in the media
En novembre prochain, l’organisme Relèven dévoilera la Déclaration de Winnipeg. Cette initiative pancanadienne vise à mobiliser les terrains détenus par les communautés religieuses pour répondre concrètement à la crise du logement et de l’itinérance.
Fondé en 2018 à Montréal, l’organisme à but non lucratif accompagne les chefs religieux dans la gestion et la reconversion de leurs biens immobiliers.
A Montreal-based charity is calling on Canada’s religious communities to unlock their idle land for affordable housing and community services—and it’s launching a national declaration to mobilize support for the cause.
Relèven, founded in 2018, held a virtual news conference Monday to promote what it’s calling the “Winnipeg Declaration,” a public pledge aimed at faith leaders, politicians, and everyday Canadians who want to see idle church properties put to better use.
In my work at McGill University, and through my ongoing CEO interview series, I've found that the most valuable insights often emerge at the intersection of cultures. We tend to look far afield: to Europe, Asia, or emerging markets.
But recently, in a conversation in Montreal with Graham Singh, CEO of the social enterprise Relèven, I was reminded that some of the most striking contrasts exist much closer to home.
Singh had just returned from a faith-based real estate conference in Dallas. At a time when cross-border tensions have slowed the usual flow of Canada–U.S. exchange, he had been moving in the opposite direction, quietly exploring a challenge that rarely makes headlines but is reshaping cities across North America. It starts, of all things, with churches.
Harcourt Memorial United Church is working with Relèven Realty Brokerage Foundation to repurpose part of its land
Through working with Relèven Realty Brokerage Foundation, the church is renting out some of its spaces to other local organizations
Churches are struggling. Putting homes on their properties could save them. Research suggests faith groups facing strain could lean into the value of their land to renew their purpose and finances.
Watch or listen to Rev. Graham Singh, Founder and CEO of Relèven, being interviewed by Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. In this episode, Graham, who is also an ordained minister in the Anglican Church of Canada, talks about his role in helping to transform underutilized churches into community hubs and affordable housing. He is committed to the revitalization of church buildings, facilitating positive change, and honouring the traditions of the past while giving space to the next generation.
A national call to action by Releven is asking leaders to repurpose their underutilized faith-based spaces and commit to solving homelessness by signing the Winnipeg Declaration.
A national organization is working with four struggling churches in Winnipeg to repurpose land into affordable housing.
Relèven, which is based in Montreal, announced its “Winnipeg declaration” Thursday in an effort to address homelessness and the affordable housing crisis in Canada.
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There’s a perfect storm happening right now. Attendance at faith institutions is dwindling. In many areas, these places of worship get preferred tax status, or don’t pay property tax at all. Still, because of shrinking attendances and fundraising efforts, many of the building are falling into disrepair. Surrounding parking lots are empty.
It used to be the churches, mosques, synagogues and temples were on the lookout for converts.
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Now, many of them are looking to be converted.
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There’s a perfect storm happening right now. Attendance at faith institutions is dwindling. In many areas, these places of worship get preferred tax status, or don’t pay property tax at all. Still, because of shrinking attendances and fundraising efforts, many of the building are falling into disrepair. Surrounding parking lots are empty.
The National Trust, a charity which helps communities renew heritage places, estimates a third of Canadian religious buildings are at risk of closure. Today in Edmonton, a symposium will explore how those spaces can be transformed into affordable housing. Tai Ziola is an architect and partner with Dialog Design. Marisa Redmond is the executive director of the Right at Home Housing Society, which provides affordable housing in Edmonton.
As affordable housing continues to be in short supply, a new realty brokerage is helping one sector struggling to afford housing: Canada’s religious sector.
Releven Realty, Canada’s first charitable realty brokerage for houses of worship, launched in late September.
Relèven Launches Relèven Realty Brokerage Foundation: The First Charity-Owned and Operated Real Estate Brokerage in Canada
Cambridge, ON – Releven is proud to announce the launch of Relèven Realty Brokerage Foundation (Releven Realty), Canada’s first charity-owned and operated real estate brokerage specialising in faith properties. This pioneering initiative marks a significant milestone in the intersection of real estate and philanthropy, providing a unique opportunity for faith groups seeking to align property transitions with faith values and community impact.
Over the next eight years, 4,000 church properties are expected to change hands. That figure might translate to big dollar signs in the eyes of some Realtors, but to others it’s an opportunity to better the communities they serve, says Corey de Villiers, managing director of Releven Realty Brokerage Foundation.
As faith-built properties across Canada face closure, the Canadian Urban Institute’s Sacred Spaces, Civic Value report highlights how these spaces can be reimagined as vital civic infrastructure. The findings align closely with Releven’s mission to transform underutilized sacred sites into affordable housing and community hubs—preserving heritage while meeting urgent social needs.
From his office at St. James the Apostle, a 160-year-old Anglican church in downtown Montréal, Rev. Graham Singh is telling us about taxes. “Churches don’t like to talk about wealth. They almost pretend as though they’re poor.” In fact, as he points out, Christian churches in North America are the largest single landowning category of the charitable sector.
Un nouveau fonds de 30 millions de dollars sera investi au Québec, pour réhabiliter les propriétés religieuses à risque de fermeture. Au total, plus d’une quinzaine de bâtiments pourront accueillir des organismes ou être reconvertis en logements abordables.
We’re thrilled to share that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is investing in Relèven to power the transformation of faith-based lands into affordable housing!
Through this investment, we’re developing an AI-powered toolkit that will help communities across the country unlock the potential of surplus religious properties, ensuring they serve future generations as vibrant, sustainable housing solutions.
Faith-based lands have long been at the heart of our communities. Now, with cutting-edge data-driven tools, we’re equipping congregations, municipalities, and housing organizations to navigate the transition from church closures to community-driven housing solutions.
We’re proud to be part of a bold, innovative approach to tackling Canada’s housing crisis. Stay tuned for more updates on how this initiative will bring new life to faith properties and create homes for those in need.
The Trinity Centres Foundation (Relèven) and the Definity Insurance Foundation are thrilled to announce a new partnership to support the development and operations of the Relèven Transition Fund.
Amid land use anxieties, churches seek to hold and transform rather than sell off property
For roughly 180 years, St. Paul's Cathedral has been the seat of the Anglican Church in Southwestern Ontario, but soon it may be home to some new life.
Performing arts venue, recording studio, and content creation space are among the uses being floated as part of a multi-year plan to map out the future of St. Paul's Cathedral.
It comes as the Anglican Diocese of Huron looks to reinvent its spaces of worship amid lower religious attendance, and chart a path forward for the city's oldest cathedral as part church, part incubator for London's creative sector.
Graham Singh is interviewed on the subject of the London City of Music Conference, in French
