Feature on Forbes.com describes the company as “new and innovative” and “offering a tangible solution” to the climate and housing crisis.
Kindred Works was created as an independent company by The United Church of Canada (UCCan) to repurpose their properties as a response to Canada’s housing crisis. Church properties are developed and managed as beautiful, sustainable, and attainable rental housing and shared spaces, built to meet broad community needs and promote sustainability.
The Forbes article, written by Afdhel Aziz, co-founder of Conspiracy of Love and Good is the New Cool, notes that Kindred Works has 25 active projects in progress across Canada, some of which preserve the heritage church building on the site. These represent more than 3,000 new two- and three-bed rental units. Another 5,000 units are in the planning stages. Essentially, Kindred Works is building a portfolio of mixed-income rental housing and gathering spaces across the country, with a goal to create homes for 34,000 people in the next 15 years.
“This model of housing doesn’t address the most vulnerable, but it keeps middle income families from falling into housing insecurity, and frees up affordable housing for those who need it most,” says Moderator The Right Rev. Carmen Landsdowne. “As a family who has lost housing in the secondary rental market more than once in the past decade, which was stressful for us as parents but really stressful on our children, I’m especially grateful for Kindred Works creating more two- and three-bedroom units, which is so desperately needed in the secured rental market.”
This model provides much-needed housing to Canadians while addressing the key challenges of affordability, climate, safety, and inclusivity.
Moderator Carmen Lansdowne stated, “I am so pleased that Kindred Works is pushing the boundaries of the status quo, which really doesn’t think about the end user—the renter,” she says, adding “Creating a business model that seeks a triple bottom line of housing justice, climate resilience, and corporate growth will be good for the Canadian housing market. It’s a bold move, one that dares to say ‘we can do better,’ which is exactly the type of investment The United Church of Canada should be making.”
Find out more about Kindred Works projects across Canada.