City Heights, a More Than A Roof building in Vancouver’s Mountain View neighbourhood, is home to around 60 seniors finding hope and stability for their elder years. And a baby.

The baby, ten-month-old Anayah, belongs to Nebu Joseph, the building manager, and his wife, Freeda.

“It feels as if I’m living among 61 grandparents,” Nebu says. When Freeda was pregnant, they even threw the young family a baby shower. “They are all so lovely.”

When Nebu moved to Canada in 2021, he was hoping to find a job in IT. He also had experience in hospitality, business and marketing. Managing a building for a seniors community was not on his radar.

“I think God had a bigger plan,” he says.

Since starting as the building manager of the diverse, 55+ community, he’s used all his various skills — and then some — in his role supporting senior residents.

“More Than a Roof is more than housing, and I am more than a landlord. When I look back, I see God had a purpose that I could use all those experiences right now.”

His days range from planning activities, doing wellness checks and building maintenance, and just lending a listening ear.

Residents at City Heights face a variety of challenges, some from aging, others from difficult life circumstances, including chronic health issues, poverty, and homelessness.

Nebu recalls one resident who had been couch surfing for over a year after experiencing a terrible accident. After finding a place at City Heights, she was able to finally recover, physically and mentally.

“Now that resident is slowly rebuilding her life,” he says. “I see the transformation to where they are now in such a short span of time.”

Another resident struggled to such a degree that few other nonprofits were willing to offer him support. But City Heights made room, welcoming the man into its community. “If we hadn’t brought him in, the story would have ended up really differently,” Nebu says. “But he has a better life today — because of the stable housing.”

Because isolation is a concern for seniors across Canada, not just those in supported housing, Nebu makes a special effort to make sure residents have opportunities to stay active and connected. He even recently instituted a new policy: if his door is open, residents can stop in for any reason.

Some have requests, others simply want to chat — or get a chance to say hi to baby Anayah.

“There’s a lot of heart in this job,” he says, “and a lot of patience.” He acknowledges that building managers for More Than a Roof can go far being their job description. His main goal is to provide stability for residents through his care and presence that allows them to build a more hopeful future in their latter years.

“When a resident lives in our buildings, they are more than a tenant,” he says. “They are part of the family. They’re our neighbors, our friends, sisters, and brothers. We want to show them the unconditional love that God has for them through the work we do.” 

Learn more here about MTR Foundation’s initiatives to support seniors, singles and families as they improve their health, pursue further education and training, and invest in their communities.