Will Indigenous projects like Senakw count towards housing supply targets?

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking southeast from Sunset Beach. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

Ever since the provincial government announced last week its housing supply target orders for the first batch of municipal governments, there have been some questions over whether the tally will account for projects such as Senakw by the Squamish Nation.

As can be expected, the answer is no.

The BC Ministry of Housing told Daily Hive Urbanized its Housing Supply Act does not apply to Indigenous lands on reserve.

“The Province is committed to ensuring that housing targets are developed in consultation with Indigenous Nations in municipalities for housing target assessment,” states the Ministry.

“Since the Sen̓áḵw project is located on Squamish Nation reserve land, new units from this project will not initially be counted toward the City of Vancouver’s housing target.”

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But the Ministry adds that they will evaluate a municipal government’s efforts to increase housing supply and consider a municipality’s role in supporting and servicing housing projects outside of municipal government, including on Indigenous lands and for post-secondary institutions.

The City of Vancouver’s Services Agreement with the First Nation for providing municipal utilities and infrastructure connections and services to support the Senakw project amounts to the Ministry’s described role that municipal governments can play. Last week, a BC judge ruled against a Kitsilano residents’ group that accused the City and First Nation of wrongdoing in the process of creating the Services Agreement.

Senakw, located on the Squamish Nation’s reserve at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge, will generate over 6,000 secured purpose-built rental homes for up to 9,000 people.

Construction is well underway on the first phase, located on the west side of the bridge. Each of the four phases will generate about 1,500 new rental homes, with the first phase reaching completion in 2025/2026, the second phase in 2027/2028, the third phase in 2029/2030, and the fourth phase in 2032/2033.

senakw squamish nation vancouver september 2022

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking east. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

September 2023 construction progress on the first phase of Senakw. (Squamish Nation)

Under the province’s targets, the City of Vancouver is required to create policies and strategies that push about 29,000 homes into a state of completion by 2028, including 20,886 secured purpose-built rental homes (12,992 market rental units and 7,894 below-market rental units).

However, Indigenous-led housing projects such as the Heather Lands and the Jericho Lands would count towards the municipal government’s totals. These projects are not on reserve, as they are on fee simple land jointly owned by the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations and the federal Crown entity Canada Lands Corporation.

“Municipalities will be measured on their net new housing unit completions within their jurisdiction. If new housing is created on First Nation-owned fee simple land within a municipality’s jurisdiction, it will be counted toward the target,” continued the Ministry.

4949-5255 Heather Street 657 West 37th Avenue Heather Lands 2020

November 2020 Heather Lands rezoning design at 4949-5255 Heather Street, Vancouver. (DIALOG/Canada Lands Company/MST)

jericho lands mst clc vancouver concept june 2023

June 2023 revised concept of the Jericho Lands. (MST Development Corporation/Canada Lands Company)

The Heather Lands project located west of Queen Elizabeth Park saw its rezoning application approved by the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council in June 2022. It will generate 2,600 homes, including 400 secured purpose-built rental homes and 540 social housing units.

On the other hand, the Jericho Lands project in West Point Grey is still in the early stages of the municipal government’s planning and application process. Before the end of 2023, City staff are expected to present to City Council the final policy statement for approval, which is the site-wide master plan that will guide the project’s future rezoning applications. In June 2023, a revised master plan called for a more ambitious concept of 13,000 homes for up to 24,000 residents and various types of commercial space for up to 3,000 jobs.

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