Welcome to AHANS
Welcome to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia (AHANS). We have been advocating for affordable housing in Nova Scotia since 1990.
The mission of AHANS is to promote and support access to decent and affordable housing throughout Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Housing & Homelessness Network
'Fast Forward' - Provincial Housing & Homelessness Conference
November 22, 23, 2011
The Conference will strengthen the non-profit, private and public housing sectors by bringing together leaders from across the Atlantic Provinces.
This event will offer opportunities for exchange between non-profit organizations, individuals, business and government, access to experts in a variety of housing related fields, as well as the development of ideas in an interactive forum. It will attract a full spectrum of people living in and working within the affordable housing industry – people who are committed to advancing what Nova Scotians are asking for in their communities – safe and affordable housing.
Who Should Attend?
Everyone involved in the housing industry, particularly builders and developers, finance specialists, policy-makers, municipal, provincial and federal government representatives, both elected and appointed, as well as those involved in community grassroots efforts to promote affordable housing.
Visit the Conference website for full details - www.nshousingnetwork.org
Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia (AHANS) Report: 'Housing Nova Scotians: A Fresh Look'
June 27/11: In 2009-2010, AHANS undertook a consultation process in eight provincial communities, Halifax, Sydney, Yarmouth, Dartmouth, Bridgewater, Kentville/Wolfville, Truro and Antigonish.
AHANS gathered anecdotal evidence of the considerable hardships encountered by housing consumers in their real life struggles to find and retain affordable housing. We also heard from the stakeholders directly involved in the delivery of housing across the province, thereby establishing the specific elements of a more effective and broadly inclusive housing policymaking and delivery process that would inform the development of a Housing Strategy.
- Listen to Grant Wanzel, AHANS President, CBC Info Morning, July 18th
- Dan Troke, NS Department of Community Services, CBC Info Morning, July 19th
The data collected at these roundtables resulted in a report, titled: ' Housing Nova Scotians: A Fresh Look'. Download a Summary of the Report.
With our release event and press conference in Halifax on June 27th, we have now finished reporting back to the communities with whom we consulted in the fall/winter of 2009/10. Our advertised purpose at the time was that we would want to hear back from those we were consulting to make sure we had their stories straight. We have also been concerned whether our respondents would be comfortable with our 'spin' and recommendations. We promised to alter the final document if we had it wrong in any respect. As it has turned out, alterations have proven unnecessary.
Happily, most if not all of our reporting-back sessions were better attended than our first round meetings. They were certainly no less enthusiastic and were every bit as lively and informative. Prior to our meetings, many of the participants had downloaded and read the Report, 'Housing Nova Scotians: A Fresh Look'. Indeed, we are most pleased to report that every group felt we had heard them clearly and reported their concerns accurately. "You nailed it", a member of the Bridgewater group told us. In addition, all of the groups were comfortable with our interpretation of their respective inputs and the propositions to the Government of Nova Scotia into which we had rolled them. Finally, with respect to our recommendations to the Government that it first establish a sector-wide consultation on housing and homelessness and then follow it up with the establishment of a permanent Secretariat on Housing and Homelessness, all were supportive. Better still, several of the groups saw little purpose in yet another consultation, preferring instead to get on with organizing an N.S. Secretariat on Housing and Homelessness.
It will come as no surprise then that news of the joint initiative of AHANS and Community Action on Homelessness (CAH) to establish a N.S. Housing and Homelessness Network…a sort of Secretariat-in-Waiting…was very well received. Everyone is looking forward to the founding conference slated for this fall in Halifax - location, dates and times to be determined.
Finally, it remains for us to thank all of our hosts and participants in Sydney, Truro, Bridgewater, Antigonish, Yarmouth, Kentville/Wolfville, and Halifax/Dartmouth. Thank you all for your gracious hospitality as well as your energetic and heart-felt contributions. Without you, there would be nothing to report.
Sincerely,
Grant Wanzel
Acting President for AHANS