the makeup of resident communities in terms of age, language, culture, or household composition are diversifying, making it more challenging to choose the kind of social events or services that work. In addition, initiatives to boost social connection are generally among the first to disappear when there are constraints on capacity, time, and budget. 

Non-market housing providers generally accept tenants on a needs basis, and while new residents may fit the demographic priority for the building (e.g single parents, women, older adults, etc.), they may not necessarily share a similar goal in relation to community sociability. In some cases, Non-market providers may be providing more than independent housing, such as housing with a primary focus on mental health and wellness, or rehabilitation. Some of the responsibilities and roles that providers have in these contexts are potentially community-disrupting—including mental health crisis support, which may involve moving residents to other housing. 

3. Ideas

Participants provided design and programming ideas to support neighbourly social connectedness that they have used already, or want to try. This included supporting resident-led initiatives, potentially even training residents as building ambassadors. Participants also shared their experiences in relation to design decisions that helped increase social connections within a building, such as communal dining spaces and community gardens. One participant spoke about designing family-oriented townhouses on either side of apartments aimed at seniors, to provide the potential for informal check-ins. There was also a strong desire for peer-learning sessions to share tools and resources within the industry. Generally, participants seemed keen to learn more about best practices in improving social connectedness and decreasing loneliness on their properties, but most agreed that they were simply improvising ideas on their own. Many participants reflected that hearing what others in the industry were doing was illuminating, as they were stuck on what they could do beyond seasonally themed activities.

Read all of the findings related to these themes in the full report, including a section with specific programming and design ideas provided by participants, and links to potential funding sources.

Resources for housing providers

In response to an expressed desire from participants for easier access to idea sharing and peer-learning, HNC has started a resource repository for use by housing providers to learn more about social connectedness, their role in fostering it in their buildings, what others have done, and how to design, program, and implement ideas.

This is the start of a resource repository for use by housing providers to learn more about social connectedness, their role in fostering it in their buildings, what others have done, and how to design, program, and implement ideas. 

Articles, presentations, guidelines, and programs from HNC and its partners 

Toolkits and Online Tools/Apps 

1. Independent housing is defined as housing without additional supports. This is in contrast to supportive housing, assisted living, or long-term care that provide services in addition to housing.

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