Becoming a homeowner is a significant achievement in a person’s life. They save money for years, hoping to own a house, a condo or another form of primary residence. 

In recent years, this milestone has become more challenging for Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, the housing price index increased from 103.4 in January 2020 to 125.2 in January 2023. 

Earlier this year, the government unveiled a tax-free First Home Savings Account to assist those trying to buy their first home. However, for over a decade, non-profits have led the charge to help families afford housing.

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, real estate advisor Brenda MacKenzie makes a difference by providing tangible change for local families. Her organization, A Home for Everyone, raised over $200,000 for local organizations between 2011 and 2018. Today, the non-profit continues its work as A Home for Everyone, and its goal of helping Canadians buy homes hasn’t changed.

How does MacKenzie affect change in her community? How does A Home for Everyone raise money and achieve community support? Here’s her story and what the organization has planned for the future.

Finding inspiration

MacKenzie founded A Home for Everyone in 2011, but she’s been helping her community for nearly four decades. The inspiration for her organization came in 2000, thanks to a powerful speech. 

She travelled to Mexico with her friend, Martin Rutte, author of “Project Heaven on Earth” and co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work.” At the conference, a keynote speech helped MacKenzie realize she could make a difference. 

“If we all put our mind to it, we can all do something,” MacKenzie says. “So, if you had a magic wand and you could just wave your magic wand and cure something in the world and make it right, what would you want to change?

And I said, homelessness.”

From this point, MacKenzie started her journey that continues today. She involved her company to help people through the business instead of donating to charities. 

This initiative became known as A Home for Everyone until 2018. In 2019, MacKenzie registered A Home for Everyone after joining Engel & Völkers, where she continues her journey to solve the housing crisis.

Drawing from experience

While Canada’s housing crisis is a significant concern for MacKenzie, she has faced other battles in her personal life. These experiences have shaped her worldview and inspired her to help others. 

MacKenzie and her family members have suffered from polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Fortunately, she received a transplant a couple of years ago. This experience overlaps with her vision to end homelessness. 

“I vowed the same thing as I vow with homelessness,” MacKenzie says. “I vowed when I got my transplant and when I was on dialysis that I was going to be an advocate. We need to be advocates for others.”

MacKenzie advocates for others with the disease through the PKD Foundation. She co-founded the organization’s Halifax chapter and is one of the coordinators. MacKenzie says the foundation spreads awareness, discusses the disease and supports those along their journeys.

Spreading a vision

Helping people afford housing doesn’t come cheap. It takes a village to accumulate funds and spread the vision of ending homelessness. 

A Home for Everyone as a society relies on sponsors like Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia and CUA banking. Organizations ask their employees to contribute to the cause, and some funds come from real estate agents. 

Instead of sales pitches, MacKenzie focuses on action because it goes a long way in proving how the organization makes a difference. 

“It’s about telling a story,” MacKenzie says. “As one person, we can make a change. And as a group, we can make a bigger change. Just think if all of us come together.”

MacKenzie repeats the question she heard in Mexico over 20 years ago: What would someone do if they could wave a magic wand and have a wish granted? This impactful approach has helped her gather community support despite the tough times for homebuyers. 

“If you can actually show people how you are making a difference, other people will get on board because they can see the change,” MacKenzie says. “They’re taking commissions and putting it into this pot. And then, they’re putting a family into a home where they might never be able to do that.”

Tackling modern housing costs

Housing costs have risen worldwide, and Halifax is not an exception. Home prices have continued to climb, with Re/Max reporting a 2.1 per cent increase in average sale price between 2022 and 2023. 

Houses that many deem as starter homes have become unaffordable for first-time buyers and families struggling financially. The increasing prices have made it more challenging for MacKenzie and A Home for Everyone as a society to move forward.

“The pricing has gone up on everything,” MacKenzie says. “The price we were used to be able to deal with is now a different price.

And then we’ve got competing offers — so, if you’ve got a low-end product, you’ve got more than one offer. We have to compete, so that’s hard.”

A Home for Everyone as a society aims to assist families by covering a 5 per cent down payment, closing costs, inspection fees, lawyer fees and, occasionally, minor repairs. 

The high costs lead the non-profit organization to tap into its community support. Halifax’s generosity shows when people step up and offer families free services.

Electricians, plumbers and lawyers in the area offer services pro bono to reduce the financial strain on the organization and the families. This donated time helps A Home for Everyone assist more families in Halifax and grow their impact.

“That’s where we’re able to really tap into the community and also through the support because the family needs to have a support system,” MacKenzie says. “We won’t arrange a host purchase and leave them on their own. We want a support system in place, which is usually a charity or a church or a family that knows the family and that’s going to work with them.”

Feeling ambitious for the future 

MacKenzie and her non-profit organization have helped families in Halifax and across Nova Scotia. However, they see more work is necessary across Canada.

While expansion might take some time, there are ambitions to work with more companies in other provinces. For now, A Home for Everyone works with others in Cape Breton, Yarmouth and different sections of Nova Scotia.

The organization’s goal is to house four families in 2023. MacKenzie says it’s close to hitting the mark and achieving it by early 2024.

“I feel like, then, we can go to other companies within Halifax and say ‘this is what we’ve done’.”

The organization has worked hard over the years, but MacKenzie sees growth opportunities. Her office has a board, envisioning what the future looks like. Some possibilities include registering as a charity or hiring a full-time executive director. These opportunities would increase the group’s influence and further impact the community.

Influencing change

Homelessness is challenging to solve, so the average person might be pessimistic about what they can do as an individual. However, MacKenzie says nobody should feel too small or downplay their capabilities. 

“I think people need to get out of their head in terms of ‘it’s too big’ because it’s not too big,” Mackenzie says. “It all starts, again, one person, one idea.” 

Another example of realtors lending a helping hand is through Kindness Above Everything. Mary Johnson, sales representative and vice president of StreetCity Realty Inc., established this non-profit organization in London, Ontario. 

The organization assists single-income families with mortgage payments and donates newborn supplies to safe homes. It also helps students in after-school programs by bringing food and supplies to areas with lower income. 

Addressing homelessness is critical in London, considering the city’s unhoused population. CTV News says London has about 2,000 unhoused people which includes 600 high-needs individuals who live in tents. 

The work of Johnson and other real estate professionals across Canada demonstrates how effective coordination and advocacy can be in addressing the homeless crisis. 

Starting a similar group in other regions of Canada is possible through hard work, patience and dedication to serving the community. Small businesses, contractors, real estate agents and others can help families needing assistance as a token of generosity and an opportunity for brand-building.

While good deeds are the focal point of philanthropy, brokerages discover benefits from helping the unhoused, as MacKenzie and Johnson have. Brokerages build relationships within the community, boost employee morale and stand out among competitors when participating in these housing initiatives.

Non-profit organizations helping the unhoused will grow this decade as more brokerages and realtors engage with their communities and reap the benefits of philanthropy. Housing families is fundamental for setting them and their communities up for success, and there is plenty of opportunity for realtors and other industry professionals to pitch in.