Without a stable place to live, it’s hard to move forward in life. That’s why Crabtree Corner, a YWCA BC program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, plays such a vital role for women and families. Crabtree Corner provides 12 units of transitional housing for pregnant and parenting women who are overcoming substance use challenges. Pregnant women can stay for up to nine months after giving birth, and mothers working to regain custody of their children can stay for up to 12 months, with supports designed to help families move toward stability and wellness.

Earlier this month, CHF BC sponsored the cost of breakfast, and staff from COHO, the Community Land Trust (CLT), and CHF BC came together to prepare and serve a morning meal for residents of Crabtree Corner and others in the Downtown Eastside. While this was a meaningful team‑building experience, it was also a tangible way to support an organization doing deeply important work with women at a critical moment in their lives.

For those of us working in housing, the experience reinforced something we see every day: housing is most effective when it is paired with wraparound supports. Safe, stable homes—combined with care, connection, and responsive services—create the conditions for dignity, healing, and long‑term stability.

The experience also resonated strongly with the cooperative way of life. Housing co‑ops are built on collective care, mutual support, and a strong sense of community—neighbors looking out for one another and sharing responsibility for the wellbeing of the whole. That same spirit was present at Crabtree Corner, reminding us that housing is not just about buildings, but about relationships and belonging.

Creating opportunities for staff to volunteer together helps connect our day‑to‑day work in housing policy, governance, and operations to the real lives impacted by that work. As we mark International Women’s Month, this felt especially meaningful.

“Housing is about community. In cooperative housing, we see how collective care creates stability and belonging—and volunteering at Crabtree Corner reminded us why that matters, especially for mothers.”
— Michelle Cooper‑Iversen, Chief Operating Officer