Three Indigenous-led housing projects are progressing along Vancouver’s waterfront and are set to add more than 18,000 homes, including thousands of social and affordable units.
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Three Indigenous-led housing developments are emerging along a roughly five-mile stretch of Vancouver’s waterfront: leləm̓ near the Musqueam community, the Squamish Nation’s Sen̓áḵw and the largest project to date, Jericho Lands, led by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
In the leləm̓ project, described as meaning “home,” 1,200 units are planned with street signs written in both English and the Musqueam language. The Squamish Nation is also building Sen̓áḵw, a project described as involving 6,000 units on 10 acres of undeveloped land.
Jericho Lands is a 90-acre development in Vancouver’s West Point Grey area, led by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. The projects’ scale is expected to significantly change the surrounding neighbourhoods, which are described as mostly single-family homes.
The developments are framed by a history of dispossession tied to land taken from Indigenous peoples and later disputes over reserve land expropriated by the Canadian government. The text says Sen̓áḵw sits on land returned to the Squamish in 2003, and that the three nations have been involved in negotiations and lawsuits since the 1970s. It also states the nations partnered under MST Development Corp., while developer Canada Lands acquired Jericho Lands in 2014.
The three projects together are slated to add more than 18,000 homes to Vancouver’s housing stock, including thousands of social and affordable units. The text reports that a sixth of Sen̓áḵw’s 6,000 units will be earmarked affordable, with 240 reserved for members of the Squamish Nation. For Jericho Lands, it says 30% of units will be designated affordable when combining social housing and below-market units.
Tsleil-Waututh Chief Jen Thomas said the projects represent not only housing opportunities but also economic opportunities for member-owned businesses, including procurement work. Vancouver’s city government is described as working closely with the First Nations and their co-developers through the approval process, with planning officials saying they are adjusting typical city policies and bylaws and listening to the nations’ objectives for the importance of the site.
Supporters describe the developments as a way to reflect Indigenous values in how the projects are designed and built. The text says Sen̓áḵw is aiming to become Canada’s largest residential property to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, including thermal energy systems that recover heat from sewer mains, and that it will provide 1,000 parking spots for its 6,000 units.
Jericho Lands is described as following a water conservation approach referred to as “slow, store, restore, flow,” including construction intended to replenish the watershed and spaces for “quiet moments of spirituality” by ponds and swales. The text also describes a library on the site planned as a “house of learning,” centring oral history traditions, and says the intention is to tell the stories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people.
The developments also face criticism. The text says local groups including the Jericho Coalition argue the projects need to be smaller to mitigate environmental impacts and that their societal impact is overblown. Susan Fisher, identified as part of the Jericho Coalition, said reconciliation is being used in a way she characterized as papering over development greed and political pressure related to the housing crisis.
The text also includes Indigenous-led descriptions of how the projects are meant to build community. It quotes Tsleil-Waututh cultural manager William George-Thomas describing a “spirit of the longhouse” concept that, in his description, would involve building out to house more people and families, and contrasts that with the shift to tall buildings. Professor Maggie Low is quoted saying the projects are helping create a sense of community and understanding and supporting Indigenous sovereignty.
According to Canada Lands’ vice president for real estate Elisa Campbell, the developers have received calls from other Indigenous groups internationally about how the developments were facilitated. The text also says MST currently oversees 160 acres of land in the Vancouver metro area, and that Chief Jen Thomas said MST expects to become one of the biggest Western developers across Canada within the next five to 10 years.
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