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(Music plays)
(Visual: Sun shining on the exterior of Storeys Tower.)
Howard: Storeys Tower here in Richmond is a residential facility and complex.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
(Visual: Howard Blank
Storeys Advocate)
Howard: That meets the needs of a number of different organizations, and these organizations reach out to people with a wide variety of issues, and offer them not only a place to call home, with-with many may not have had that word, a home, for many, many years.
(Visual: Exterior of Storeys Tower, sun shining on tower.)
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: Whether you’re down on your luck, whether you have addiction, or mental health, or medical issues, they can come here to this place, they can pay a fair and equitable rent based on what they earn.
(Visual: Exterior of Storeys Tower, different views, sun shining on tower.)
Howard: And they can continue with their business, and give back in other ways.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: You know, the three ways to give back are time, talent, and treasure. If you don’t have the treasure, you certainly can have the time, and talent. And that’s what Storeys does, is okay, we’re gonna help you out on the treasure point, but will you give back with your time and talent? And you’ll see that people are so grateful, that it’s a wonderful community here.
(Visual: Lovena G. sitting at table by window, interview)
(Visual: Lovena G.
Resident Tikva Housing Society)
Lovena: Right now, in this moment I have a business, I’m having a restaurant in downtown that looks like it’s super successful.
(Visual: Lovena pets a calico cat.)
(Visual: Lovena G. sitting at table by window, interview)
Lovena: But uh we-we’re working hard, and working twelve hours per day, but still not make enough money to support the family.
(Visual: Karim J. sits in front of shelves of library books, interview.)
(Visual: Karim J.
Resident Pathways Clubhouse)
Karim: Even if I did have a full time job, it was-it would probably be at minimum pay, and I don’t think I would be able to afford a regular unit here in Richmond. Not even a bachelor apartment.
(Visual: Karim J. walks along pathway outside apartment building, in front of a garden.)
Karim: I was in a shelter for the homeless, so I came with nothing.
(Visual: Karim J. sits in front of shelves of library books, interview.)
Karim: No friends, family shut me out, no job, no money, nothing.
(Visual: Adam N. sitting at table in front of a window, view of the city below, interview.)
(Visual: Adam N.
Resident S.U.C.C.E.S.S.)
Adam: When I pay higher rent, I will have very little to spend on food.
(Visual: Close up of Canadian flag sitting on table.)
(Visual: Row of hats on shelf with sayings on the brim, closest one says, “peace.”)
Adam: But now, I have more to spend on food, because my rent is lower.
(Visual: Adam N. sitting at table in front of a window, view of the city below, interview.)
Adam: That is not a luxury, it’s a necessity, because I have to eat well. Hm? To stay alive, I’m 80 and over.
(Visual: Sun shining and reflecting off the exterior of Storeys Tower.)
(Visual: Rows of posters illustrating different groups and services available to residents.)
Howard: Not only do you have a roof over your head, but there’s counselling services, there’s programs.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: There’s also the Storeys Café, where you can learn to have a trade in the food and beverage area.
(Visual: White board with a list of people’s names showing various placement positions and their details.)
Howard: There’s a number of opportunities, and that’s the key.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: Truly, success is where preparation meets opportunity, and we have that here at this magnificent Storeys complex.
(Visual: Draigh C. sits in café, in front of lunch counter, interview)
(Visual: Draigh C.
Resident Turning Point Recovery Society)
Draigh: It’s really hard to find a safe place where there’s no drugs. When we’re early in our recovery, just anything can trigger us.
(Visual: Draigh riding his bike down the sidewalk, away from tower, past construction site.)
Draigh: And so if we can stay away from those triggers, then we are stronger in our recovery.
(Visual: Draigh C. sits in café, in front of lunch counter, interview)
Draigh: And this is what Storeys is giving us.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
(Visual: Exterior of Storeys Tower, sun reflecting off building.)
Howard: The most important thing is structure, and this apartment complex, and this retail shop gives people structure.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: And with structure, also enables you to move into your next step, and your next phase.
(Visual: Lovena G. sitting at table by window, interview)
Lovena: I’ve won the lottery. (Laughs)
(Visual: Table and chairs sitting on balcony, view of city beyond.)
(Visual: Shot of apartment kitchen.)
Lovena: It looks beautiful from outside, it’s beautiful from inside.
(Visual: Lovena stands at window, opening blinds.)
(Visual: Lovena stands on balcony, looking out over city)
Lovena: Probably you can see the view, it’s a sunrise and sunset.
(Visual: View of city from balcony)
Lovena: Everything can be in one place, and whole family live together.
(Visual: Wendel K. sits in front of window with a view of the courtyard, interview.)
(Visual: Wendel K.
Resident Coast Mental Health)
Wendel: I’d be living on the street like I was for 16 days. It’s not a long time, 16 days, but uh, it was pretty rough. I became a new person. Overnight. My concept of this place is it helped tremendously become a better person.
(Visual: Karim J. stands next to bulletin board with posters of services available to residents.)
(Visual: Karim J. sits in front of shelves of library books, interview.)
(Visual: Karim J. working on jigsaw puzzle.)
Karim: Work, housing, friends, oh, I don’t know, everything that I have.
(Visual: Karim J. sits in front of shelves of library books, interview.)
Karim: My entire life revolves in this clubhouse here.
(Visual: Karim J. strolls outside apartment building, looking up, view of building.)
(Visual: Karim J. sits in front of shelves of library books, interview.)
Karim: In this few short months, I-I’ve moved from homeless shelter, to this! (Laughs)
(Visual: Shots of building exterior, sun shining)
Howard: The Storeys complex here in Richmond really would not be possible without so many different levels of government, and-and assistance.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: We started out with the federal government, and CMHC Housing, provincially, obviously, government, and the Ministry of Health, and some of the other ministries. Locally, the city of Richmond, Malcolm Brodie, and the amazing people on city council, and the staff at the City of Richmond. And then of course, our amazing partners here. Whether it be S.U.C.C.E.S.S., whether it be Turning Points, whether it be Coast Health.
(Visual: Shots of exterior of building, sky reflected in windows.)
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: All of these amazing organizations have come together to build the Storeys facility, and of course, this café.
(Visual: Shots of exterior of building)
Howard: That’s what Storeys is all about. It’s nondescript, it’s right here in Richmond, it could be anywhere, because it’s so needed across this province.
(Visual: Howard Blank sitting at desk, interview.)
Howard: And this is a great step forward in helping changing lives in British Columbians.
(Music plays)
(Tikva logo, Turning Point logo, Pathways Clubhouse logo, Coast Mental Health logo, CMHC/SCHL logo, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. logo)
(Music ends)
(Fade to black)
February 5, 2018
The team behind the Storeys housing complex in Richmond, BC had a vision for something beyond a simple housing development. Their goal was to create a community of belonging for everyone who would come to call it home.
Storeys is a 129-unit building that provides affordable rental housing and support services for some of the area’s most vulnerable residents. It’s the result of a unique partnership between 3 levels of government and 5 non-profit organizations: Coast Mental Health, Pathways Clubhouse, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Tikva Housing Society and Turning Point Housing Society.
“This complex meets the needs of a number of organizations reaching out to people with a wide variety of issues,” says long-time Storeys advocate Howard Blank. “Whether you are down on your luck, have an addiction, mental health or medical issues, people can come here and pay a fair and equitable rent based on what they earn. People are so grateful. It’s a wonderful community.”
Tikva Housing Society, a non-profit helping working-age Jewish low-income adults and families access safe, affordable housing, introduced Lovena G. to Storeys. “I have a restaurant downtown,” she explains. “Everything looks like it’s super successful. We’re working hard and working 12 hours per day, but still not making enough money to support the family. Here, I feel like I have won the lottery. It looks beautiful from the outside and from the inside, and my whole family lives here together.”
Resident Adam N. came in through S.U.C.C.E.S.S., an organization that provides services and outreach programs for seniors. The new home has made a big difference in his daily life. “Now I have more to spend on food because my rent is lower,” he explains. “That is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
Resident Draigh C. came to Storeys through Turning Point Housing Society, and it’s helping him win his fight against addiction. “When we’re early in our recovery, anything can trigger us,” says Draigh. “If we can stay away from those triggers, then we are stronger in our recovery — and this is what Storeys is giving us."
This project received funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Province of British Columbia through the Canada–B.C. Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement. It was also made possible thanks to contributions from the City of Richmond, Coast Mental Health, Pathways Clubhouse, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Tikva Housing Society and Turning Point Housing Society.
