Testing Housing Solutions with Community
In the Lab鈥檚 Development phase, we moved from understanding housing challenges to designing and testing real housing models with the people who live them.听听
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Here is what we learned:
Working with newcomers, community organizations, housing providers, and government partners, the Lab co-designed a set of housing and service models, across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, then tested them with an Advisory Committee to see which ideas are ready to move forward. What follows reflects the voices of people with lived experience of newcomer housing in Newfoundland and Labrador, alongside the organizations that work with them.
What We Tested
The Lab developed three housing models and tested each one with an Advisory Committee of six members, including newcomers, community and non-profit organizations, a housing provider, and a municipal or government representative. Members came from urban, rural, and remote communities across the province.
Each model was reviewed against five questions:
Relevance 鈥� Does it address a real and urgent need?
Impact 鈥� Does it create meaningful change?
Feasibility 鈥� Can it be tested quickly?
System Fit 鈥� Does it work alongside existing services?
Scalability 鈥� Can it grow or be repeated in other communities?
The Three Models
The Landing Point
Transitional and long-term housing with wraparound supports.
The Landing Point pairs housing with settlement, tenancy, and community supports, so families have stability and connection, not just a place to live. Advisors saw a clear need for this integrated model and were confident it can work alongside existing services. They valued that the wraparound support is built in rather than added on, and asked the Lab to clarify how it differs from existing transitional housing as the work continues.
Advisory Committee assessment: strong support for advancement; recommended as a priority model for urban settings.
Transit-Focused Housing
Housing connected to transportation across Newfoundland and Labrador communities.
This model recognizes that housing and transportation are closely linked, especially outside larger centres. It drew the most consistent support of the three, and advisors saw it as adaptable, able to grow or scale down to fit a community’s size. The committee flagged that some communities do not yet have transit to build on, and suggested on-demand services and cross-community collaboration as part of the approach.
Advisory Committee assessment: broadest consensus for advancement; seen as especially important for rural and hub-town communities.
Home Ownership Pathways
Understanding the pathways for newcomer families toward home ownership.
This model supports newcomer families to move toward owning a home, combining existing federal tools such as the First Home Savings Account, the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan, and CMMC mortgage programs. It received the highest relevance and impact scores of the three, with especially strong support from newcomer participants who saw it as meeting a need they experience directly. Advisors noted that coordinating across lenders and programs will take time, and suggested growing overall housing supply alongside this pathway.
Advisory Committee assessment: highest relevance and impact overall; strong newcomer endorsement; recommended for a phased pilot – starting with a white paper to encourage policy change.
What We Heard Across All Three
All three models were supported to move forward. No advisor recommended against any of them.
Newcomer voices strongly endorsed the homeownership model. Both newcomer participants ranked it highest for relevance and impact.
Transit-connected housing was seen as the most broadly applicable, particularly for communities outside major centres.
Rewiring a system through diversity of options and community led solutions. Advisors repeatedly noted the ideas are strongest as part of a connected system rather than in isolation.
Government and funding support are essential. Across every model, participants stressed that provincial, federal, and community backing will be needed for these solutions to succeed.
What Comes Next
The three models now advance into Phase 4, where they will be refined and tested further. The Lab will clarify how The Landing Place differs from existing housing, identify which communities are best suited to Transit-Focused Housing, and research and release a white paper on new home ownership pathways. Each model will also set out a clearer funding and implementation approach.
Get Involved
The Solutions Lab welcomes collaboration from organizations and individuals interested in strengthening housing opportunities for newcomers in Newfoundland and Labrador. To learn more or share your perspective, please contact us [email protected].
Funding Acknowledgement听
This project entitled Community Housing and Integration Hubs for Newcomer Families received funding from the National Housing Strategy under the NHS Solutions Labs, however, the views expressed are the personal views of the author and CMHC accepts no responsibility for them.