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Darul Aman – Solutions Lab

Creating Places of Peace and Security

Darul Aman means “a place of peace and security”. The Centre for Mutual Wellbeing’s CMHC Solutions Lab looks to explore strategies to address the housing needs of racialized women in Waterloo Region, particularly those transitioning from crisis situations.

By leveraging asset-based community development approach, the lab aims to develop culturally relevant, wrap-around housing solutions that bridge critical service gaps—creating much-needed places of peace and security for racialized women in our community. We want to co-create a model that is both scalable and sustainable—and your input is essential.

What is a Solutions Lab?

Solutions Labs, supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), are an innovative way to tackle complex housing problems. They create a safe space for diverse perspectives to come together, question assumptions, and experiment with solutions.

Labs are systemic, social, experimental, and transformational:

  • They put lived experience at the centre.
  • They co-develop ideas with community partners.
  • They test prototypes in real contexts.
  • They build roadmaps for solutions that can be scaled and sustained.

Our Lab, Darul Aman (“a place of peace and security”), focuses on bridging critical housing service gaps for racialized women and newcomers, supporting safe transitions from crisis to stability, and sharing lessons so other communities can build similar solutions.

Phases and Timeline

Phase 1: Definition

July 2025
Setting scope, engaging partners, and planning the process.

Phase 2: Discovery

Aug–Sept 2025
Community engagement labs, and research to map challenges and opportunities.

Phase 3: Development

Oct 2025
Co-design workshops and early prototypes.

Phase 4: Prototype & Test

Apr 2026–May 2026
Testing solutions with lived experts, landlords, and partners.

Phase 5: Roadmap

Jun–Sept 2026
Documenting pathways for scaling and sustaining solutions.

Phase 6: Sharing & Scaling

Sept–Oct 2026
Public events, knowledge sharing, and coaching for other cultural organizations.

Get Involved

We’re entering the final and exciting stage of our solution lab, Phase 6! In Phase 6, we’ll be scaling and sharing our housing model revisions based on partner and community feedback. 

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to hosting information sessions!

Contact us and stay tuned for registration links and updates through your email!

Your voice matters, help us build housing solutions that truly work for our communities.

Contact Us

Centre for Mutual Wellbeing

  • info@centreformutualwellbeing.org
  • 226-499-2269
Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 1

DEFINITION

Setting scope, engaging partners, and planning the process.

The Dar Al Aman project launched with a focus on building a strong foundation for collaboration and future implementation. Key activities included stakeholder engagement and analysis, development of an engagement plan, establishment of an agile project management platform, and consultation with new partners to gather insights for expanding the solution into additional municipaliities.

Key Outcome: A clear project framework and strong partnerships were established to support the development and expansion of pathways that help racialized women transition from crisis situations to long-term stability.

Timeline: JUNE - JULY 2025

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 2

DISCOVERY

Community engagement labs, and research to map challenges and opportunities.

During Phase 2, Dar Al Aman conducted environmental scanning and community research to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing racialized women transitioning from crisis situations to long-term stability. A working plan was in place for engagement labs, coaching sessions, collaborative sense-making workshops, and partner consultations, the project gathered valuable insights from stakeholders, service providers, and community partners.

Key Outcome: A deeper understanding of community needs, barriers, and opportunities was developed, providing a strong evidence-based foundation for designing responsive and sustainable solutions.

Timeline: AUG - SEPT 2025

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 3

DEVELOPMENT

Co-design workshops and early prototypes.

In Phase Three, the lab has engaged over 40 voices from community members and leaders, faith groups and leaders to develop several prototype components. These were intended to explore how different parts of the system might function in practice.

Building on insights gathered, an emerging housing model was developed to address the key gaps and challenges identified by community members and system partners.

The model is centred on a collaborative, community-led approach that brings together a network of partners with distinct but complementary roles:

  • A Lead Organization that provides overall coordination, infrastructure, funding support, and risk management.
  • Community-based partner organizations that lead local implementation and provide culturally responsive support to participants.
  • Home partners who offer housing opportunities within a structured, relationship-based support framework.

This emerging model represents an important step towards transforming engagement insights into a scalable and sustainable housing solution that is rooted in community strengths, promotes housing stability, and responds to the unique needs of Muslim women.

Key Outcomes: 

  • Engaged 40+ community members and leaders in co-designing solutions.
    • Two in person sessions with faith and community leaders community.
    • Two online sessions with system partners.
    • One in person sessions with home owners.
    • 5 interviews with lived experts.
  • Developed and tested prototype components of the housing model.
    • Head Organization and Franchise Model
    • Collaborative Governance Model

Timeline: OCTOBER 2025

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 4

EARLY TESTING & EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

Testing solutions with lived experts, landlords, and partners.

Phase Four of the Darul Aman Solutions Lab focused on testing and refining key components of the emerging housing model. Building on earlier research and engagement, this phase aimed to explore how different elements of the model could function in practice, and to gather feedback to strengthen its feasibility, safety, and scalability.

Key Outcomes: 

  • A defined and articulated housing model
  • A set of prototype components exploring key elements of the system.
  • Initial validation through engagement with community and external partners

Timeline: APRIL - MAY 2026

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 5

ROADMAP

Documenting pathways for scaling and sustaining solutions.

During Phase 5, Darul Aman refined and validated its emerging housing model through extensive collaboration with community partners, landlords, and individuals with lived experience. The project defined tenant eligibility criteria, housing pathways, participant profiles, housing provider requirements, affordability benchmarks, and service delivery approaches, including matching and support mechanisms, governance structures, operating processes, financial projections, and evaluation plans were also developed.

To validate the model, focus groups were held with women whose experiences reflected the project’s guest profiles, as well as with prospective home providers representing a range of housing options, from individual homeowners to developers. Conducted in multiple languages, these sessions explored support needs, matching tools, and implementation considerations. Feedback gathered through these discussions were directly incorporated into the final model design.

Key Outcomes: 

  • Refined and validated the housing model through lived-experience and housing provider feedback.
  • Defined tenant eligibility, housing pathways, and housing provider requirements.
  • Developed support, matching, governance, and operating frameworks.
  • Completed financial modelling and evaluation planning.
  • Strengthened implementation readiness through engagement with partners, landlords, and lived-experience experts.

Timeline: APRIL - SEPTEMBER 2026

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 6

Model revisions based on partner and community feedback.

Knowledge mobilization will be completed in November/December of 2026, re-engaging partners in the work, other communities for scaling and service providers in the housing and stability system in Waterloo region.

Timeline: NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Group 4

CMHC Solution Lab

phase 2

DISCOVERY

Community engagement labs, and research to map challenges and opportunities.

During Phase Two, Darul Aman conducted environmental scanning and community research to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing racialized women transitioning from crisis situations to long-term stability. A working plan was in place for engagement labs, coaching sessions, collaborative sense-making workshops, and partner consultations. The project gathered valuable insights from stakeholders, service providers, and community partners.

Key Outcome: A deeper understanding of community needs, barriers, and opportunities were developed, providing a strong evidence-based foundation for designing responsive and sustainable solutions.

Timeline: AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2025