housing solutions lab
About the solutions lab
Housing Solutions Labs are used to explore interactive and participatory ways of making progress on a housing challenge faced by a community. UHPCLT received funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through the National Housing Strategy to conduct a Solutions Lab, “Driving Transformation: The Power of Land Trusts in African Nova Scotian Communities.” This initiative is a step towards empowering our community to reclaim control of our historic settlement lands, fostering economic prosperity, while deepening our understanding and respect for the legacy and rights of the Mi’kmaq who first stewarded this land. The Lab’s primary goal is to tackle systemic barriers in establishing a community land trust within Upper Hammonds Plains, and to develop an initial framework to guide how membership to the land trust and decision-making will work. UHPCLT partnered with SHS Consulting and Courage Communications to conduct 3 workshop sessions in January-March 2024.
Thank you to all of our partners, contributors and community members who made this possible. We’ve produced a three-volume newsletter to share our experiences and learnings from the solutions lab. Browse our newsletter issues, workshop documents and final report to see our progress.
FInal Report
Our final report from the Solutions Lab is now available, sharing the collective vision, values, and strategies that will guide our journey toward sustainable development and land stewardship. This report highlights several key themes that are essential to our mission:
- Community Vision and Engagement: Learn how we’ve engaged our community members to develop a shared vision that respects our cultural heritage and meets our current needs.
- Sustainable Development: Explore our strategies for creating sustainable housing solutions that benefit our community both environmentally and economically.
- Land Stewardship: Understand our commitment to responsible land management and how we plan to steward our lands for future generations.
- Economic Empowerment: Discover our plans to create economic opportunities within Upper Hammonds Plains, fostering intergenerational wealth and economic resilience.
- Social Equity: See how we are addressing racial justice and equity in our community development plans, ensuring that all community members have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.