Bringing people together in urban neighbourhood : A place-based approach of social integration

1. Bringing people together in urban neighbourhood: A place-based approach of social integration Miu Chung Yan, Ph.D. University of British Columbia School of Social Work

2. Settlement House • Toynbee Hall (1848), London East End, traditionally the immigrant and poor area • A place-based approach – neighbourhood level • Machinery of connection: brought wealthy university students and volunteers to impoverished neighbourhood to serve the residents.

3. Settlement House in N. America • 1886, Neighbourhood Guild (University Settlement), NYC • 1889, Hull House in Chicago (Jane Addams) • 1910, 400 settlement houses in the US • 1894, Arrived Toronto and Vancouver • All in immigrant concentrated areas • Many have been renamed to neighbourhood houses/centres

4. Settlement House & Social Integration Jane Addams: Hull House was soberly opened on the theory that the dependence of classes on each other is reciprocal; and that as the social relation is essentially a reciprocal relation, it gives a form of expression that has peculiar value. A community organizer in San Francisco: [NH/C] is not a problem- oriented organization. … . [I]t provides something positive for people to do instead of people staying in their own little world closed at home, and so it’s a nice way also to create links. Yan, M. C., & Lauer, S. (2008).

5. How NH Connect People? • An hub in impoverished neighbourhood: stable physical structure, “institutional proximity” >> • An open and inclusive space >> • Bridging people by servicing • Multiple and flexible services for all ages >> • Volunteer opportunity: networking and asset building >> • Intercultural solidarity through clubs and events >> • Community organizing • Coalition building and coordination >> • Inclusive platforms for various community interests >>

6. Neighbourhood House: Vancouver Low income immigrant in Vancouver, 2001 • Vancouver East • Downtown Eastside NH • Kiwassa NH • Frog Hollow NH • Mt Pleasant NH • Cedar Cottage NH • Collingwood NH • Little Mountain NH • South Vancouver NH • Vancouver West • Gordon NH • Kitsilano NH

7. Neighbourhood Centre: SF • NeighbourhoodCentres: • Telegraph Hill NH • Donaldina Cameron House • Richmond District NC • Booker T. Washington Community Service Center • Mission NC • Potrero Hill Neighborhood House • Bernal Height NC • IT Bookman Community Center • Visitacion Valley Community Center <<

8. Open and Inclusive Space A key informant in Vancouver: So I would say the role of the neighborhood house is more to help a mix of the newcomers. … Also I think their [NHs’] role is more to let them [newcomers] know about the resources. Also there are more opportunities [in NHs] for them, should be more opportunities to participate and also kind of contribute to the society. <<

9. Flexible Services << An ED of a NH/C in Vancouver: “Our challenge is to work with communities to develop integrative programs and services that are changing the diverse population.”

10. Volunteerism Probably ninety percent (volunteers) fit your definition of newcomers. This is a place to come and get some labor market experience or experience that relates to the labor market and is transferable. We had about 15 parents who were trained in there. Uh, we had Chinese, Vietnamese, Aboriginal, Indo, South Asian, Filipinos, and many different backgrounds and they went on to become . . . We paid them an honorarium to do some outreach work in the community. The program is called LEAD. I really like the LEAD program because it provides a leadership requirement training for women of immigrant background. But what it does really is a bridging because it speak to people very informally. <<

11. Cultural Events … like in October, we organized a community event which is one of the biggest community events held at our center, which is called the Pumpkin Torch. In that event, we invite school children from the neighborhood, from the community, to join our huge Halloween celebration. And people from different cultural groups, different languages, when they see the pumpkin torch, they all smile, they just have a lot of fun of Halloween, and then they all enjoy the activities. (A frontline worker at a NH in Vancouver) << <<

12. Coalition Building • In San Francisco • Richmond District NC is involved in the Inter-faith Agencies Coalition, which cultivates cross-cultural relationships in the community • Cameron House is part of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Coalition, an advocacy group for female victims • Mission NC is aligned with the Anti-Displacement Coalition, which fights against neighborhood gentrification • In Vancouver, • South Vancouver NH: Safe Harbour program, Sunset Community Literacy Plan • Collingwood NH: Renfrew-Collingwood Multicultural Artist Network • Kitsilano NH: Westside Food Security Collaborative, Westside Seniors Empowerment Coalition <<

13. Conclusion: • In short, a place-based, locally governed, multi-service, community building mechanism. • Notable social invention of the Progressive Era (Putnam), Bringing back settlement house (Husock) • Neighbourhood hub (Toronto), Community Anchor (SF) • However, challenges NH face in performing its social integration function • Lack of public and policy recognition • Funding issues: no core funding, unstable program funding • Lack of research: evidence

14. Acknowledgement: Pictures and photos in this presentation are from Collingwood NH, South Vancouver NH, Mission NCs, Bernal Height NC, Telegraph Hill NC For references used in this presentation, please contact me at miu.yan@ubc.ca. Thanks! Merci!