Financially sustainablilty in the non-for-profit housing sector

George is also on the Board of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, and a member of the steering committee and co-chair of a research committee of the BC Alberta Alliance of the Canada wide Social Economy Project. [...] Key organizations that were drawn on as sources of publications include: the British Columbia and Ontario Not-for-profit Housing Associations, The European Liaison Committee for Social Housing (CECODHAS), The National Housing Federation of the UK, The Harvard University’s Joint Centre for Housing Studies, The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, NeighborWorks America, Smartgrowth BC, an [...] There are many similarities in the forces driving these trends in the various geographical regions, while the differences in the specific revenue generating activities and business models being employed in response stem from the differences in the policies and specific contexts of the countries in which the organizations operate. [...] The study recommends increasing the knowledge and capacity of not-for-profit organizations by continuing to offer skill building courses and ensuring a continuum of the knowledge base, implying the importance of organizations ensuring that they have the sufficient background knowledge and expertise before embarking on a development venture. [...] The main challenges to the sector were identified as: quantifying the activity of the sector, spreading awareness about the sector, securing financial partners, building fundraising expertise, recruiting volunteers and building strong self-help housing organizations, understanding the mechanisms that affect the sector, and the challenge of requiring involvement of occupants in development and cons