The ongoing success of Unity Housing is the perfect tribute to its founder, John Hatfull.
John had a vision of a new type of housing for people with mental health diagnoses, where the residents share responsibilities for day-to-day tasks and make decisions about their shared living space as a democratic unit.
His motivation was simple: to overcome the isolation experienced by people with mental illness.
John’s concept was to bring residents together into a socially connected community where people could mentor and support each other. That connection brings well-being and clear health benefits.
In a 2019 video documentary, John reported that the idea for this model came from his frustrations at finding a place of his own.
“Years and years ago I was here without family, I didn’t have many friends,” he said. “I would walk around Vancouver and I would look at the houses and I would wonder what it was like to live in these houses.”
In 1991 he received a grant to form the member-directed Unity Housing, with PHS Community Services Society providing administrative support. The program is still on-going. Unity Housing is currently run out of five inconspicuous rented houses that house 20 people. This is how it works:
PHS Senior Manager of Programs Russ Maynard notes that John’s vision was geared to bring residents out of their rooms and into the community.
“I worked a lot with John and got to know him very well,” he said. “He wanted to have the houses run like they would with any group of people coming together and taking care of each other. That was his vision.
“There’s only one staff member at Unity, but it works because the members themselves are running their households. And residents are mixing and socializing together.”
He said Unity’s success is highlighted by the fact that the original members are still there, aging in place, as well as being joined by newer participants over the years.
John Hatfull died last May on his 78th birthday. His dedication and spirit are celebrated by us and the wonderful community he helped create.
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