INDIGENOUS-LED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Photo credit: Canada Lands Company

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Indigenous-led Housing Development

Across Turtle Island, Indigenous communities are developing innovative housing projects that respond to
both local community needs as well as broader market demand while generating long-term prosperity for their Nations. These projects are powerful examples of how we can advance Indigenous reconciliation while also making progress on housing and climate goals.

Here are three examples of inspiring projects underway today.

1. Seǹáḵw

Since successfully reclaiming the Seǹáḵw land from government in 2003 — only a fraction of the original land was returned to reserve — the Squamish Nation has undertaken a novel development project that will foster economic independence for their community. Developed in partnership between Nch’Ḵaý (Squamish Nation’s economic development arm) and Westbank Projects Corp, Seǹáḵw is a 10.5 acres development in Vancouver on traditional Squamish land. Nch’Ḵaý was established as the Squamish Nation’s economic arm in 2018 to separate business and politics.

Khelsilem, a Squamish Nation councillor who uses a singular name, told the CBC that the council determined collectively this was the best use of the land. “We want to bring our people home, we want to build more housing for them, we need to create some economic development to pay for it and this is the first step in that.” Talking with CBC’s The Early Edition, he added, “Looking at the needs in the city around providing rentals, providing more housing just made more sense for us. It presents an opportunity for us to do things a little bit different, perhaps be a little bit more progressive than even the city is allowed to be.”

The four-phased development will create over 6,000 rental properties, of which 20% will be affordable. The project incorporates the values and traditions of the Squamish people, including environmental sustainability, and access to cultural and public spaces, and celebrates the site’s historic roots. The project is targeting net zero carbon emissions and will be the largest net-zero carbon residential project in Canada. Architecturally, the project showcases Coast Salish design and traditions.

2. Heather Lands & Inspire Jericho (MST-CLC Partnership)

The MST-CLC is a historic partnership between the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and Canada Lands Company (CLC) to redevelop shared land in British Columbia. Collective land where MST Nations have lived, grown, and shared cultural traditions is being developed to create economic prosperity and build community.

The MST-CLC partnership was established in 2014 to develop co-owned lands in Vancouver, including the Heather Lands and Jericho Lands. CLC supports MST aspirations to purchase its beneficial interests in the lands following rezoning approvals while acting as the project manager.

“Housing – it’s not only the number one issue for Vancouver people. It’s also the number one issue for our First Nation communities. We don’t even have space in our communities to build new homes anymore. We’re enclosed to a little tiny reserve,” Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Jen Thomas told CTV News. “We all live in the same city. We’re not going anywhere. They’re not going anywhere. So we have to find a way to live, work and play together. That’s one of our priorities.”

MST Cultural Liaisons are involved with every step of the project, providing feedback and comments on behalf of the MST Nations’ communities throughout the planning process. A fundamental component of the design and planning is to integrate MST Nation’s traditions and values into their work.

Heather Lands. The development will incorporate over 2,600 homes, shopping amenities, a daycare and MST Cultural Centre. The site plan also features parks and trailways woven throughout the site that mirror paths travelled by ancestors of the MST Nations.

Inspire Jericho. This is another MST-CLC partnership to develop 90 acres of land within the City of Vancouver. Just over 50 acres are co-owned by MST-CLC, while MST owns the remaining 38 acres. The project is Indigenous-led, informed by MST Nations values and traditions which will be integrated throughout the built form and design of the project.

“We are proud of our culture and look forward to sharing our way of life and worldview with all who will live in and visit ʔəy̓alməxʷ/Iy̓álmexw/Jericho Lands. With this new sustainable neighbourhood, we are creating modern Indigenous communities, offering a vibrant and inclusive environment for residents and visitors to thrive,” Sxwíxwtn-Wilson Williams, Spokesperson and General Councillor, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh stated in a recent press release.

3. Naawi-Oodena

The Naawi-Oodena initiative has been borne out of collaboration and mutual recognition. Based within the city limits of Winnipeg, the 7 Nations of Treaty One territory together with the Canada Lands Company (CLC) have created a master plan to develop 160 acres on the former Kapyong Barracks. This initiative includes diverse housing types to accommodate multiple income levels, community and cultural spaces, and a sustainability framework. Naawi-Oodena plans to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and approaches to land use and management emphasizing connection with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and youth.

The Gaawijijigemangit Agreement, a Municipal Development and Services Agreement (MDSA) between the Treaty 7 Nations and the City of Winnipeg, is groundbreaking in its approach that offers mutual respect for each party’s jurisdiction and outlines a process for government-to-government relations. The agreement also allows Treaty 1 Nation to collect business and property taxes as the city of Winnipeg would, offering most of the funds to the city for services and the rest will be kept by Treaty 1 Nation to allow the nation to build capacity as a distinct level of government.

Recommendations for government

How can governments support and enable more Indigenous-led housing development? The Blueprint for More and Better Housing makes the following recommendations:

Federal government should:

Collaborate with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples to enable Indigenous-led housing development projects and to support culturally appropriate housing solutions that ensure access to safe and adequate housing and help advance self-determination and reconciliation.
Consult with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples on their preferred means of support through capacity development and/or funding to develop building models, designs, and codes that are inclusive of Indigenous peoples needs and are culturally relevant. Where requested, assist in the acceptance of Indigenous-led housing models, designs, and codes across jurisdictions.
Create a land bank that coordinates public lands with preferential federal financing and other jurisdictional supports. As part of this reform, the federal government should collaborate with and/or support First Nations, Métis and Inuit governments and Indigenous housing organizations to develop on sites from the land bank’s portfolio through leases, sales and transfers under the Treaty Land Entitlement processes, in respect of nation sovereignty and self-determination.

Support a For-Indigenous and By-Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern housing strategy, and deliver the initial $4B over seven years allocated in the 2023 Federal Budget through NICHI, the National Indigenous Housing Collaborative Inc.
Enhance coordination and planning in Canada’s housing system by creating a coordinated implementation plan with all three orders of government and co-creating a housing strategy by hosting a roundtable of public and private builders, Indigenous governments and Indigenous housing groups, the non-profit housing sector, investors and labour. The implementation plan should adopt the low carbon, resiliency, affordability, and scale goals set out by the Task Force for Housing & Climate.

Provincial governments should:

Increase and make more easily accessible capacity funding to help Indigenous communities identify, investigate, and lead housing development projects.

Municipal governments should:

Create the conditions to scale up homebuilding by prioritizing the use of existing municipally-owned land and public funding, by identifying and allocating suitable municipal land for the development of non-market housing, including supportive living units, student residences and affordable rental properties, by implementing land banking strategies to secure and preserve land for future non-market housing developments, and by collaborating with local Indigenous organizations to enable Indigenous-led housing development opportunities and to deliver culturally appropriate housing that meets the unique needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples living in urban environments.
Consult local Indigenous Rights Holders on housing projects early on to request their involvement to help better understand the needs and wants of their communities, and also to support the sharing of Indigenous Knowledge related to climate and ecology.