“No man is an island,” is a quotation from poet John Donne's Devotions (1624): “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.” While Donne unlikely expected this expression to apply to socio-economic crises in the 21st century, sharing resources are on rise. The current sharing economy ranges from rideshare initiatives such as Uber to civic crowdfunding platform Wayblaze and co-working spaces such as Impact Hub. The newest sharing concept comes as a response to the widespread affordable housing shortage - co-living.

Vancouver often ranks alongside the Austrian capital of Vienna in top 10 lists of the world’s most liveable cities. Vienna’s European charm, rich arts and culture scene, low crime rates and excellent public transit all contribute to its appeal. With approximately 60% of Vienna’s population in municipal housing, the city seemingly solved the issue of housing affordability before it began. Conversely, with vacancy rates of less than 1%, Vancouver is deep in the grips of an affordable housing crisis. To solve the issue of affordable housing, can Vancouver look to Vienna’s municipal housing history for new paths forward?