Join Jennifer Chutter, PhD, for a virtual talk about how a group of homeowners (SPOTA) developed the Strathcona Area Housing Society to construct and sell new affordable housing.
In Vancouver’s civic history, the Strathcona Property Owner’s and Tennant’s Association (SPOTA) is known for stopping the freeway from demolishing their neighbourhood. This event is only a small fraction of what they accomplished in preserving their neighbourhood. As part of their neighbourhood rehabilitation aims, SPOTA incorporated a not-for-profit housing development corporation called the Strathcona Area Housing Society (SAHS) to construct and sell new affordable housing for low-income families. They were not architects, developers, or urban planners by training, but instead were guided by the unwavering belief that low-income residents had a right to remain in place and should not be pushed out to the margins of the city to find affordable shelter that met the needs of multi-generational living arrangements. Between 1973-1984, the SAHS developed five phases of different housing options on empty lots within the neighbourhood boundaries. This presentation discusses the rich archival material found at the City of Vancouver Archives and the trials and tribulations of the construction of the SAHS housing projects.
https://jenniferchutter.com
Images: City of Vancouver Archives - searcharchives.vancouver.ca
Opening image adapted from "View of Strathcona neighbourhood facing north" [1971-1973] - AM734-S4-: 2009-008.52
Images from AM734 Strathcona Property Owners and Tenants Association fonds
