More Than A Roof celebrates 20 years

Twenty years ago a group of MCCers had a vision to create low-cost community housing to address urban poverty and homelessness in the greater Vancouver area. More Than a Roof (MTR), the Mennonite Social Housing Society, was born.

Some 150 people attended an anniversary celebration at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver on Feb. 28. The room was electric with the energy and excitement of staff and guests. The panoply of hanging picture murals of the complexes built in downtown Vancouver and one complex as far as Prince George, the stage set of scaffolding draped in colourful fabric and spring tulips on tables all beautifully told the story of “build, create, make a difference!”

“Our purpose is people,” said MTR board chair Patti Penner. “Our end product is hope through housing.”

More Than A Roof has shared the MCC name and has delegates at MCC B.C.’s annual general meeting, but is legally and financially separate. Quite simply, the “baby” outgrew the Mennonite Central Committee financially, as the society has an annual operating budget of some $4 million, and manages assets of just under $20 million through six facilities in the Lower Mainland and Prince George.

MTR marked its anniversary by launching the More Than a Roof Housing Foundation. The Foundation Board plans to use its 20 years expertise in business, entrepeneurship and philanthropy to raise $500,000 this year as seed capital for its first urban homeless housing initiative.

“The alarming trend of increased homelessness combined with the pressures of hosting the Olympics make this a matter of considerable urgency for all,” said executive director Lorne Epp. He also shared with his audience the huge need of housing for those with a mental illness, citing over 800 people waiting for support housing.

MLA Lorne Mayencourt (left) presents More than a Roof Housing Society co-chairs Patti Penner and Helmut Lemke their certificate for the newly-launched housing foundation.

Guest speaker MLA Lorne Mayencourt congratulated More Than a Roof for their significant contribution to ending poverty and helping those at risk of homelessness. “You are a leader, on the cutting edge and in the forefront of non-profit housing,” he stated. A documentary video showed housing projects that have been built, gave insight into the lives of people affected by the provision of low cost housing, and presented the crisis looming because of the dramatic rise in urban homelessness. Street level social workers say numbers have doubled in the last 18 months.

The Society has a staff of 23. For more information, see their web site.

—Vonnie Mostat