The Grand Opening of Sunshine Housing Co-op brought project partners and co-op members together to celebrate the expansion of co-operative housing in Surrey.

Surrey Mayor, Brenda Locke, attended a short press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony alongside representatives from Community Land Trust (CLT), the City of Surrey, Surrey City Development Corporation, TL Housing Solutions, and other project partners.

“Creating a city where everyone matters means ensuring that all residents have access to safe and affordable housing,” said Mayor Locke. “That’s why the City of Surrey is proud to have partnered with BC Housing and Community Land Trust to deliver these much-needed homes at Sunshine Housing Co-op.”

Sunshine Housing Co-op was previously located four blocks away, where their lease had expired in 2023. CLT stepped in to negotiate a new lease nearby. The redeveloped co-op provides a total of 69 units of co-op housing – a net increase of 30 homes – including studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, in a new six-story, wood-framed building, complete with shared amenity spaces and playground.

Existing residents began moving into their new homes this Spring, including David Foulds, who spoke about the benefits of raising his son in a co-op community. David is a co-op board member and long-standing volunteer with Walley Little League. He provided CLT staff with a tour of his new home, which included various awards received as part of his commitment to youth sports.

While David’s children are now adults, there were still plenty of young families who joined the celebratory member lunch, including Pham Hong Vu Truong.

“We are incredibly grateful to be part of this caring community, where the managers are supportive, where the board listens to and respects our voices, where our children can safely play with others in the building, and where we enjoy friendly conversations with our wonderful neighbors,” said new Sunshine Housing Co-op members Pham Hong Vu Truong and Nguyet Bao Tram Do. “We feel lucky and proud to be members of Sunshine Housing Co-op. It is not just a building, but a community where we belong.”

While many new members had only moved in within the past few months, the amenity room was abuzz with a sense of community, with parents entertaining groups of neighbours kids, and members ensuring leftovers were carefully packed into the fridge, with messages shared to neighbours who couldn’t make the lunch hour to stop by for snacks and socialization when they could.

Meanwhile, members were eager to tell CLT staff and partners about their new homes and their appreciation for a revitalized community and an affordable, secure place to call home.

Sunshine Housing Co-op is currently accepting applications for 1- and 3-bedroom homes. Learn more.

From everyone at CHF BC and CLT, thank you to the members of Sunshine Housing Co-op for welcoming us into your community space to celebrate the growth of co-op housing together.