Neighbourhood Houses

Book excerpt: Neighbourhood Houses draws on a five-year study to document and contextualize the neighbourhood house movement in Vancouver. Social disconnection has led many observers to declare that urban communities are weakening and fragmenting. Nonetheless, the local community is where most aspects of everyday life occur, where people establish their homes and pursue their ambitions. It offers a secure haven in an unpredictable, globalized world. Neighbourhood houses are community hubs providing services such as public recreation, child care, health care, and adult literacy classes, bringing urban newcomers and neighbours together. Contributors to this book outline the history of the Vancouver network, its relationship with local government and other organizations in the region, the programs and activities offered, and the experiences of participants. While globalization and migration create fragmented and disconnected societies in modern urban cities, this timely study demonstrates that place-based community organizations can provide an antidote.