It all started with this: the construction of a new social housing building owned and operated by PHS Community Services Society and BC Housing that will be called “Alexander Street Community”. Dossier saw an opportunity to address the stigma surrounding the complex interaction between Railtown’s business community and Strathcona’s social housing and services community. The Railyard team in collaboration with Dossier proceeded to host several brainstorm sessions to come up with a project idea that raises awareness, transfers knowledge and is engaging.

All of us (the members of the Railyard team) have grown up in sheltered and safe environments with supportive families and friends: all the ingredients to achieve a successful lifestyle and career. We, like the majority of people in Vancouver, see homelessness as a disappointing problem; we feel uncomfortable walking around East Hastings and we find it hard to interact with Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) community members. This perception and attitude towards homelessness has encouraged gentrification of the DTES, which is defined as “a shift in an urban community toward wealthier residents and/or businesses and increasing property values”, it is happening left, right and centre and is causing the displacement of long-time community residents. Many people think that gentrification is a good thing, that the neighbourhood is being “cleaned-up” and that “the city is becoming more livable”. This is a problem because for DTES community members, this is their home and they have nowhere else to go; by “cleaning up” the DTES we are increasing property value, constraining the population even further and effectively taking away a population’s neighbourhood and therefore their livelihoods.

Solving complex social problems does not start with pushing the problem out of sight and out of mind, it starts with understanding it and discovering everything you need to know about it.

We started this project with the hopes of benefiting both the residents of social housing at the business professionals of Railtown and bridging our two communities. This is a huge and daunting task that cannot be accomplished solely by four interns at a small Vancouver-based design agency. It requires support, guidance and commitment from both communities. We landed on “Hello, Neighbour”, which will provide all the residents of Alexander Street Community with a welcome package full of unique and special items. This package will kick-off what is planned to be an on-going platform that engages these two diverse communities. We see it as the apple pie you give the new neighbour moving into the house next door: the very first step at beginning a positive relationship.

Our dream is that one day these two communities unify: that we say hello to our neighbours, stop for a conversation and we take time to form a relationship. This will take time and it may never become a reality. Ultimately, that is why we are starting small and we would love to have your support in any shape or form.

Thanks for reading.