Nova Scotia Black Community Housing Council

Launched in late 2022, SHS was retained to lead the creation of the African Nova Scotian Housing Strategy in partnership with the Black Planning Project. This initiative called for a comprehensive research methodology, combining quantitative analysis with community engagement and co-creation.

Objective

The project, funded by the Province of Nova Scotia and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the housing needs and landscape across 52 historical African Nova Scotian (ANS) communities. It also sought to create a housing strategy to address the challenges identified by Nova Scotia’s Affordable Housing Commission in its recent work concerning African Nova Scotian communities.

Activities

To effectively understand the diverse needs and experiences within each ANS community, the SHS team initiated a unique community-led research and engagement process in collaboration with the Black Planning Project. This process employed a comprehensive research methodology, integrating quantitative analysis with community engagement and co-creation. More than 200 participants from community, industry, and the broader housing system engaged in one or more components of this initiative.

Activities included:

• Designing for and coordinating 19 local community conversations across Nova Scotia (197 participants and community facilitators)
• Developing a comprehensive housing needs assessment based on Statistics Canada data
• Designing and facilitating a full-day Housing Symposium event with 45 multi-disciplinary participants from across Nova Scotia
• Hosting regular strategy development meetings of the project Steering Committee and feedback from the Nova Scotia Black Community Housing Council
• Developing a comprehensive African Nova Scotian Housing Strategy that included recommendations to address the housing gaps, needs, and opportunities identified