Menno Court, a 170-unit residential building that offers affordable housing in Vancouver, B.C., has been a place of safety for half a century. Tenants and supporters celebrated its 50th anniversary of offering rents well below market value with a party on July 18.

“This place [Menno Court] provided a home for me and my wife after my serious illness when we were in danger of homelessness,” said one tenant, Jim. “We were making plans to live the rest of our lives in a camper van.”

The two-story building is part of a complex that includes a chapel, recreation room, community kitchen and dining room situated around a green courtyard.

Spiritual care was initially provided by numerous churches that held services in the chapel on a rotating basis. But as immigrant families from other parts of the world became the main source for tenants, regular chapel services for residents ceased.

However, two prayer groups now meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and since last winter, the chapel has come back to life on Sunday mornings as the home of Point Grey Inter-Mennonite Fellowship. Services in English are conducted by lay leaders and speakers from around the world via Zoom to attenders across the continent. As worshipers sing from hymnals, curious tenants peek in the door.

The initial structure was built in 1974 as a joint project between Mennonite Brethren and General Conference Mennonite churches in the greater Vancouver area. Many senior Mennonites, particularly women, were living in unsuitable accommodations.

From a call to action begun by Erwin Cornelsen, pastor at Sherbrooke Mennonite Church, more than a dozen churches sent representatives to the organizing meeting in 1969.

A piece of unused swampy property held by the city was purchased in 1972 for $400,000. Underground springs made normal building techniques impossible without driving piles some 20 feet below the surface.

Mennonites from local churches remain on the board, and relationships have been formed with community agencies such as South Vancouver Neighbourhood House and Jewish Family Services.

At the celebration, Donna, a tenant, signed in guests and handed out name tags. She came to Menno Court several years ago after raising daughters and a lifetime of work with only a modest pension.

“I don’t know what I would have done if this place hadn’t been here,” she said. “This community really looks out for each other, even if we can’t always understand each other.”

The celebration welcomed not only tenants and community agencies but also former board members, families of the original builders and politicians, including Vancouver’s deputy mayor, Mike Klassen. Board members spoke of the opportunity to expand the project to serve hundreds more low-income tenants as they make plans to design, seek funding and build a new Menno Court.