Supportive & Affordable Housing: how the Church can play a role

Thursday, January 12, 2023 12:30 PM 12:30
Thursday, February 2, 2023 2:30 PM 14:30

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Supportive & Affordable Housing: How The Church Can Play A Role

Thursdays: January 12, 19, 26 & February 2 2023
1:30 - 3pm ET

in collaboration with Indwell

In communities all across Canada, we see a startling increase in visible homelessness. Supportive housing, that’s also truly affordable, is generally accepted as the foundation for all other recovery: health (mental and physical), financial, relational, etc. Many churches in Canada are exploring involvement with affordable housing for a variety of reasons including having surplus land, growing or shrinking ministry.

Join us for this four-part practical equipping series with Indwell, a Christian affordable supportive housing charity. Together, we'll share stories, explore practical examples and draw on Indwell's varied experiences in working with churches to create and operate over 1,000 homes in southern and southwestern Ontario.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

January 12 - Let's reclaim the church’s mandate: care for the least of these with Jeff Neven

This week, Jeff will walk through the complex problem of homelessness afflicting too many of our neighbours. What is driving the recent increase of unhoused people living in almost every Canadian community? What has been the historic role of the church, and can we reclaim some of that today?

January 19 - Our church is discerning our role with the least: but how can we be meaningfully involved? with Dallas Friesen

Churches are comprised of compassionate people that want to make a difference. How can a church community collaboratively discern next steps and then take those next steps? We will explore how to actively identify and remove barriers that might keep us from making a meaningful impact.

January 26 - Social costs and benefits of creating supportive housing in proximity to a church with Jess Brand

Social determinants of health are the sometimes un-noticed factors on our, and our community's, health and wellness. They can also influence decisions churches make on how to function and with whom. Using a tool she developed in training new Indwell staff, Jess will illustrate how we can consider our role as churches and as Jesus followers in the wellness of our communities.

February 2 -From vision to reality: the nuts and bolts of creating affordable housing with Graham Cubitt

Drawing from his nearly 20-years experience with Indwell, Graham will share four (or more) case studies demonstrating how churches have been partnering to create hope and supportive homes.

Expert Presenters

Featured

Jeff Neven is Indwell’s CEO and has been with Indwell for 21 years, first as a volunteer board member and a year later joining our staff team. Jeff and Maria and their four children, live in Hamilton’s east end, not too far from several Indwell buildings. Together with others they helped to plant New Hope Church, which meets at Indwell’s Perkins Centre. Jeff loves meeting new people, bicycles and pick-up basketball. Jeff holds a Masters of Social Work with a focus on Community, Planning, Policy and Organizations.

Dr. Dallas Friesen has served as People Developer at Indwell for nearly two years. He provides leadership in the areas of training, leadership development, spiritual care and organizational culture. He has 10+ years of experience pastoring, with his wife Leanne Friesen, at Mount Hamilton Baptist Church. He also spent six years in a denominational role developing resources, coaching leaders, and consulting with churches in the areas of leadership development, church revitalization and church planting. Dallas and Leanne live on the central Hamilton mountain with their two teenage children.

Jess Brand has worked for Indwell for 12 years and has been active in church mission and church planting in Hamilton for 20 years. Community engagement with her church in Hamilton’s East end is what drew Jess into working with Indwell. As Regional Manager for Indwell in Hamilton, Jess supports Indwell’s programs here and leads direction for future programs and initiatives. In her role she has lived the ins and outs of supportive housing blended with churches, both in personal and professional experience. Jess and her husband Tim and their three kids are part of New Hope Community Church, who meet in an Indwell building, with many tenants as members.

Graham Cubitt is the President of Flourish, a social purpose non-profit development services company supporting affordable housing development. Graham has overseen the housing development for over 1000 households in southern Ontario through his role as Director of Projects and Development with Indwell, with another 1,200 homes in construction and planning phases with various organizations. Flourish's approach to affordable housing focuses on creating vibrant, livable communities where people can thrive. Graham is also a Canadian leader in Passive House multi-residential design strategies, having overseen numerous certified projects since 2016. Graham is actively helping communities to realize that high-value, cost-effective and sustainable affordable housing with supports is possible when people work together for shared long-term benefits. Graham and his wife Emma are active in St. John the Evangelist Anglican parish in Hamilton, as well as various neighbourhood ventures.

Register

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