Building a non-profit housing association for Nova Scotia together

On October 27, 2022, leading representatives of Nova Scotia’s non-profit housing sector have committed to forming a Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association (NSNPHA). The two years of work leading up to this historic decision began with extensive consultations conducted by the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University.

For many years, there have been discussions in Nova Scotia about how the community housing sector could benefit from greater collaboration and representation of the sector’s interests. This project included the creation of a governance framework and business plan for the Association, as well as planning a founding conference to officially launch to new organization and solicit board members.

This work represented the third phase of the Centre-funded Build Together project. The Centre also contributed $100,000 from the Sector Transformation Fund for the initial engagement process, and $34,950 for a Community-Based Tenant Initiative project to work with underrepresented groups on the diversity, equity, and inclusion aspects of the project. As well as strengthening Nova Scotia’s community housing sector, this project also provides a blueprint for other regions that lack a non-profit housing association.

Read more about the process of founding the NSNPHA