LOCAL ENGAGEMENT in NOVA SCOTIA

New Provincial Housing Association Forms in Nova Scotia

Two days of meetings amongst non-profit housing providers and the housing groups, networks, and coalitions who support their work has culminated in the formation of a new provincial association aimed to strengthen the community housing sector in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association (NSNPHA) will work to promote the mobilization, empowerment, growth, and sustainability of non-profit housing providers and the groups, networks, and coalitions that support their work to respond to the need for safe, accessible, and affordable housing throughout the province.

“The formation of the Nova Scotia NonProfit Housing Association will provide a means through which communication and collaboration can be fostered among nonprofit housing providers in the province and the housing groups, networks and coalitions that support their work.

My hope is that together, as a sector, we will be able to create affordable, accessible, and appropriate housing solutions faster and more sustainably for people in housing need, especially those who are living on low incomes.

- Pauline MacIntosh Program Staff, Coady Institute

The Process: Build Together and Founding Meeting

In partnership with the Community Housing Transformation Centre (The Centre), Coady Institute has been working to strengthen the community housing sector in Nova Scotia through the Build Together project. In Phase I, the Build Together team facilitated consultations throughout the province to identify the desired changes from within the sector. These findings shaped the direction of Phase II, advancing the formation of a provincial association.

The Build Together team hosted a Founding Meeting on October 26 and 27 at St. Francis Xavier University. More than 80 attendees (in-person and virtual) worked through governance models, sustainability and strategic planning, DEID (diversity, equity, inclusion, and decolonization), identifying organizational values, composing regional housing networks, and endorsing an interim board of directors for the association.

The Antigonish meeting was inspiring. It opened all kinds of new avenues for the future of community housing in Nova Scotia. A provincewide not-for-profit housing association is a significant vehicle for leveraging knowledge and capacity, ultimately allowing for a more robust and impactful sector. It represents a meaningful step towards solving the housing crisis.

- Stéphan Corriveau Executive Director, The Centre

What Happens Next

A 13-person interim board has formed. Its members, along with 20 others from communities across Nova Scotia, have created three collaborative groups that will work to build a strong foundation for the NSNPHA with a view to holding its inaugural annual general meeting before mid-April 2023.

Youth Engagement Resource Now Available

The Centre for Employment Innovation (CEI) recently introduced a new resource for employers, organizations, and service providers looking to better support youth (18 to 34 years) in the early phases of their careers. Developed with extensive insights and knowledge from a diverse range of youth, employers, organizations, and service providers who live and work in Nova Scotia, the CEI's Youth Engagement Framework includes the following:

• peer-reviewed research,

• research specific to Nova Scotia,

• stories of successful initiatives and practices,

• a collection of external resources, and

• downloadable tools.

To create the framework, CEI Youth Research and Engagement Specialist Addy Strickland surveyed, interviewed, and held focus groups for a diverse range of youth living and working in Nova Scotia, and did the same for the employers, organizations, and service providers looking to engage youth in their work. A Youth Advisory Group with representation from across the province met regularly from October 2021 to July 2022.

The framework is a compilation of learnings, tools, and resources aimed at helping adults engage and support young people. It highlights the following four key pillars:

1. Fostering Youth-Adult Partnership

2. Creating Welcoming, Youth-Friendly Spaces

3. Supporting Youth Mental Well-Being

4. Highlighting Youth Voice

The framework also includes a blog (with contributions from youth advisory group members, CEI staff, and others) that hosts additional content related to youth engagement in the workplace. One highlight from the blog is a podcast called Queer(ies): Conversations about LGBTQ+ Youth Experiences in the Workplace, which is hosted by CEI Youth Research and Engagement Intern May Lawless and features other 2SLGBTQ+ youth, employers, and business owners in Nova Scotia as guests. May began working with the CEI in May 2022, and developed this podcast as a self-directed project during their summer internship.

To access the Youth Engagement Framework, please visit: stfxemploymentinnovation.ca/yef-home