Participants were asked to weigh-in on barriers in the Black housing sector that are known or previously documented, such as limited access to information, lack of collaboration, systemic racism, and lack of housing data. Overall, participants concurred with the existence of these barriers and elaborated on the historical, systemic, and structural underpinnings that create these barriers and the resulting difficult experiences felt by Black communities. The overall sentiment around systemic racism and how it creates barriers to accessing and sharing critical housing information in Black communities was consistent across the consultation sites. Systemic racism impacts employment, which affects financial stability and access to adequate and secure housing. It contributes to educational and professional recognition issues, which prevents them from participating in the labor market and thereby hindering their economic advancement and access to housing. They expressed how Anti-Black Racism permeates in policies and practices of financial institutions, real estate development, and housing. They also expressed their shared concern around the slow progress in addressing systemic racism in institutional structures.
Participants shared examples of how these barriers manifest in the context of housing work. They highlighted the lack of access to housing information (e.g., affordable housing, access to credit, real estate development) among Black communities and organizations that provide housing support. Others indicated that there is lack of collaboration among housing organizations to fill the information gap; develop a shared understanding of the housing needs of the diverse Black communities; collectively propose housing strategies and policies that produce lasting solutions.
Participants also identified lack of representation in spaces of policy development and decision making on housing as barriers. They pointed out that those who are making policy decisions lack the nuanced and diverse housing needs of the diverse Black communities. They also expressed the impact of the decisions governments and leaders make on Black communities is not fully understood. Moreover, some participants talked about the interconnectedness of the different systems (e.g., finance, real estate development, land ownership, zoning etc.) and how the decisions made by these systems without considering the needs of Black communities contribute towards the negative impacts on these communities.
Social Determinants of Housing
Participants identified social determinants of housing (e.g., socio-economic, race, immigration status etc.) as barriers to housing and how they are inextricably linked with the lack of access to education, employment, finance, and decision-making power to contribute to many Black communities living in substandard housing. Participants strongly stressed that it is important to look at the social determinants of housing for sustainable solution on housing. For instance, some indicated that a significant portion of the Black population face unemployment or underemployment, which makes it difficult to access suitable housing. Addressing economic disparities is critical for sustainable solutions to housing. Others talked about the significant cost of housing coupled with lower income levels of many Black communities and lack of knowledge about the Canadian financial system. This leads to difficulties in securing favorable housing loans and managing debt effectively. A critical aspect of this challenge is a lack of understanding of debt culture, especially prevalent in African communities where there’s a tradition of outright asset ownership, contrasting sharply with Canadian credit and debt systems.
Finance and Financial Literacy
Participants identified finance and financial literacy as key barriers to housing for Black communities. They indicated that financial barriers (e.g., lack of access to loans from banks, lack of capital, limited understanding of how the financial system including mortgage) as major hurdles to affordable housing. A gap in financial literacy was also identified as a barrier and participants highlighted the need to enhance Black communities’ financial knowledge and strengthen the financial management capacities of housing organizations [B3s]. They felt that the knowledge gap contributes to difficulties in securing housing loans and managing debt effectively. Some participants also talked about a lack of understanding of debt culture among many Black communities, where there is a tradition of outright asset ownership contrasting with the Canadian credit and debt systems. In addition to the barriers the Canadian credit systems put up to make it difficult for Black communities to secure financing, religious considerations, such as Islamic laws that prohibit interest can restrict conventional financing options (e.g., CMHC) for some communities.
Immigration
Participants identified barriers newcomers and immigrants face to access affordable housing in Canada due to their immigration status. Immigrants and newcomers face challenges that are particularly difficult. For instance, East African immigrants face challenges due to language barriers. This often prevents them from understanding and engaging with the housing market. For many immigrants, the lack of recognition of their professional training and experience limits their ability to secure well-paying jobs and impacts their ability to secure quality housing. Further, many members of Black communities sponsor families [to immigrate to Canada] as well as [support] families back home. This creates an added burden and prevents them from securing quality housing. For many immigrants, their journey to Canada is not without financial cost. For instance, some talked about financial payments and debts incurred by immigrants for their journey to Canada. Others pointed out that newcomers lack credit history, and this severely limits their ability to find adequate housing. Many are forced to live where housing is cheaper but less safe.
Lack of Data Culture & Knowledge
Participants highlighted the importance of strong data and knowledge culture as a critical piece to understanding housing challenges Black communities face and developing effective strategies to address these challenges: As one participant aptly put it, “how can you solve a problem that you don’t even understand? How can you solve a problem when you don’t have foundational data to support your solution?” – Godwin Ude, Executive Director – Kingdom Acts Foundation (check with participant to use their quotation). Some participants also underscored how critical it is to collect race-based data on housing precarity, as current data collection does not disaggregate by race.
Participants identified guiding principles and values that should ground the operations of the BCHC and reflect the unique needs and aspirations of Black communities. They also suggested that these principles and values are centred on and reflect the diverse perspectives of Black communities to ensure that housing solutions are driven by Black communities. The guiding principles and values participants identified are:
Afrocentricity: Emphasizing an African-centered perspective, focusing on the needs and cultural aspects of the diverse Black communities. Prioritize communities’ needs and voices in all operations and recognize self-determination. Recognizing the diversity in Afrocentricity. By Us, For Us, Not Without Us – ensuring Black communities are at the forefront of all initiatives, emphasizing self-determination and active participation.
Grounded in Community: Community focused, centered, guided, or driven. Embraces collaboration with stakeholders, organizations, and community members. Empowers communities through education, skill-building, and leadership. Fosters self-reliance.
Diversity, Equity, Equality, Inclusion: Fair and equal access to resources and opportunities for all members of the Black communities, irrespective of background or identity. Recognize and respect the rich tapestry of identities and cultural nuances within Black communities. Place people at the center of operations to reinforce commitment to community well-being. Create a safe and supportive environment for all communities.
Transparency and Accountability: Openness and honesty. Operating with transparency and accountability to build trust with Black communities and stakeholders. Maintain openness in decision-making and operations, being accountable to Black communities, funders, and stakeholders.
Integrity and Ethical: Uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethics in all organizational activities. Foster a foundation of trust within the community and among partners. This involves being reliable, consistent, and sincere in all interactions and services.
Innovation and Adaptability: Embrace innovative and flexible approaches to address evolving housing challenges and community needs.
III. Partnerships and Collaborations
Participants identified several stakeholders BCHC could partner and collaborate with to contribute to its success. These stakeholders include housing providers, foundations, trusts, funders, Black developers, academic institutions, researchers, governments, financial institutions, nonprofits, Black communities etc. They also highlighted the importance of engaging with these entities in developing comprehensive housing solutions that respond to the needs of the diverse Black communities. The list of partnerships and collaborations suggested are summarized below:
Housing Providers: Habitat for Humanity, Neighborhood, and housing initiatives (Hogan’s Alley, Residents groups, Habitat for Humanity, Create TO), Cooperative and multifaith housing initiatives. Foundations, Trusts, Funders: Foundations and trusts (Hamilton KIWANIS, Hamilton Community Foundation, Parkdale and Kensington Community Land Trusts, Black National Intermediaries, United Way, Winnipeg Foundation, and private foundations.
Academic Institutions & Researchers: The Umoja Black Community Engagement Program at Carleton University, Anna Kopec: Carleton University Assistant Professor, SPPA – School of Public Policy & Administration – focuses on housing, Academic Institutions: Involving academic institutions fosters research, innovation, and the development of evidence-based strategies.
Black Builders/Developers and Real Estate: Realtors, Real estate lawyers, Black Tradespeople, Black organizations, and community-focused groups dedicated to supporting African Canadian contractors, Black urban planning professionals.
Governments: Local Government and Agencies working with local government and relevant agencies, ESDC, Aria, and various Indigenous organizations to foster inclusive community planning and development, policymakers at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government.
Financial Institutions: Banks, mortgage companies like CMHC, REIT companies, credit unions, social capital ventures, ACCA, major banks, organizations focused on financial literacy.
Non-profit Organizations: Indigenous – Led Organizations, Organizations supporting seniors in housing initiatives, Private Sector Partners for resources, expertise, and investment into housing projects, Organizations working in the city’s social services sector, Community health in Toronto, Alberta Immigrant Women & Children Centre (AIWCC), Black-Led Organizations, Youth-Led Organizations to help include the younger generation’s perspectives and needs.
Black Communities: Black Immigrant Communities, Local community members, families, youth. Housing Leaders & Activities: Activists who advocate for social justice and equality, Community Leaders who have a deep understanding of community needs.
Faith Communities: Religious institutions, mosques, churches, faith-based groups.
Black Businesses and Business Associations: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Businesses-skilled Trades Associations.
Participants offered collaborative approaches BCHC can promote to contribute towards successful Black community housing. These include building trust through community engagement; capacity building, leveraging on community assets; forging partnerships; policy advocacy, creating a repository of housing information, and data culture.
Trust Building Through Community Engagement: Build trust with stakeholders and actively engaging with African communities across Canada to ensure strong collaboration and BCHC’s work is aligned with the diverse needs and cultural nuances of diverse African communities. Engage key stakeholders in decision-making process. Engage youth and acknowledge their contributions.
Capacity Building: Build capacity to create awareness between organizations.
Leveraging on Community Assets: Recognize and use community assets including the wealth, resources, expertise, experiences of the diverse Black communities and engaging investors from African countries. Seek and expand partnerships beyond traditional stakeholders.
Policy Advocacy: Advocate for policies that address systemic issues and promote equitable access to housing including by working with government bodies and other relevant entities to effect meaningful change. Develop policies that will help guide Black-led housing organizations to play important role in Black community housing.
Create Repository of Housing Information: Provide accessible and comprehensive housing information and resources to help empower community leaders and members.
Data Culture: Build data capacity and culture to support Black housing feasibility studies and strategic plan for addressing Black housing.
Participants shared perspectives on how the sustainability of BCHC can be ensured, as an organization and relevant Black-serving entity that meets the needs of Black communities in the medium to long term. They identified key areas including engaging Black communities, involving government, learning from other community models, and emphasizing diversity within its structure. They also identified other areas beyond financial resources, that can help with the sustainability of BCHC.
Community Engagement: ongoing engagement and consultation with communities to understand evolving needs and maintaining relevance (e.g., in policy development processes, and addressing long-term goals)
Community – Centered Housing Solutions: Develop/support community-centered housing solutions
Sustainable and Secure Funding: Develop a robust resource development strategy to secure long-term funding; invest in real estate to become self-sufficient, diversify funding sources to mitigate financial risks and enhance sustainability; establish Foundation as source of funding
Develop Better Understanding of Housing Needs & Assets: Institute periodic needs and assets mapping and assessment to strengthen the knowledge base on Black housing; develop effective strategies to achieve short- and long-term goals; and develop practices grounded in data and evidence.
Partnership and Collaboration: Foster strategic partnerships and collaborations with diverse key stakeholders in the ecosystem to amplify BCHC’s efforts, harvest wisdom from communities, pool resources and expertise to achieve lasting solutions to Black housing
Cultivate Leadership & Talent Management: Sustain Black-led leadership and decision making that reflect and affirm cultural competency and build trust within the diverse Black communities. Recruit and retain diverse talent including cultivating leadership skills, fostering professional development, and inclusivity.
Capacity Building: Invest in organizational and adaptive to effectively respond to shifting needs, priorities, and circumstances. Invest in institutional strength and resilience to adapt and withstand financial and economic changes (including through robust financial planning, risk management strategies, and building a reserve fund to ensure financial resilience)
Representation: Ensure diversity within BCHC’s structure, reflecting the varying cultures, languages, and experiences within Black communities. Expand BCHC’s presence by establishing chapters across different provinces in Canada to ensure wider reach and the ability to address region-specific housing issues within Black communities. Ensure governance and operational structure is reflective of and aligned with BCHC’s mission (e.g., racially, and culturally diverse board with strong connection with Black communities)
Strong Policy Advocacy and Engagement: Advocate for policies that address systemic issues impacting Black communities. Seek government representation on the board or advisory panels (e.g., lobbying for policies that prioritize affordable housing for Black communities and secure funding. Engage in advocacy and public awareness campaigns to highlight the housing challenges faced by Black communities in Canada
Institute strong governance (including clear vision, mission, and objectives; clear delineation between the roles of the board and staff to prevent micromanagement and to support decisive leadership. Draw Afrocentric governance and leadership practices from local an African experiences)
Transparency and Adaptability: Maintain transparency in organizational processes and decision-making to build trust in communities. Adapt to changes to remain responsive and effective. Establish success indicators and comprehensive evaluation criteria in partnership with the community, and foster transparency.
Institute Testing and Prototyping: Support sustainability by initiating pilot projects and securing tangible results of housing solutions (e.g., building affordable housing) through effective monitoring and evaluation of their impact (e.g., on neighborhoods, communities) and responsiveness to the needs of Black communities.
Participants made broad suggestions of sustainability and identified models of sustainability for BCHC to learn from and consider. Some suggested that BCHC learn from other communities (e.g., Ukrainian-Canadian Community, Indigenous communities) by studying their approaches and adapting/adopting their strategies in community engagement, funding, and political advocacy. Others shared models of sustainability that other groups and communities implemented that BCHC could learn and benefit from.
Community-Centered: A fee-for-service model, CAHDCO a consultancy for housing development in Ottawa, Co-op Housing. The continental Indian communal house purchasing model and how it can be adapted for African/Caribbean/Black communities. The affordable or mixed-income housing model of the Thomas Dexter Housing Foundation
Habitat for Humanity: Exploring the sustainability model of organizations like Habitat for Humanity can offer insights. Habitat for Humanity focuses on providing affordable housing through community allocation, and sustainable building practices can inform BCHC’s strategies.
Canadian Federation for Cooperative Housing: Operates on a social enterprise model offering fee-based services.
Community Involvement in Revenue-Generating Activities: Involving the community in activities like construction projects and property management can foster a sense of ownership and create sustainable income streams.
Participants shared key services BCHC should embed to support Black communities. By integrating these services into its core mission, BCHC can address immediate housing needs and foster long-term community development, empowerment, and resilience within Black communities across Canada.
Financial Services and Literacy: Providing training and services in business planning, income-saving models, home ownership, set up housing co-operatives, credit unions, and mortgage institutions. This can help empower Black communities to make informed financial decisions, build wealth, and navigate the process of homeownership.
Access to Information: Establishing information centers and databases that are easy to access. This will help to disseminate information and bridge housing information gaps and improve knowledge of available resources and potential collaborations.
Centers for Housing System Navigation: Create centers providing comprehensive support and information about the housing system. These centers would assist both owners and renters in understanding their roles, rights, and responsibilities within the housing market. Engage and involve Black Builders and Developers, architects in housing projects. This supports Black professionals in the field and ensures that the housing developed is reflective of and responsive to the needs of the community.
Affordable Housing Programs: Embedding affordable housing programs to increase housing affordability, accessibility, and availability. Affordable housing for single mothers or those fleeing abuse (Native Women’s Transition Centre, West Central Women’s Resource Centre, North Star Lodge, Indigenous Women’s Healing Centre]. Mixed-family housing model for couples and single people [and older adults] [Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, has a housing development that boasts this model.
Legal Support Services: Provide legal seminars and assistance for housing-related issues to ensure that community members have access to support when facing challenges such as eviction or discrimination.
Learning and Research Space: Establish accessible spaces where young people and community members conduct research, engage in learning, and participate in housing-related work. These spaces could serve as hubs for innovation and collaboration.
Qualifications and Credentials Support: Assisting community members in gaining necessary qualifications or having their existing credentials recognized is crucial. This would empower more individuals to participate actively in housing projects and contribute their skills effectively.
Grants and Financial Assistance: Providing grants and financial aid is critical for initiating and sustaining housing projects. This would enable the BCHC to support a range of housing initiatives directly impacting the Black community.
Comprehensive Project Management Services: Offering project management services would ensure that housing projects are executed efficiently and effectively, addressing various aspects from planning to completion.
Predevelopment Planning and Engineering Services: These services are vital for the early stages of housing development, ensuring that projects are feasible, well-designed, and comply with all necessary regulations.
Property Management Support and Development Services: Offering support in property management and development would help maintain housing projects post-completion, ensuring their long-term success and sustainability.
Organizational Development Support: This involves aiding in the development of organizations involved in housing, promoting collaboration, and ensuring that they have the necessary tools and structures to be effective.
Participants identified areas of capacity that can enhance participation in housing and stressed how critical it is for Black communities to fully participate in housing. They also pointed out how crucial it is to focus on specific areas of capacity that align with the needs and dynamics of Black communities.
Access to Information: Sharing knowledge about the services available from all levels of government is critical for participation in housing. Knowledge and skill building in housing advocacy, and leadership, equips individuals to actively participate in housing. Establishing efficient systems for disseminating information, including use of communication platforms to reach different communities enhances participation in housing.
Access to Resources: Capacity building in accessing resources is essential for communities to tap into available support networks, community organizations, and government programs that contribute to housing stability.
Community Engagement and Education: Capacity in community engagement and education is necessary for communities to actively participate in housing (e.g., understanding the benefits of community involvement, fostering collaboration, rights and responsibilities).
Community Feedback and Communication: Establishing mechanisms for direct community feedback and communication to ensure communities’ voices are heard in the decision-making processes related to housing.
Community Mobilization and Engagement: Strengthening community organizing skills leads to more effective advocacy and policy influence. This can include leadership training programs, community workshops, and the formation of housing advocacy groups.
Partnership and Network Building: Encouraging the creation of networks and partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including housing developers, non-profits, and government agencies, to facilitate resource sharing and collaborative solutions.
Advocacy Support: Building advocacy skills is crucial for community members to actively participate in decision-making processes and ensure their housing needs are effectively communicated to all levels of government.
Policy Support: Capacity in research and policy intervention is necessary to understand systemic issues, propose evidence-based solutions, and advocate for policy changes that positively impact housing for Black communities. Building capacity in policy advocacy enables Black communities to engage in policy advocacy and voice their concerns and influence housing policies and programs at various government levels. Understanding government housing policies is critical for effective collaboration with government agencies.
Data Literacy and Understanding: Developing skills in understanding and analyzing data related to housing, including market trends, community needs assessments, and demographic studies helps Black communities make informed decisions and advocating for specific housing needs. Implementing robust data collection methods that engage Black communities is critical for their full participation in housing. This enables qualitative and quantitative data that reflects the real housing needs and preferences of Black communities to be collected and used.
Leadership and Organizational Skills: Developing strong leaders within the community who can manage housing initiatives, communicate effectively with government bodies, and represent community interests in various forums.
Project Management and Governance: Building skills in project management and governance to effectively manage housing projects.
Financial Literacy and Management: Enhancing knowledge in financial management, including budgeting and accounting, essential for managing funds.
Land Acquisition and Property Management: Skills in acquiring and managing land and properties for community housing projects.
Grant Writing and Fundraising: Expertise in securing funding through grant writing and other fundraising methods.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Understanding legal aspects and complying with housing regulations and standards.
Community Engagement and Collaboration: Fostering strong community ties and partnerships for collective decision-making and support.