Neighbourhood Houses in Metro Vancouver Community Forum 2013

Introduction First systematic study of NHs in Canada Four years, collaborative, funded by SSHRC Research questions: –“How do neighbourhood houses, as place-based, multi-service, community-governed, non-profit organizations, affect social equity, collective efficacy, and inclusion, based on the cases of Metro Vancouver?”

What have we Completed so far? Community Resource Mapping Workshop –Participating NH, N=15, >75 people Network source Mapping Interviews –Participating NH, N=13, >55 people Clearing House Survey –Participating NH, N=15 Skills Learning Workshop –Two workshops on mapping

Preliminary Findings

Community Resource Mapping Emerging Clusters of Ideas –Defining boundary: Users vs. resources Fixed vs. flexible and permeable –Accessibility (barriers; NHs’ role) Physical: cluster and uneven; outreach/extension Economic: cost; cheap and free Cultural: language and knowledge; multilingual, outreach Institutional: fragmented and knowledge; connecting/referring, use of external resources –Challenges & lack of connection Competing interest Funding program policies – can and cannot do Meeting emerging needs

Community Resource Mapping 2 Emerging Clusters of Ideas 2 –Defining mandates: Having specific mandates for vulnerable population in the community particularly seniors Strategies: reactionary, proactive and consistent –Multi-roles of NH as resource in the community Connector (including referring) Meeting place Service providers (particularly the first and the last resort) Collaborators Advocator for community change Enabler (expertise sharing and training) –Partnerships define and are defined by the NH’s role A response to Structural/Systemic Accessibility Strengthening relationships Resource and information exchange (volunteers, expertise)

Clearing House Survey 1 1.Average opening hours per week: 51.2 hour Evening hours” 12.5 (also in need) 2.Top five ethnic groups among service users Chinese (N=14), Southeast Asian & Latin American (N=9), Caucasian (N=7), South Asian (N=6), 3.Funding sources: (Total funding in : $37,346,245) Top: Provincial funding, >$15,000,000, 182 programs Second: Fee, >10,000,000, 135 programs Municipal funding: <3,000,000, 133 programs Over half of the funding are in renewable <3 yr term

Clearing House Survey 2 4.Programs: 83% use of volunteers –Children (158), Family (152), Seniors (137) –Served 209,864 people in

Clearing House Survey 3 5.Volunteers : –>3,672 registered, >15,000 hrs/nh/yr (8.2 FTE), –70% Female, 55% adults –Language: Chinese (N=12), Spanish (N=11), Korean (N=7), Vietnamese & Tagalog (N=6) 6.Board Members: Return rate = 81%, N=128 –Female 65%, years old = 58% –24 languages (English N=15; French N=9; Spanish N=8; Chinese N=5; Hindi N=4) –27% immigrant background –35% former or existing service users, most live or work within the neighbourhood –54% <3 years

Clearing House Survey 4 7.Staff (Total Return N=745, 75.7%) –65% Female; Age: 25-60, 82% –Language: N=53, (English & Chinese N=15, French N=14, Hindi & Spanish N=11) –50% Immigrant background –Service users: 60%, Current/former Residents: 54% –85% college diploma or above Early childhood education (22.8%), Social service related (21.5%), Children and youth service (16.5%), Social work (5.2%) –Employment status: 48% ≥35 hrs/wk, 15.8% managerial level

What are in progress? Archival Study (Dr. Eleanor Stebner) Government-NHs Relationship (Dr. Oliver Schmidtke) Conceptualizing BWIN –Focus groups, N=3, individual interviews, N=10 NH as Community Resources –Focus groups, N=18, (Community Partners and Service Users) Service User Survey Oral History

Six-Month Timeline DecJanFebMarAprMay Archival Study Dr. Stebner >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mainly reviewing archives G-NH Relation Dr. Schmidtke >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ind interviews BWIN Gojjam Limenihe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FGs, interviews NH as Com Res Jenny Francis >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 18 FGs (CP and SU) Service User Survey Dr. Lauer & Maya Reisz >>>>>>>>> N=600 This will the MOST BUSIEST period of data collection. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!

For More Information of the Findings and the Project, Please Visit Our Website: Or Contact Dr. Miu Chung Yan at