Hogan's Alley Housing Solutions Lab to Receive Support from the Government of Canada

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 21, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, announced Hogan's Alley Housing Solutions Lab would be receiving an investment of $350,000 from the National Housing Strategy's Solutions Lab program. The project aims to address the systemic displacement of Black communities from Vancouver's historically Black neighbourhood, once known as Hogan's Alley.

The project is divided into a research component and a design component. The research component will focus on gaining insight into the current state of rental housing experiences through data and lived experiences. It will include a survey, interviews, workshops, and other community engagement opportunities. The design component will involve prototyping and creating a clear roadmap of interventions.

Hogan's Alley Society is a Black-led organization that advocates for Black people who have endured the legacies of systemic racism, displacement, and marginalization in Vancouver and across British Columbia.

Solutions Labs aim to address complex societal challenges that require systems change, and which have not been solved using conventional methods. They provide a space for people with diverse perspectives to come together, to question assumptions and to experiment with housing solutions.  Labs fuel bottom-up collaborative innovation in search of new ways to solve complex housing problems.

Quotes:

"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. We've heard loud and clear from Black Canadians that more support is needed for housing. That's why we are investing in the Hogan's Alley Housing Solutions Lab to deepen our understanding of the housing system and any potential unintended consequences on housing affordability. This is another way our government's National Housing Strategy continues to ensure no one is left behind." – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

''This investment is geared towards finding solutions to help Black Canadians access safe and affordable housing that meet their needs. Our government remains committed to working with our partners to develop and implement solutions to housing in both Vancouver and across Canada.'' – the Honourable Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Center. – The Honourable Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre

Quick facts:

• The Hogan's Alley Society is a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia. 
• Hogan's Alley Society adopts research driven approach to community development that seeks to preserve and promote the historical, cultural, societal and economic contributions made by Black Settlers and their descendants to Vancouver, Greater Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
• The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is 10‑year, $72+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
• The NHS Solution Labs program, administered through CMHC, provides housing stakeholders with funding and expert innovation lab consultants to help solve complex housing problems using innovative methods and tools.
• NHS Solutions Labs apply a social innovation lab approach to developing world-leading solutions to housing problems that will contribute to the National Housing Strategy's key priority areas.
• As evidence emerges of what solutions are working, lab teams will put together implementation roadmaps for successful innovative solutions developed through the lab process.

Associated links:

• As Canada's authority on housing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.
• Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding Initiatives Map to see the affordable housing projects that have been developed across Canada. 

SOURCE Government of Canada

Information on this release: Danièle Medlej, Office of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]