The Burning Hearts Housing Cooperative

We're dreaming about building co-operative housing on southern Vancouver Island. 

This will be both a hub for intentional community as well as a place for the flourishing of the common good!

We believe that cooperative housing is one tangible step we can take to address our current 'poly-crisis' - to build housing that is collectively-owned rather than market-based and which seeks to challenge the epidemics of loneliness, affordability and climate catastrophe.  

We have a strong vision for this; an adapting and evolving business plan, a core group of members with some seed equity, a legally registered housing co-op structure (The Burning Hearts Housing Co-op) - and, most importantly - a desire to make this happen!  We've been working on this for about 8 years.  We've had a few setbacks including Covid and some near misses in securing a building or a piece of land to do this - but we're more excited and determined than ever.

Perhaps you have or know a piece of land or a multi-family building in southern Vancouver Island that could be obtained with a below-market sale, a donation or a favourable long-term lease?

AND We’re also very open to partnering with others! If you're part of a faith-based, neighbourhood, eco-justice, queer and/or Indigenous group who might be interested in building some housing together in partnership, please do let us know. 

We're guided by the principles of the co-op movement, land trusts and #LandBack - as well as anti-oppression and non-violent and contemplative movements for social change.  

We’re all part of The Emmaus Community - a small, intergenerational, 2SLGBTQIA+ anti-oppressive de-colonizing Christian community.  Our spiritual community is part of both The United Church of Canada and The Anglican Church of Canada - and we welcome others from outside those traditions too!   Inspired by monastics and other intentional communities, we desire to share life in community together - alongside others whose values are compatible with ours.   

We're imagining 5-8 self-contained units for individuals and families in our community (and more units if we're building in a partnership), a large common kitchen for shared meals, a meditation / chapel space and ideally a garden, a library and spaces for hospitality for visitors and guests. If we end up developing new buildings,  our intention is to take care of the earth into deep consideration.

There's a bit more on the vision here.

Drop us a line if you're interested in partnering with us in some way.

Email us at admin@emmauscommunity.ca and lets connect to chat!

images from The Blueberry Commons