In Whistler, sometimes wishes do come true. Just ask Whistler Independent Supportive Housing, or WISH.
The registered non-profit recently announced it has secured 10 units of housing for adults with developmental disabilities in Cheakamus, thanks to a partnership with Whistler Sport Legacies.
“I think it couldn’t have come sooner for a lot of families. They would have had it yesterday if they had the opportunity,” said Sue Hargrave, a parent of 18-year-old Eliza who has cerebral palsy, global developmental delay and ADHD. “As a parent who lives in Whistler, I am so thrilled that I don't have to leave and I can grow old here as well.”
Moving from a parent's or guardian’s home is a rite of passage, and moving multiple times over a lifetime is common. But for people with developmental disabilities like Eliza, going from the parents’ home to supportive living is often the only time they will relocate.
Hargrave sits as the chair of WISH’s board of directors. WISH is a group of parents who started as a support group and evolved into a non-profit organization advocating for supportive housing for people with developmental disabilities in Whistler since 2019. She has feared for many years she will have to move out of the ski town because of a lack of resources for her daughter's population.
Their new address means fear is far less pressing. Her daughter does want to move out one day, and specialists and Eliza’s school psychologist believe that time will come around age 25.
“I see it as a very natural thing for us. It'll be a slow integration, and she'll always be welcome at home," Hargrave said. "It's not a matter of that. It's just that we can have a bit of independence, and I can enjoy a bit more freedom, because right now it's me and my husband, 24/7, which is the challenge with this population.”
New supportive housing
Six of the 10 units contain two bedrooms, allowing individuals to have live-in support, and four are one-bedroom units for people with higher capacities who require daily check-ins. Units will be spread throughout the building, integrating the community.
Live-in “buddies,” as Hargrave calls them, are supported through Community Living BC through a home-share model.
“We could actually even house in those units someone from the Whistler working population,” she said. “They might be a ski instructor that works Monday to Friday during the day but comes home and … becomes a role model and buddy with some responsibility.”
The buddy can ask helpful questions to serve as a reminder about prescription medications, dinner and other adult responsibilities.
A portion of the 4,000-square-foot amenity space will be allocated to WISH tenants for day programming, which can include office space for one-on-one counselling, a kitchen space for group meal preparation and family dinner nights, and another typical Canadian household amenity: a television to watch the hockey game.
While programming is still in development, a nutritionist could come in and help guide meal prep for the week, and the crew can head out and shop together before cooking meals Tuesday. The space wouldn’t just be for residents with developmental disabilities, but Hargrave imagines potentially opening it up to community groups for events.
Financing the dream
Because the population is on fixed incomes, WISH seeks to ensure long-term financial support for housing costs through a $5-million endowment fund. Hargrave said the population receives income assistance of $500 for rental expenses and an additional $700 for all other expenses, which is far below the living wage or rent costs in Whistler.
“It’s been called forced poverty for the disabled population,” Hargrave said. “We’re doing this independently without government support because we don’t want our hands to be tied to anybody else’s ideas,” she said, noting political winds can switch and so can funding.
Instead, an endowment fund offers long-term, stable funding, with the interest earned used to close the financial gap between the money the population has to spend and the cost of renting in Whistler. The funding model would also provide pay for a part-time administrative worker.
To bolster their success, WISH worked with a UBC Business School graduate student, developing corporate sponsorship pitches for companies whose values align with WISH.
Now, it's entering a phase of strategic communication and planning to garner donations from near and far.
That’s where the Whistler community can pitch in and help raise $5 million for a lasting impact. WISH recently announced the news at a community gathering June 14, where they released a video featuring Whistler families whose children need housing, created by Mike Douglas and sponsored by 100 Women Who Care Whistler.
And while the housing framework is new to Whistler, it isn’t new to B.C.
Re-framing housing for all
WISH’s housing framework is the same one that has seen success in Vancouver through PALS Adult Services Society (PASS). The Society provides life skills and housing solutions for a neurodiverse population. John McCulloch, a board member whose son has autism, attended WISH’s recent celebratory announcement.
He explained PASS was born out of a service gap. When kids graduate from high school, where they have daily care and education, the government departments responsible for providing services shift from the Ministry of Children and Family Development to Community Living B.C., a Crown corporation. As the population ages, so too do their caregivers. Finding a long-term housing solution became their goal.
Through trial and error, they eventually partnered with a developer after other avenues, such as investing in and managing a property, proved challenging. They were then granted money by a donor to invest, which was used to subsidize housing for individuals.
“There's still a lot of fear and ignorance around what it is to work with or live with someone with developmental disabilities,” McCulloch said. “And so, you know, our big task is to get over the prejudice around that. People with developmental disabilities make a huge contribution to a community in a building.”
Hargrave said the reason for a mixed model of housing comes down to two factors: the province has changed its framework, moving away from segregation and institutionalizing individuals, and because of universal human values.
“They want to be just like you and I,” Hargrave said. “Everyone wants to feel welcome, get a smile from their next door neighbour down the hall and have the freedom to associate just like everyone else does.
“People assume somebody with a disability wants to live amongst themselves. And while [it’s] true [that] they are their own best friends, and that tight knit group is very solid––we do need to listen to their voice and allow them to have the independence that everybody tends to want.”
Groundbreaking on the project is scheduled for 2026, with occupancy expected in 2028.
