This case study investigated the experiences of thirteen nonprofit and cooperative housing providers in North Bay, Ontario in order to maintain a collective memory for the city and to derive useful lessons for future housing groups.Housing need is at a critical point both in North Bay and the province of Ontario. All levels of government have stopped funding for social housing, although in past years many thousands of units were built by community groups using various programs.North Bays experience showed that the presence of serious housing need and funding alone will not necessarily convince organizations to build. The study explores factors such as commitment, financial concerns and conflict resolution.One finding is that North Bays experience in building social housing, with a few key exceptions, rarely involved the participation of prospective tenants themselves.