Nonprofits and charities can now book office space for free, courtesy of the Greenhouse

The plight of renters looking for housing in Vancouver may be a hot-button issue for residents, but the difficulty in securing commercial real estate is often overlooked. The vacancy rate for downtown offices—according to the latest statistics from CBRE, a commercial real-estate services and investment firm—has dipped to 4.4 percent, making Vancouver one of the toughest places to sign a lease in North America. Add to that the rising costs of commercial real estate, and companies are finding it increasingly hard to find a base. While all local businesses are feeling the pinch, however, the city’s nonprofit organizations are being squeezed more than most. As overheads rise, charities and foundations are finding themselves unable to afford basic necessities like meeting rooms.