February 24, 2025
Acadia Becomes First Campus to Approve DASH Fund as Campaign Begins at Saint Mary’s University
Student Housing Nova Scotia is thrilled to announce that the Developing Affordable Student Housing (DASH) Fund has been successfully approved by students at Acadia University.
“This is a huge win for Acadia students, and is a testament to what can be accomplished when students and non-profit organizations come together to address big problems,” said DASH Fund Campaign Manager, Sadie McAlear. “We’re excited to see the long-term impact this will have on our ability to provide more affordable housing to students in Wolfville.”
Beginning in Fall 2025, $5 per semester will be collected from every student as part of their student fees. This will be used to support housing projects for Acadia students.
“Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges we face, and bringing the DASH Fund to our campus has the potential to make a difference for the next generation of students,” said Yash Gahlot, President of the Acadia Students’ Union.
“This a significant step in our province-wide campaign to bring more secure and affordable housing options to students,” said Mitchell Archibald, Executive Director of Student Housing Nova Scotia. “Acadia is the first campus where we launched the DASH Fund campaign, and its approval marks a major milestone in our effort to develop more low-cost housing options for students across Nova Scotia.”
The DASH Fund campaign launches at Saint Mary’s University on February 24, 2025. We are actively engaging in discussions with student leaders and post-secondary institutions across the province to expand this initiative. By creating more housing that students can afford, we are helping build a better future for less than the cost of lunch.
Quick Facts
- The DASH Fund is an innovative approach to addressing housing availability and affordability for students. Funded by small contributions from each student, the DASH Fund supports the construction and acquisition of housing for students in Nova Scotia by contributing the upfront capital required to initiate housing projects.
- In the recent Acadia Students’ Union (ASU) election, students were given the opportunity to vote in favour of adding $5 per semester to student fees to support the fund.
- 60.9% of students voted in favour and 17.8% voted against, with the remainder of voters being undecided. The DASH Fund was supported by 77.4% of decided students, and overall voter turnout was 25.8%.
- With the approval of the majority of students in the ASU election, the DASH Fund contribution will become part of the annual student fees for all Acadia students beginning in Fall 2025.
- Acadia students will contribute approximately $40,000 annually to the DASH Fund. This will fund up to $4 million in housing projects over the next 5 years.
For more information about the DASH Fund, visit www.dashfund.ca.