A non-market housing inventory for Dartmouth Harbour East communities

Urban planners need to keep their accreditation up to date by committing to continuous professional learning, a process which can include things like attending planning conferences, online workshops, or undertaking self-directed volunteer planning-related work. 

This year, my professional learning commitment includes creating a non-market housing inventory for the community where I live...Dartmouth.

As a consultant, I’ve undertaken this work over the last couple of years in Miramichi, Dieppe, St.John’s and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, often in conjunction with Turner Drake & Partners Ltd.

And I’ve been able to observe the progress these communities have made once they identify what their non-market housing needs are, and how they should be addressed.

For example, I oversaw a housing needs study in the City of Miramichi in 2020 and then, as part of a broader housing supply study, I updated their non-market housing inventory in 2023.

Miramichi is implementing its housing action plan. A successful housing forum was held at the end of 2023, which resulted a number of working groups and project-specific committees. The city’s focus on non-market housing is to create robust partnerships with its non-profit sector.

I compiled St. John’s first housing needs study in 2019 and then updated their non-market housing inventory in 2023.

St. John’s adopted an Affordable Housing Charter back in 2010, acquired its own housing stock (476 units), and approved a 10-year housing strategy in 2018. Following this summer’s housing forum, the city’s Affordable Housing Working Group is updating the housing strategy.

Meanwhile, End Homelessness St. John’s is promoting partnerships and building capacity with non-profit housing groups.

I started working on the Dartmouth Inventory in August. With a focus initially on Dartmouth, it evolved to take in some or all of 4 municipal districts. By adding in the Eastern Shore, the inventory will cover the five districts represented by the Harbour East Marine Drive Community Council. Hence the name: Dartmouth/Harbour East Non-Market Housing Inventory.

The inventory has been organized into the following categories: Seniors Housing, Shelters, Indigenous Housing, African Nova Scotian Housing, Transitional and Supportive Housing, Affordable and Mixed Income Housing, Cooperatives and Student Housing.

Here’s what I hope the Dartmouth/Harbour East Non-Market Housing Inventory will show us:

• Who are our non-market housing providers?
• How many units do they own and manage?
• What type of housing is it?
• Do they have any available land?
• Do they have plans to build more affordable housing?
• What barriers do they face in creating more affordable housing?

Non-market housing inventories are important because if we want to increase the amount of affordable housing, then we need to know who our non-profit housing organizations are and help them address the challenges they face.

I’m hoping to have the Dartmouth/Harbour East Non-Market Housing Inventory completed sometime in November.