Two new employees join Housing Squamish team

Local non-profit Housing Squamish has hired two new people. Rebecca Pousette has been named the new Housing Manager, and Carol Coffey is the new Operations Manager.

A post by Housing Squamish notes that Rebecca Pousette has worked for 12 years in community housing.  Previously, she helped create CoHousing, an affordable housing project in East Vancouver that aimed to build social connections among residents. Pousette also co-founded the CoDevelopment Society, a consultancy focused on non-profit real estate.

“I’m excited to work on providing housing that gives more Squamish residents stability,” Pousette said. “I was drawn to Housing Squamish because the team is committed to the community’s long-term well-being and exploring new ways to address housing.”

Carol Coffey has 20 years of experience in non-profit management and affordable housing. She formerly worked with Squamish Helping Hands and currently serves on the Board of the Squamish Community Foundation and helped write the 2023 Squamish Vital Signs report.

“It’s an honor to be part of the team bringing affordable housing out of the private market and into the community’s hands,” Coffey said. “It’s inspiring to work with people who truly want to solve the housing crisis.”

As Operations Manager, Coffey will manage daily operations, including finances, governance, and development projects. Meanwhile, Pousette will focus on managing tenants, selecting residents, and overseeing building management.

Housing Squamish was recently approved for $2.3 million in funding from the District of Squamish and aims to bring 400 affordable housing units to the community by 2029. “In the next 5 years, we intend to start closing the housing need gap by building, buying, and managing below-market housing, move toward financial independence and support access to housing community-wide,” Housing Squamish noted in a recent presentation to the council.