The History of Marineview
The North and West Vancouver Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association and other interested people formed Marineview Housing Society in 1975. At the time there were no community based residential facilities on the North Shore for people living with mental health problems.Our first group home, Marineview House, was opened in West Vancouver in 1975. This provided housing for 10 adults. In 1980, Cloverley House was opened in North Vancouver, housing 9 adults. Both facilities provided 24 hour staffing and were licensed care homes.
The Society purchased three more houses, Keith House and Parkview House in North Vancouver City and Treetops House in the District of North Vancouver. These houses were available to individuals who could live more independently. Minimal supervision was provided by members of the Society's Board and for a short period by a paid coordinator. Financial support for the purchase of these house came from the then B.C. Housing Management Commission.
In 1992, a new house was built in West Vancouver to replace the aging Marineview. This purpose built, 10 bedroom house was named after one of the founding members of the Society, David Malchow, a Social Worker at Lions Gate Hospital.
In 2004, Keith House was sold to CMHA for use as a facility for individuals with substance use and mental health problems. The funds from this sale were used to purchase a 16 unit apartment building in the City of North Vancouver.
Chesterfield House was a 16-unit apartment building located near the civic center in the City of North Vancouver. The building was purchased in a unique Joint Venture between BC Housing, the City of North Vancouver and Marineview Housing Society. Since the partners own the building outright, we can charge lower rents to our clients. At the moment the rent is $375/month based on the shelter allowance component of the Disability Benefits provided by the Ministry of Social Development.
The Joint Venture partners also committed funding for a 9-studio unit addition to the building, which was finished in August 2011. Upon completion Chesterfield House now provides 24 units, a covered patio, a large common room and a community kitchen. The Manager of Supportive Housing is a responsible for the day-to-day operations of Chesterfield House.
In 2011, a review by BC Housing indicated that Malchow House was a “Leaky Condo” and would require costly renovations to remain habitable. The Board decided to sell the property and use the proceeds to construct a replacement facility in North Vancouver. This project involved demolishing the old Parkview House, moving that program to a rented facility and constructing a new house to replace Malchow House. The project started in January 2014 and was completed at the end of November 2014.