BC Non-Profit Housing Association

BCNPHA Research Papers

Rental and Affordable Housing in Vancouver: Challenges and Creative Solutions

This brief suggests a number of measures that the City of Vancouver can implement, in both the short- and long-term, to encourage the development of new purpose-built rental and affordable housing in the City.

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Housing Affects Health Affects Housing: Determining Good Health as Part of the Housing Solution in British Columbia

In this paper, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) determines healthy individuals and healthy communities as a part of the housing solution for British Columbians. This means providing good quality, safe, affordable housing to all. Affordable, stable housing in well-designed communities helps to ensure families have greater food security, better access to health resources and service supports, and non-toxic home environments.

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Sustaining the Non-Profit Housing Sector in British Columbia

This report by Marason Management Ltd, begins by acknowledging and honouring the non-profit housing sector as an integral part of creating stable communities. It successfully identifies significant areas in which the sector can be strengthened. It offers an alternative response to not only the fiscal challenges, but also to the social and psychological challenges of feeling alienated and powerless in the current non-profit housing environment. It challenges us, as a sector, to pull together and form collaborative and cooperative survival strategies that will establish long-term management practices.

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Models for Sustainable Partnerships Between Housing Providers and Community Agencies to Address Homelessness

BCNPHA continues to be active in facilitating positive and effective partnerships in the non-profit housing sector. This report, prepared for BCNPHA by Kraus et al, describes eight partnership initiatives with housing providers and service agencies underway in a variety of North American cities. Although all of these initiatives include working together to address homelessness, the support needs of the various initiatives are varied and encompass a full range of methods for providing service delivery. (Note: Appendices are 109 pages) Click here to download a copy of Appendices for Models for Sustainable Partnerships Between Housing Providers and Community Agencies to Address Homelessness.

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70 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Developing and Operating Supportive Housing for Seniors

Are you looking for effective and creative ways to cut costs in supportive housing for seniors? How about 70 of them? This guide, by Kate Mancer and Carole Holmes, provides practical advice on reducing the cost of developing and operating supportive housing from a variety of perspectives. The guide contains subject matter ranging from the development process (including new construction, renovation and conversion, and service enrichment) through to board governance and operations.

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Smoke-Free Options and Knowledge in BC's Non-Profit Housing Sector (June 2008)

The data in this report was collected for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon as part of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association's Asset Analysis project.

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Non-Profit Housing Options for Families (September 2009)

The findings presented in this report are based on data collected through the BC Non-Profit Housing Association's (BCNPHA) Asset Analysis project between January 2008 and May 2009 for the 113 non-profit housing societies across the province that offer affordable, non-profit housing options for low-income families in British Columbia.

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Non-Profit Housing Options for Seniors (June 2010)

The findings presented in this report are based on data collected through the BC Non-Profit Housing Association's (BCNPHA) Asset Analysis project between January 2008 and April 2010 for the 407 non-profit housing societies across the province that offer affordable, non-market housing options for seniors in British Columbia.

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The Financial State of BC's Non-profit Housing Stock: Current and Emerging Opportunities (September 2009)

This report analyzes data from the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association’s (BCNPHA) Asset Analysis project. A sample of 797 non-profit housing buildings representing 63% of the sector in B.C. were included in the analysis, which seeks to answer the question: What is the financial state of B.C.’s non-profit housing sector and what does the current situation imply in terms of the opportunities and challenges that will emerge for the sector as operating agreements expire?

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BCNPHA Policy Papers

What's the Value of the Non-Profit Housing Sector, Anyway?

A Policy Paper

Excerpt: At both federal and provincial levels, a shift in values is affecting non-profits. Negative comments about social housing by Premier Campbell and Housing Minister Rich Coleman suggest social housing is ?not worth the money.? Howevever when considering housing as part of the bigger picture, an investment in good quality affordable housing not only builds an asset, but it also yields savings in other policy areas such as health, education, immigration, corrections and income security.

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Other Research Papers

Was Chicken Little Right? Case Studies on the Impact of Expiring Social Housing Operating Agreements

This research study, by Steve Pomeroy, Garry Charles, Allan Gaudreault and Paul Connelly, was commissioned by CHRA to illustrate possible outcomes with the expiry of subsidy agreements for social housing. The study seeks to raise awareness among providers, funding agencies and governments of both the implications of expiry and some possible remedies to protect the long-term availability and viability of social housing assets.

A crosssection of 20 individual projects across different programs and different regions is used to illustrate possible outcomes at expiry. These are augmented by three portfolio-level case studies.

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