Giving Back

Looking back over all of our years of successful real estate development and construction, nothing makes us more proud than the responsible, compassionate business we’ve created: one where the phrase “everybody wins” isn’t just a fancy marketing slogan or catch-phrase, but rather a promise to each other and the global community. And we keep our promises. We’ve been an ongoing supporter of the SOS Children’s Village BC, a local housing program for children in need across British Columbia.

But that wasn’t enough – we took our commitment to this important cause a step further in launching our own charity: The Housing Solutions Foundation. This foundation is dedicated to facilitating, building and providing funding assistance for affordable and non-market housing alternatives throughout the province.

Kla-how-eya Housing and Social Enterprise Project “Clayton Neighbourhood Family Complex”

“Everybody wins…” It is our the credo at the Treegroup Developments Corporation, and this time around it is the lower income citizens of the East Clayton area of Surrey, BC, and more specifically the local Aboriginal community, who win. As part of our pledge to provide socially responsible and compassionate development that benefits both the local and global communities, we are proud to be the main partner, facilitator and developer of a new non-market housing and commercial enterprise, the Kla-how-eya Housing and Social Enterprise Project, also known as “Clayton Neighbourhood Family Complex.”

Treegroup already has a proud history of supporting social enterprises – we are long-time supporters of SOS Children’s Village BC (a program and housing provider for various groups of youth in need). So after serendipitously meeting executives from the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Society – the recognized and credible organization supporting the health and economic well-being of aboriginal people that is sponsoring the project – Treegroup’s charitable arm, the Housing Solutions Foundation, agreed to donate 2 acres of land on which to build. The success of this innovative, mixed-use project will assure many aboriginal families, as well as other groups in need, will be able to grow, thrive and work in an independent, safe and supportive environment.

That 2 acres will soon be developed into a 60-unit, affordable, family neighborhood housing complex, with on-site services and supports. It will also encompass at least 18,000 square feet of office/commercial space in a social enterprise model. This combination will provide a critical link to education, health, economic development and employment for those who otherwise could not afford to live and work in this neighbourhood.

Some other features of this project are: 

• Street access to one-stop programs/services/information resources including outreach services, as a satellite of housing and homelessness services and programs of Kla-how-eya and other community stakeholders;
• Entrepreneurial training and pre-employment training provided on-site;
• Up to 60 affordable and accessible childcare spaces;
• A café and bistro with catering capacities that will be open to the general public, with the intent of hiring under-skilled/unemployed individuals, training them in all areas of operations and service employment;
• Live/Work space including at least 6 art/work studios.

Toward enhancing lifestyles and housing choice, this project brings needed affordable housing to East Clayton and will promote “inclusion” rather than “exclusion” by allowing diverse family types and individuals to live and work in this unique new neighbourhood. And it will do so in a manner very much in-step with one of Treegroup’s mottos, “leaving a positive human footprint:” The development will be environmentally friendly by meeting the LEED standards for construction, and by introducing alternative housing tenures and social enterprise into the area.   

This is entirely in keeping with the local community’s own history. East Clayton is an award winning sustainable neighbourhood in the central area of Surrey, which offers a blueprint for sustainable development, and is now influencing the development of "lighter, greener, cheaper, smarter, complete communities" throughout the Northwest.

Eco-friendly, affordable housing in a mixed-use development? Indeed, “Everybody wins!”

Construction of this project is expected to commence in 2009.