Neighbourhood Houses

Neighbourhood Houses draws on a five-year study to document and contextualize the neighbourhood house network in Vancouver. Globalization and migration are creating disconnected societies in modern urban cities and urban communities are at risk of becoming fragmented. Nonetheless, the local community is where most aspects of everyday life occur, where people establish their homes and pursue their ambitions. It offers a secure haven in an unpredictable, globalized world.

In this volume, the contributing authors outline the history of the Vancouver neighbourhood house model, its relationship with local government and other organizations in the region, the programs and activities offered, and the experiences of participants. Neighbourhood houses are based on the settlement house movement that began in nineteenth-century England in response to the needs of rootless urban arrivals -- the idea of a locally governed multi-service organization to connect people within their communities is not new. Bringing neighbours and newcomers together, today’s neighbourhood houses are hubs for community development programs and services such as public recreation, child care, health care, and adult literacy classes.

Neighbourhood Houses demonstrates that place-based community organizations can provide an antidote.