About Us
SCHS History
The Squamish Community Housing Society (SCHS) was established in 2021 by the District of Squamish as an arms-length non-profit housing provider with the mission of catalyzing housing solutions across the Squamish community.
The Society was first proposed as a recommendation from the Squamish Integrated Housing Solutions Group, made up of leaders from the local social and community services sector, who identified the creation of a housing agency as a long-term high impact initiative to support housing affordability in Squamish.
Since the inception of SCHS, significant momentum has occurred with the incorporation of the Society, the hiring of an Executive Director, and the creation of a Board of Directors.
What We Do
The SCHS is guided by a strategic plan that consists of four pillars:
Bring affordable housing to our community
Increase the supply, availability, and access to affordable housing options through public, non-profit, and private sector partnerships
Coordinate & improve affordable housing delivery
Working in partnership with existing non-profits, support and coordinate the tenanting and management of non-market homes to improve access to housing within the community.
Educate, engage, & advocate
Engage with our partners and the community about housing issues within Squamish and advocate for action on housing
Embody good governance
Ensure that our decisions promote and reflect our core values, are transparent, and are in pursuit of financial sustainability over time
SCHS Staff
Sarah Ellis – Executive Director
Sarah joined SCHS in July 2023. She spent the past 8 years working for the City of Vancouver in various positions dedicated to affordable housing development and policy. During that time, she played key roles in the development of key housing strategies, including the Housing Vancouver Strategy and Vancouver’s first Housing Needs Report, as well as policies to accelerate affordable housing delivery. Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is also a committed community volunteer, serving as the President of OurSquamish Placemaking Society.
Carol Coffey – Society Operations Manager
Carol has over 20 years of non-profit management experience over a range of areas from animal welfare, community foundations, homelessness, environmental justice, and social services. Her experience includes human resources, fundraising, grant writing, grant program management, community engagement, program creation, non-profit policies, administration, and communications. Carol serves on the Board of the Squamish Community Foundation and co-authored the 2023 Squamish Vital Signs report.
Rebecca Pousette – Housing Manager
Rebecca brings 12 years of leadership experience in the community housing sector with roles spanning from front-line care, to operations oversight, to housing development. She was a key part of the team that developed Co:Here Housing, a deeply affordable housing community in East Vancouver that is designed for social connection, and was the staff-lead in the start-up of Co:Here Development Society, a not-for-profit real estate development consultancy. Rebecca holds an MA from Regent College, and is currently finishing up a Masters in Urban Studies from Simon Fraser University.
SCHS Board of Directors
Kirby Brown
Chair of the Board
TlatlaKwot (Christine Baker)
Squamish Nation
Jenna Stoner (On Leave)
District of Squamish Council
Ashley Oakes
Howe Sound Women’s Centre
Leighton Kunz
Sea to Sky Community Services
Lori Pyne
Squamish Helping Hands Society
Laura Modray
Cameron Cope
Cameron Cope
Director at Large
Mike Van Capelle
Director at Large
John Chapman
Director at Large
Rhianna Williams
Director at Large