DASH FUND REPURPOSING REFERENDUM

What is the DASH Fund?

The DASH Fund is a student housing fund. Each student contributes $5 per semester through their student fees, and the money is automatically added to their student account starting the following academic year.

The fund was designed to start housing projects by covering 5% to 10% of the total project cost. It would be combined with other funding to multiply student contributions by up to 20 times, helping keep housing as affordable as possible.

$5

per student, per semester

About $50,000

collected each year at SMU

5% to 10%

of a project's cost, as designed

How the fee was approved

At a university, a student fee cannot be added, increased or removed by SMUSA alone. The student body decides through a referendum: students vote, and the fee is only approved or changed if the vote says so.

In March 2025, a referendum on the $5 per semester DASH Fund fee was placed on the ballot during the SMUSA presidential and Board of Directors elections, and students approved it. Many students did not have the full picture of how the fund would work when they voted. This time, we want every student to have the information before they decide.

Why the original plan does not work right now

The original plan depends on contributing a small share of a large housing project. That is difficult in Halifax today, for three reasons:

1. No project in HRM. Student Housing Nova Scotia, which wants to purchase and build a student housing project, does not currently have a portfolio in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
2. Prices keep rising. Property prices around SMU and the south end, where a project would need to be, are climbing quickly.
3. The fund grows too slowly. Our $50,000 a year would be one part of a larger pool. Each year adds another $50,000, but property values are rising faster than the fund, so it would not reach a meaningful size for a long time.

A long-term build was how the fund was first pitched. Given these conditions, it is not realistic, and students who need help today would not benefit.

What repurposing means

The referendum asks students to approve using the fund for direct student housing support instead. A portion would go to each of two supports.

Note: The exact breakdown, including the percentage for each support, will be worked out after the referendum, together with SMU Residence and Financial Services. This describes how the fund would work.

What a Yes or No vote means

Townhalls, voting and results

Come to a townhall to ask us anything, then vote using the Google Form sent to your SMU email.