Symposium recap: Living Together 2025
Two-day ‘collective action’ event gathers nearly 200 people to dig into the connections between housing, social health and resilience.
Living Together 2025: Connecting housing, social health and resilience convened nearly 200 housing operators and experts, public health professionals, municipal planners, architects, place-based community organizations, emergency management professionals, senior government policymakers, academics, and students.
Together, we celebrated successes, shared learnings, and identified opportunities and next steps to move closer to a future where more of Canada’s multi-unit housing communities are age-friendly, socially connected, neighbourly, health-promoting and resilient.
Agenda and presentation slides
The two days were jam-packed with new learning and amazing conversation. Thank you to our incredible panelists, hosts, and speakers for making each session informative, inspiring, and engaging.
Take a look at the agenda here:
Living Together 2025 – Symposium Agenda Slides (PDF)
Session descriptions and presentation slides are available below.
Day 1
Opening Plenary: welcoming messages, introducing the agenda, sharing key learnings from Hey Neighbour Collective’s first five years.
Speakers (in order): Michelle Hoar (Hey Neighbour Collective), Elder Syexwaliya (Ann Whonnock), Dr. Rebecca Hasdell (BCCDC), Stacy Barter (Hey Neighbour Collective & Building Resilient Neighbourhoods), and Dr. Meg Holden (SFU Urban Studies)
Day 1 opening plenary presentation – PDF
Breakout sessions
1. From green spaces to connected places: Pathways to more resilient multi-unit homes
Nature-based solutions (NbS) can strengthen neighbourhood resilience, foster social connections and enhance livability. But what will it take to increase adoption on private land— particularly for housing? And how might we intentionally integrate NbS as social infrastructure? In this session, we will explore practical pathways forward, with a focus on retrofits, new builds and redevelopments.
Session host: Leanne Sawatzky (Renewable Cities)
Speaker: Michelle Sawka (ACT – Action on Climate Team)
Backgrounder (PDF) | Infographic (PDF)
2. The role of housing operators as ‘enabling hosts’ and partners
Hear from rental housing operators who are acting as ‘enabling hosts’ of programs and partnerships that foster neighbourly social connections and resilience in multi-unit housing, supporting residents to feel a sense of belonging and engagement as they move through different life stages and phases.
Session host: Keltie Craig (Hey Neighbour Collective)
Speakers: Sherri Crane (Brightside Community Homes Foundation), Francesca Leonzio (Entre Nous Femmes Society), and Scott Stewart (New Chelsea Society)
Presentation Slides
- Sherri Crane, Brightside Community Homes Foundation | Slides (PDF)
- Francesca Leonzio, Entre Nous Femmes Society | Slides (PDF)
- Scott Stewart, New Chelsea Society | Slides (PDF)
3. Age-friendly approaches to building social connections
Explore different approaches to strengthening neighbourly social connections and improving conditions for aging – and thriving – in place. Learn how age-friendly, sociable building design, and resident-engaged programming can help to build informal supports between neighbours and more formal connections to community and health system supports. How might these proven approaches scale for greater health and housing system impacts?
Session host: Anthony Kupferschmidt (City of Vancouver)
Speakers: Dr. Atiya Mahmood (SFU Gerontology), Madeleine Hebert (Happy Cities), Meeka Marsolais (West End Seniors’ Network), and Jenny Konkin (Whole Way House)
Presentation Slides
- Dr. Atiya Mahmood, Hey Neighbour Collective and SFU Gerontology | Slides (PDF)
- Madeleine Hebert, Happy Cities | Slides (PDF)
- Meeka Marsolais, West End Seniors’ Network (WESN) | Slides (PDF)
- Jenny Konkin, Whole Way House | Slides (PDF)
4. Building momentum for policy change through partnerships and collaboration
Learn about two different collaborations that are building momentum for policy change: CEOs of non-market housing collaborating with community organizations and researchers to build a new model for ‘independent seniors housing plus,’ and local governments co-creating sociable design policy for new multi-unit housing. Explore the power of multi-sector partnerships and collaboration to shift systems.
Session host: Michelle Hoar (Hey Neighbour Collective)
Speakers: Jenny Konkin (Whole Way House) and William Azaroff (Brightside); Madeleine Hebert (Happy Cities), and Renee de St. Croix (City of Coquitlam)
Presentation Slides
- Madeleine Hebert and Renee de St. Croix | Slides (PDF)
- Jenny Konkin and William Azaroff | Slides (PDF)
5. Protective social infrastructure: the role of neighbourly social connections and mutual support for health and climate resilience
Everyone appreciates having neighbours they can easily ask for simple favours, or turn to during emergency situations. This kind of “social infrastructure” has been proven to help keep people safer in their homes as they age, when they’re experiencing health challenges, and during climate-related extreme weather events by giving them rapid, nearby support they can rely on. Hear how four different initiatives are intentionally encouraging and fostering neighbourly connections and communities of mutual support in multi-unit residential buildings.
Session hosts: Ame-Lia Tamburrini and Ana Mendez (Building Resilient Neighbourhoods)
Speakers: Magda Szpala (BC Housing), Sarah Hunn (City of Vancouver), Ksenia Stepkina (Good Neighbour Kitsilano), and Stacy Barter (Building Resilient Neighbourhoods/Hey Neighbour Collective)
Day Two
Opening plenary: welcome message, sharing themes from day one, instructions for day two work
Day 2 opening plenary presentation – PDF
Panels
Moderator: Michelle Hoar
Panel #1: Opportunities for collective impact and action
Speakers: Trevor Norris (Aboriginal Housing Management Association), Opreet Kang (Urban Land Institute of BC), Dr. Meg Holden (SFU Urban Studies)
Panel #2: Opportunities for collective impact and action
Speakers: Michelle Cooper-Iversen (Co-operative Housing Federation of BC), Dr. Rebecca Hasdell (BC Centre for Disease Control), Claudine Matlo (West End Seniors’ Network)
Poster Presentations
The symposium also highlighted poster presentations showcasing exciting research and evaluation work underway by partners at SFU and Building Resilient Neighbourhoods..
Take a look at the four featured posters below.
Building Connections in Multi-Unit Housing: Scoping Review of Factors Influencing Social Interaction that Foster Aging in the Right Place
Presenter: Jean Ramirez Echavarria
Sociability and pro neighbouring behaviours in community housing: Findings from the 2023 -2024 resident well being survey
Presenters: Sreya Ajay and Olivia Tomlinson
Creating multi-unit housing environments that are age-friendly, socially connected, resilient, affordable, and inclusive
Presenters: Kishore Seetharaman and Tara Fernando
Hey Neighbour Collective: Highlights from our first five years
Presenters: Ana Mendez, Gagan Leekha, Stacy Barter, and Michelle Colussi
The symposium in action
Thank you to David and Dustin from Debrief Communications for capturing the energy in each of the rooms.
We’re putting the finishing touches on some key materials, including the attendee videos and calls to action. Check back soon or subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when they’re ready!
Thank you to our co-hosts, sponsors and funders
Session co-hosts
Gold sponsor
Silver sponsor
Bronze sponsors
Funders
