SHAFA: A BUSINESS PLAN FOR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

This document investigates the potential for SHAFA to enter the Canadian supportive housing industry, focusing on the lower mainland of British Columbia. It outlines the competitors in the marketplace, SHAFA’s core competencies, and provides an industry overview using Porter’s Five Forces of Competition Framework. Demographics indicate that there are currently opportunities for new entrants in the market, primarily due to high demand from the aging baby boom generation, however differentiating SHAFA from the current competitors and choosing an appropriate entry structure and remain challenges. This analysis recommends that if SHAFA chooses to enter the supportive housing industry it should do so in a joint venture partnership with an established company as this would provide SHAFA access to industry experience as well as insulate SHAFA from financial and other risks to some degree. A preliminary financial estimate is included to illustrate SHAFA’s financial responsibilities should it choose to follow this entry method.