Initiative Overview
New Housing Alternatives: Finding Equitable Housing Solutions is a research partnership dedicated to transforming Canada’s housing system through rigorous scholarship, policy innovation, and community-led collaboration. Founded in 2024, NHA collaborates with academic institutions, community organizations, and housing advocates to build a system rooted in social equity, justice, human rights, and decolonization, with a particular focus on Indigenous rights and sovereignty.
Our mission is rooted in the belief that access to housing is a fundamental human right. Through research, partnerships, and advocacy, we advance affordability, equitable policy frameworks, and collaborative practices that prioritize the lived experiences of individuals facing housing precarity.
Website Goals & Credits
Website Goals
The website promotes equitable housing solutions through evidence-based research and innovative community projects. It fosters knowledge exchange and engagement between scholars, practitioners, and the public. Visitors can explore key sections such as:
- Vision & Research Objectives – articulating NHA’s theoretical and practical foundations.
- Research Clusters & Projects – profiling interdisciplinary collaborations and ongoing initiatives.
- Team & Partners – highlighting the leadership, expertise, and network behind NHA.
The site encourages ongoing dialogue through blog posts, newsletters, and social media posts, extending the impact of NHA’s research across Canadian and international contexts.
Credits
Web Consultant Matthew Burpee collaborated with Project Manager Bharat Punjabi and Co-Directors Susannah Bunce and Alan Walks to create this website, emphasizing accessibility, usability, and content clarity. His design, positioned as NHA’s printing press, was presented alongside a public feedback survey (below) at the official New Housing Alternatives Launch in November 2024.
In Spring 2025, Jeremy Withers, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto whose research focuses on housing policy, finance, and equity, joined the NHA team as Communications Coordinator. In this role, he manages content, writes articles and newsletters, and posts on social media.
Presentation & Design
The homepage opens with a succinct headline and clear calls to action, inviting visitors to engage, explore, and contribute to the pursuit of equitable housing. Navigation is streamlined to ensure accessibility, reducing cognitive load and enhancing usability for all visitors, including those using assistive technologies.
The colour palette, pale blue (#eff6fc), deep teal (#045c5c), and navy (#011e42), reflects calm, trust, and scholarly integrity, complemented by white and charcoal (#464444) for contrast and readability. A bold colour bar beneath the header anchors the layout and enhances spatial clarity, echoing the project’s structured yet inclusive approach.
Typography draws on Google Fonts:
- Belleza, an elegant serif for headers, lends an academic tone.
- Poppins, a clean sans-serif, supports legibility in body text and interface design.
Iconography by Dave Gandy (licensed under CC BY 3.0) enhances visual clarity and comprehension. While attribution is not required, NHA gratefully acknowledges his contributions to open-source design.
NHA members and the Web Consultant contributed content, including research summaries, descriptions, and photography.
The website’s contents are licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Website Technology & Standards
The website is built on WordPress, a widely adopted and adaptable content management system that supports over 43% of websites globally. This platform provides NHA with a flexible framework for maintaining and expanding its digital presence through pages, blogs, events, research documents, and team directories. Interactive features, including newsletters, event RSVP tools, forms, surveys, social media feeds, multilingual support, and integrated email, encourage collaboration and ongoing engagement across communities and research networks.
The site is optimized for accessibility, speed, and user experience, with specialized plugins that enhance search visibility (SEO), collect user analytics for continuous improvement, and strengthen overall visitor engagement. Development adheres to current web technology standards to ensure compatibility across modern browsers and devices.
In alignment with the project’s values of equity and inclusion, the design and functionality follow WCAG 2.0 Level AAA accessibility guidelines. This ensures that all individuals, including those using assistive technologies, can navigate and interact with the site effectively. Regular testing, monitoring, and maintenance practices sustain a secure, reliable, and user-friendly online environment that reflects NHA’s commitment to transparency, accessibility, and research excellence.
Feedback Welcome
These details are part of our Guidelines.