News & Updates
New Resource Added - Land for the Many
WORKSHOPS: Financial Aspects of Renting, Leasing & Owning Space
The Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative, in partnership with the City of North Vancouver, Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Nanaimo and Victoria, is offering a series of capacity building workshops for nonprofit and social enterprise organizations in those municipalities.
If you are in a leadership position of a nonprofit or a social enterprise and would like to know more about how to avoid paying extra expenses in your rental, leasing or licensing agreements, then please apply today! Application deadlines are this Monday, November 25 for the Nanaimo workshop, and Friday November 29th for all other workshops.
For more information and to apply to attend a workshop, go to https://www.socialpurposerealestate.net/events/RLO_Workshops
City of North Vancouver joins the SPRE Table
SPRE is delighted to welcome the City of North Vancovuer to the Social Pupose Real Estate Collaborative. CNV joins the cities of Vancouver, Surry, Richmond, Victoria and Nanaimo--all areas of the Province facing affordablity issues that significantly impact the ablity of non profits and social enterprises to do their amazing and vital work.
In all the SPRE Table now numbers nineteen funders and investors committee to mitigating the impacts of the real estate market on non profits and social enterprises and helping them with their real estate needs.
Who is SPRE?
BC Housing – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – Canadian Heritage – Central City Foundation – City of North Vancouver, Nanaimo, Richmond, Surrey, Victoria & Vancouver (Housing, Social Policy & Culture) – Community Impact Real Estate Society – Community Land Trust – Metro Vancouver – Real Estate Foundation of BC – Renewal Partners – Vancity Community Foundation & Credit Union
CapacityBuild to work with SPRE on the RENT LEASE OWN Research Study
The Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative (SPRE) and the Real Estate Institute of BC (REIBC) are pleased to announce that CapacityBuild Consulting has been selected for the RENT – LEASE – OWN: Understanding the Real Estate Challenges Affecting the Non-profit/Social Purpose Sector research study. CapacityBuild has distinguished themselves as leaders in the non-profit/social purpose finance and real estate sectors over the course of a decade of work in BC and across Canada.
RENT – LEASE – OWN is a major study looking at the impacts of the real estate market on non-profits and social enterprises. A joint project of REIBC and SPRE, with participation by the Cities of Nanaimo, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria, RENT LEASE OWN is supported by The Real Estate Foundation of BC, BC Housing, Vancity, the Land Economics Society– Vancouver Chapter, the Community Impact Real Estate Society, City of Victoria, REIBC, and SPRE members. For more information: https://www.socialpurposerealestate.net/RLO2019.
Land Economics Society joins REFBC, Vancity and others in supporting "Rent Lease Own"
With gratitude to all the funders, SPRE welcomes the Land Economics Society - Vancouver Chapter to the funding team supporting the upcoming research study, Rent - Lease - Own: Understanding the Real Estate Challenges Affecting the Nonprofit / Social Purpose Sectors.
Rent - Lease - Own is a project of the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative working with our awesome partners the Real Estate Institue of BC. Current funders include: Real Estate Foundation of BC, BC Housing, Vancity, Community Impact Real Estate Society and Land Economics Society LAI - Vancouver Chapter.
Interested in supporting this ground breaking research into social purpose real estate? Don't hesitate to get in touch! SPRE Collaborative@gmail.com.
Vancouver Island Joins the SPRE Table with Victoria and Nanaimo - New SPRE members!
Affordablity is not just a Vancouver issue. That has been the case for some time--with challenges for community space, non profits and social enterprises creeping upwards through the Sea to Sky and Sunshine Coast regions, outwards through Metro Vancouver, and now over to Vancouver Island. Joining the Table this Fall are the cities of Victoria and Nanaimo--champions for thinking about these issues in the Island context. SPRE is thrilled to have their perspective and energy added to the already dynamic group of leaders at the SPRE Table seeking to mitigate the impacts of the real estate market on non profits and social enterprises.
Welcoming the Community Land Trust to the SPRE Collaborative
SPRE is delighted to welcome another new member to the Collaborative Table, bringing total Collabortive members to 18! Like BC Housing and CMHC, the Community Land Trust has a housing focus, but seeks to nest that within a larger spectrum of affordable, suitable space for community. SPRE is not a 'housing - primary' Collaborative, but with our shared learning action approach, are able to break down silos and look at social purpose real estate from a complex, holistic and inclusive perspective. SPRE members work together to make a difference for non profits and social enterprises, and ultimately for the communities they serve. Welcome CLT and all of the recent new members to SPRE!!
NEW SPRE Collaborative Members -- Metro Vancouver & City of Surrey
The SPRE Collaborative is delighted to welcome Metro Vancouver and the City of Surrey Planning & Development & Parks, Recreation, Culture to the Table. SPRE now numbers 16 organziational members and over 30 individual representatives from our estemed groups of funders and investors. Check them out on our "About" page!
Social Purpose Real Estate (and SPRE) featured in REIBC's quarterly journal INPUT
JUST RELEASED Building Community with Partnershipsin the Real Estate Institute of BC's INPUT Quarterly Publication on Land & Real Estate Issues in BC, Summer 2019, Vol 47, Number 2. With articles by Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative (SPRE) member & Central City Foundation's Jennifer Johnstone, SPRE's Project Director Jacquie Gijssen, Catalyst Community Development Society's Robert Brown, Stephanie Allen of BC Housing and others. A comprehensive look at the social purpose real estate sector in BC.
Bank of England's Chief Economist Highlights Importance of Voluntary Sector
Andy Haldane: ‘We have allowed the voluntary sector to wither,’ The Guardian, 2019. With the premise that the Voluntary (Social Purpose) Sector is going to lead society through the fourth industrial revolution, it's time to invest in real estate to ensure they can deliver.