Emerging SFU Scholars Reflect on Living Together 2025
Insights from Hey Neighbour’s current group of research assistants.
On May 5th and 6th, 2025, we hosted our second Living Together: Connecting housing, social health, and resilience symposium. This two-day collective action symposium convened nearly 200 attendees from diverse sectors and organizations.
Read more about the symposium here.
As we brainstormed ways to elevate this year’s event, we asked ourselves: what better way than to highlight the work of our emerging scholars? So, we invited our current research assistants to attend the symposium and to share their work through poster presentations.
Currently, our SFU-affiliated research is led by three faculty members: Dr. Meg Holden (Urban Studies), Dr. Meghan Winters (Health Science), and Dr. Atiya Mahmood (Gerontology).
Dr. Atiya Mahmood’s research focuses on aging in the right place, and she is currently leading a “Scoping Review of Factors Influencing Social Interaction that Foster Aging in the Right Place,” in collaboration with graduate research assistant Jean Paul Ramirez and others.
Dr. Meg Holden and Dr. Meghan Winters are working on a project titled “Sociability and Pro-Neighbouring Behaviours in Community Housing: Findings from the 2023–2024 Resident Well-being Survey,” supported by undergraduate research assistant Olivia Tomlinson and graduate research assistant Sreya Ajay. You can take a look at findings from earlier surveys here and here.
Finally, our policy team includes graduate research assistant Kishore Seertharaman and Hey Neighbour Collective’s knowledge communications specialist, Tara Fernando. Guided by project director Michelle Hoar, this team is exploring policy directions “to create multi-unit housing environments that are age-friendly, socially connected, resilient, affordable, and inclusive.”
We applaud our brilliant research leads for paving the way for such impactful work, and our dedicated research assistants for bringing this work to life! Below, you’ll find reflections from Olivia, Jean, Kishore, and Sreya on their experiences at the symposium, things that sparked their curiosity, and connections they made.
Olivia Tomlinson
What were your biggest takeaways from the symposium?
The main thing that really stood out to me was the unity I felt in the room. There were a lot of different sectors represented, but it felt amazing to still be able to relate and build bridges towards ideas that we were all passionate about, like community connectedness and equitable access to resources. My biggest takeaway was the idea of asking who isn’t in the room. Who needs to hear what we have to say that either doesn’t know about our work or who doesn’t agree with it? Who needs to be engaged and whose voice needs elevating? This is an idea that feels tangible and actionable, one that I can carry with me to make sure my work is as inclusive as possible.
My biggest takeaway was the idea of asking who isn’t in the room. Who needs to hear what we have to say that either doesn’t know about our work or who doesn’t agree with it? Who needs to be engaged and whose voice needs elevating?
Did you meet anyone new who sparked your interest or inspired you?
I did! In particular, I was really inspired by Ksenia Stepkina. Her work in forming Good Neighbour Kitsilano was really motivational; speaking with her provided so much knowledge and insights that I feel I can use to do similar work in building grassroots neighbourhood-level communities. In my mid- to long-term plan, I’d like to involve myself in starting a group like this, to organise people at the local level, so I found my talk with her to be very educational.
Is there a topic or idea from the symposium that you’re now curious to explore further?
I’m now really interested in community asset mapping, since I was in the group that was interested in exploring this topic further. Making sure the knowledge needed to improve and succeed is in as many hands as possible provides a strong driving force to see an open-source, community-led database like this succeed. Since I’m interested in quantitative analysis and mapping, this felt a totally natural fit and a way I can use my passion and skills towards something that will help a lot of folks.
Poster Presentations
How did people react to your poster presentation?
People overall reacted very positively! I noticed a lot of people stopping by to read what we had to say and discussing it with those around them. It was lovely to see work that I had put so much time and effort in leading to meaningful conversations between participants.
Did you get any interesting questions or comments?
One question that I didn’t think about was about community engagement and whether more engagement is always a good idea. The person asking shared that they didn’t think increasing community engagement always led to better outcomes. While I generally hold the view that community engagement in this context is never a bad idea, it was thought-provoking, and it made me interrogate why I held the view that I did, leading to me being surer that I held it. This made it a very valuable question in my eyes.
Another question was about how we could control for the unique social dynamics within buildings. This wasn’t something we had the capacity to do in this work, as this wasn’t something that we were measuring, as such. However, it made me really curious to explore this idea in further work, to make our results more robust and to better understand residents’ experiences.
Did you have any insightful conversations?
All the conversations I had about this work felt insightful and meaningful. Several of them underlined that this research is hitting on points that others in this field are curious about. I had a neat conversation with a planner with the City of North Vancouver on the subject of how we approach social spaces, both within buildings and in the broader neighbourhood. We both were really interested in changing how we approach the use of spaces, from a prescriptive approach (making spaces for activities) and towards a supportive approach (constructing spaces that can support free and shifting use of spaces between and within communities over time).
Kishore Seetharaman
What were your biggest takeaways from the symposium?
The importance of multi-sectoral collaboration for fostering social connections and resilience in multi-unit residential buildings was what really struck me. It was refreshing to see stakeholders from different sectors seeing eye to eye on the issues that are at the centre of the Collective’s work.
Did you meet anyone new who sparked your interest or inspired you?
I spoke to Rebeca Robles, the Community Services Coordinator at New Chelsea Society, which I believe is a position that was recently created specifically to support capacity building and resident-led programming. It’s great to see the community coordinator position being recognized as an essential part of social housing – this reflects what the literature on social programming for community development in multi-unit residential buildings suggests as best practice.
It was refreshing to see stakeholders from different sectors seeing eye to eye on the issues that are at the centre of the Collective’s work.
Is there a topic or idea from the symposium that you’re now curious to explore further?
Definitely the issue of scaling up grassroots site-specific social connection programs. This was raised in a presentation by a representative from BC Housing where they are looking at scaling up the Floor Connectors System program in Steve’s Manor in Kitsilano to other BC Housing sites. (Read more about this program below.)
Poster Presentations
How did people react to your poster presentation?
There were a couple people that stopped to look at the poster while I was standing next to it. There was an overall interest in knowing what the literature had to say about social programming in MURBs and recognition of the timeliness of this work.
Did you get any interesting questions or comments?
I got the sense that people were curious to know the findings although the poster was meant to make people aware of the work in progress. I mentioned to people that the knowledge synthesis document will be coming out later in the summer, which was met with curiosity and anticipation.
Did you have any insightful conversations?
It was good to hear people confirm and resonate with the emerging recommendations included in the poster, particularly the importance of dedicated funding for community development in multi-unit housing sites.
Jean Paul Ramírez Echavarría
What were your biggest takeaways from the symposium?
The symposium was a great event. I really appreciated the opportunity to connect with housing providers, community representatives, researchers, policymakers, and others working across the housing sector. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of involving people with lived experience—or building champions—to help foster engagement and social connection. It’s often much easier for individuals who already have established relationships within their community to engage with their neighbours than for top-down policies to create that same sense of connection.
We should be leveraging that kind of social capital and making sure we’re working with the people who actually need and use these supports. This is especially true when it comes to older adults. The concept of a building champion makes a lot of sense—someone who knows the space, understands the people, and is tuned in to their needs. It’s just as important to have advisory committees that include those directly affected, so that the voices shaping programs and strategies are the ones living the experience.
Did you meet anyone new who sparked your interest or inspired you?
I was absolutely amazed by the Indigenous elder, Syexwaliya, Ann Whonnock, who gave the land acknowledgment. Her wisdom and deep knowledge of the lands we currently live on, which Indigenous communities have protected and cared for since time immemorial, reminded me of the importance of staying grounded and recognizing what others have endured. Her speech, the prayer, and the sense of connection she created were incredibly powerful.
She also shared a beautiful metaphor that linked Star Wars with Indigenous teachings. She described “the Force” as the energy of the universe that moves through our bodies, and how it can be used for good or harm—for kindness, healing, and support, or for destruction. It was a meaningful moment, especially given our conversations about social connection and engagement. I believe that Indigenous teachings can inform better housing solutions that reflect individuals’ specific needs and support true community integration.
Is there a topic or idea from the symposium that you’re now curious to explore further?
We talked a lot about the concept of polycrisis and “multi-solving”—how the housing crisis is a complex, multi-sectoral issue that intersects with many areas of society. It can’t be addressed by just one sector alone. That’s why it’s essential to collaborate across different fields, including health care, policymaking, government, and research. Working together is the only way to develop solutions that truly support those affected by the housing crisis.
I believe that Indigenous teachings can inform better housing solutions that reflect individuals’ specific needs and support true community integration.
Poster Presentations
How did people react to your poster presentation?
I would dare say that people really enjoyed my poster presentation. It featured some interesting results from the scoping review, highlighting factors that can influence social interaction to support Aging in the Right Place. People stopped to read it carefully, and I noticed several taking photos, so I’d call that a great success! I also think the “Looking Forward” section drew a lot of attention, especially the part about identifying strategies to secure long-term funding for diverse social programs, community-engaged initiatives, and housing services overall.
Did you get any interesting questions or comments?
Yes, people asked about what the social justice lens involved in the scoping review and about the methodology, since it was such a complex filtering process. We went from over 2,000 texts to just 21 that fit our research criteria. There was also strong interest in the concept of Aging in the Right Place and how it connects with the overall theme of the symposium, which focused on connection and social integration in housing.
Did you have any insightful conversations?
One of the attendees approached me, and we talked about how the layout of multi-unit housing can either hinder or support socialization. For example, she mentioned that the lobby in her own building served as a great center for social interaction. Some of the casual encounters she had there had grown into meaningful, long-lasting friendships. It was an interesting conversation about how intentional architecture and urban planning can make connection possible.
Sreya Ajay
What were your biggest takeaways from the symposium?
One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of an intersectional approach to housing, highlighted by the diverse group of practitioners present. It’s clear that we aren’t lacking research, but rather need more consolidated and intentional advocacy. This collective, intersectional lens is crucial for building resilient housing and supporting resident well-being in the face of ongoing challenges like pandemics and climate change. As a student, it was invaluable to connect with so many different housing and health professionals in one place and learn about their work.
Did you meet anyone new who sparked your interest or inspired you?
It was inspiring to learn about Whole Way House and witness the tangible positive impact of their model on residents’ health through consistent tenant services and programs. While there are conversations about how to ensure socialising and make residents more active in neighbouring, it was powerful to see such clear evidence supporting the need to embed social programming within housing policy for safe and dignified living.
Connecting with other students pursuing similar research and sharing our work was also a valuable experience.
It’s clear that we aren’t lacking research, but rather need more consolidated and intentional advocacy.
Is there a topic or idea from the symposium that you’re now curious to explore further?
I’m particularly interested in the idea that surfaced about creating a data hub for housing-related research. Seeing the vast amount of knowledge present highlighted the significant value such a centralized resource could offer.
