Four Pillars Community Housing and Vernon Native Housing Society Partner to Advance a New Model for Non-Profit Housing

VERNON, BC, CANADA, December 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Four Pillars Community Housing CCC Inc. and Vernon Native Housing Society (VNHS) have announced a collaboration aimed at addressing a growing challenge facing Canada’s non-profit housing sector: how to redevelop aging social housing while maintaining affordability and minimizing tenant displacement.

Across British Columbia, more than 30,000 social housing units are reaching the end of their operating agreements with agencies such as CMHC and BC Housing. While these properties are mortgage-free and located on sites with significant redevelopment potential, the expiry of operating agreements also means the loss of housing subsidies, placing financial pressure on non-profit housing providers, particularly those offering Rent Geared to Income (RGI)units.

“Redevelopment of these properties presents a major opportunity for non-profit housing providers to create financially sustainable housing,” said Joseph MacLean, Co-Founder of Four Pillars Community Housing. “However, the biggest challenge remains tenant relocation during redevelopment.”

To address this issue, Four Pillars and VNHS are collaborating on an Interim Residence (IR) model that enables redevelopment while protecting tenants. The model includes purpose-built, mixed-use interim housing that is self-sustaining, as well as a distributed approach where non-profits partner with homeowners to deliver accessory dwelling units or small multiplexes. These units are financed, built, leased, and managed by the non-profit and rented at CMHC-approved affordable rates for a minimum five-year term.

“The non-profit housing sector is evolving,” said Karen Gerein, Executive Director of Vernon Native Housing Society. “Organizations are becoming more entrepreneurial and are developing solutions that can be scaled and adapted by others across the sector.”

The Interim Residence model also creates a pathway for Non-Profit Housing Development Corporations to generate revenue through mixed-use and mixed-income projects, helping to increase the number of affordable and subsidized units over time.

Four Pillars Community Housing and Vernon Native Housing Society are inviting other non-profit housing providers and partners to “ Pull Together” and join them in advancing this model and strengthening long-term housing affordability across British Columbia and beyond.

About Four Pillars Community Housing CCC Inc.
Four Pillars Community Housing CCC Inc. is a non-profit housing development organization focused on creating scalable, financially sustainable housing solutions. Four Pillars works with non-profit housing providers, municipalities, and community partners to unlock redevelopment potential, protect long-term affordability, and build models that reduce reliance on ongoing operating subsidies while increasing the supply of affordable and social housing.

About Vernon Native Housing Society
Vernon Native Housing Society (VNHS) is an Indigenous non-profit housing provider serving the North Okanagan region. VNHS is committed to providing safe, affordable, and culturally supportive housing for Indigenous individuals and families, while advancing innovative approaches that strengthen community well-being, housing stability, and long-term sustainability.

Karen Green
Vernon Native Housing Society
karen.gerein@vernonnativehousing.ca
250-542-2834

Joseph MacLean
Four Pillars Community Housing CCC Inc.
+1 778-835-5801
joseph@fourpillarscommunityhousing.com
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