From the start, the AHANS vision has been to help make Nova Scotia a better place. Our particular contribution to this goal is through our expertise in affordable non-profit housing. We draw inspiration from the City of Vienna which has used a municipally led non-profit as an effective and innovative model for providing superior, affordable housing since 1919.
 

We aspire to be a non-profit housing developer and provider at a scale that is resilient and self perpetuating, with housing that is built to serve its purpose measured in generations and able to meet the current and changing housing needs of local communities. Further, we believe that locally-led responses to locally experienced housing issues create the opportunity for better economic, education and health outcomes for its community. Vibrant community housing can be the path to heightened general civic engagement.

AHANS believes in the value of respectful, mutually beneficial partnerships with the private sector and non-profit housing providers, and government agencies throughout the Province of Nova Scotia. It is this experience and involvement which inform our targeted approach to increase the provincial supply of affordable housing stock through the preservation of the current stock, the purchase existing units, and to develop new housing. 

We believe that our work is not about “struggle’ and ‘confrontation’; it is about working with people to build credibility and confidence to reach common goals. We believe in working with the best, with those who are committed to the work at hand. We expect to pay what we are asked, to trust their advice and we expect 150% in return. We believe in evaluating our activities on our version of the triple bottom line – social, environmental and financial (defined in terms of liquidity and replacement reserve and not ROI) outcomes.​
 

AHANS VALUES

Decent, affordable and sustainable housing is a basic human right and the first step toward personal, social, economic and cultural well-being and empowerment. The foremost concern of the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia (AHANS), is the affordability, accessibility, and sustainability of the Province's housing stock as a whole.