How are we working together?
The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs is dedicated to advancing the Province’s commitments to true, lasting and meaningful reconciliation, and to implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
The ministry and BC Housing work together to deliver a wide range of Indigenous housing programs, available on- and off-reserve, including the Indigenous Housing Fund and the Community Housing Fund. In 2018, B.C. became the first province in Canada to invest in First Nations’ housing on reserve, a federal jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2024, the Indigenous Housing Fund has 3,227 homes complete or underway, with 1,303 of those on reserve. Additionally, the Community Housing Fund has 1,338 homes complete or under way for Indigenous Peoples, with 341 of those being on reserve.
Further programs available to fund Indigenous housing projects include the Supportive Housing Fund and the Women’s Transition Housing Fund. These homes are serving Indigenous youth, single people, families, women and children fleeing violence, seniors, Elders and those experiencing homelessness.
The ministry has dedicated resources that support meaningful engagement and consultation on ministry initiatives, including legislation, regulations, policies and programs. This includes working with Indigenous leadership organizations, such as the First Nations Leadership Council, Métis Nation BC and the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations, on key provincial initiatives.
Notable examples of innovative housing solutions the ministry has advanced with Indigenous partners include the Attainable Housing Initiative with the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation where thousands of first-time home buyers will have the opportunity to purchase a home at an initial 40% below market value at the Heather Lands in Vancouver, and the ministry’s partnership with First Nations like the Cowichan Tribes on the BC Builds program, which aims to lower construction costs, speed up timelines and deliver more homes that middle-income people can afford.
Are there challenges?
In 2018, the Province invested into on-reserve housing to support First Nations in B.C. whose housing needs were not being met by the federal government, despite on-reserve housing being of federal jurisdiction. The Province requires funding support from the federal government to secure B.C.’s share of funding announced in the last federal budget and associated with expected initiatives including the national Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy and a proposed national for-Indigenous-by-Indigenous Housing Centre, to advance and advocate for B.C. Indigenous housing priorities.
There is a need for increased collaboration and alignment of programs and funding between government systems to work together to provide affordable, long-lasting housing on- and off-reserve across the province, and a need for federal support for on-reserve infrastructure. There are many systemic challenges associated with Indigenous housing in B.C. These challenges include ongoing impacts of colonialism, poorly built homes on-reserve and a lack of utilities and infrastructure to enable the improvements these homes require, serious over-crowding in homes, particularly on-reserve, leading to faster deterioration of homes and inadequate living conditions, a lack of energy efficiency and weather-proofed homes, specifically for homes on-reserve in more northern and remote communities, and a significant need for more affordable housing for Indigenous Peoples across B.C.
Highlights
In May 2024, the Province announced the opening of 34 rental homes in Sechelt. Located at 5573 Sunshine Coast Hwy., the project is the result of a partnership between the Province, through BC Housing, the federal government, through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the shíshálh Nation. The building is named Our House of Clans, representing the interdependence and co-operation of the five clans of the shíshálh Nation: bear, frog, orca, wolf and eagle. Our House of Clans is constructed on land that is sacred to the shíshálh Nation. It is the site of the former St. Augustine’s Indian Residential School administration buildings.
A Reconciliation Plaza will house a totem called Carving Tears Into Dreams of Reconciliation, created by the late shíshálh master carver Tony Paul. The totem was developed and organized by the syiyaya Reconciliation Movement, with more than 1,500 people assisting with the carving.
In September 2024, it was announced that thousands of first-time home buyers will have the opportunity to purchase a home at an initial 40% below market value at the Heather Lands in Vancouver, made possible through an innovative financing initiative envisioned by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, delivered in partnership with the Province. The Attainable Housing Initiative will see approximately 2,600 homes being built at the Heather Lands. The initiative was proposed by the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation as a meaningful way for the Nations to harness economic, cultural and social benefits from their land holdings by strategically partnering with other levels of government. The partnership will include Nations providing the land and the Province contributing up to $672 million.
Previous years’ progress
Highlights
To achieve the Province’s target of building 3,500 new housing units for Indigenous Peoples on- and off- reserve across British Columbia, the Ministry of Housing is working to strengthen existing partnerships, build new relationships, and advance housing projects that support Indigenous leadership, input, and participation throughout the housing sector and across all Ministry initiatives. The Ministry of Housing is making good progress on its commitments with 1,559 units of new social housing completed or underway as of December 31, 2023. These units are all part of the Indigenous Housing Fund.
A call for proposals for the next round of projects under the Indigenous housing fund closed on May 15, 2024. Projects initiated through this funding call will result in additional progress toward the Ministry’s target of building 3,500 units of Indigenous housing on and off reserve. Other Indigenous affiliated units underway or completed as of December 31, 2023, include: 1,063 units through the community housing fund, 270 units through the supportive housing fund, 55 units through the women’s transitional housing fund, and 261 units through the deepening affordability program.
The Ministry of Housing is working hard to consult and engage First Nations, the First Nations Leadership Council, Métis Nation B.C., and the Alliance of BC Modern Treaty Nations in a meaningful way on housing legislation, policy, regulations, programs and projects. The Ministry has formally engaged on several different legislative, regulatory and programmatic initiatives, including a number of items since the beginning of 2024, and has received thoughtful input and feedback from partners that has resulted in meaningful progress.
An example of progress on this action includes work with kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation. In December 2023, members of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation moved into 14 new homes with the opening of an affordable rental development on kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation’s ancient village site called slakəyánc, which means “young sockeye” in the Nation’s hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. The new development is comprised of two three-story buildings and a one-bedroom building. There is a mix of one-bedroom, one-bedroom-plus-den, three- and four-bedroom homes to support families of different sizes. With this opening, more people from the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation can live in their home community connected to family and culture. These homes are the first project to be completed by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation under its historic Land Code passed in 2020, which transferred the management of reserve lands from the Government of Canada back to the Nation. The housing will be operated by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation Housing Society, a non-profit housing provider owned by the Nation. This housing development received funding through the Indigenous housing fund.
How are we working together?
In late 2023, the Ministry of Housing created the Indigenous housing partnerships team. The goal of the team is to align the Ministry’s engagement and consultation approach with the spirit, intent, and implementation of the Declaration Act. The role of the team is to provide strategic advice and support to Ministry and BC Housing staff in their engagement and consultation efforts on housing legislation, policy, regulations, programs and projects. The team is also responsible for building strong partnerships with leadership organizations while continuing to advance progress on Indigenous housing mandate commitments and the Declaration Act.
The Ministry of Housing engages and consults with First Nations, Modern Treaty Nations, Métis and Indigenous housing and leadership organizations on the development of significant provincial initiatives, such as the development of the belonging in BC homelessness plan and the downtown eastside partnership plan, as well as on key pieces of legislation. Together with BC Housing, the Ministry of Housing also works with local communities and leaders when implementing HEART and HEARTH programs, which provide support for Indigenous-led responses and culturally safe services.
BC Housing works with First Nations, Métis, Métis Nation BC, local health authorities and Indigenous serving non-profit partners, and continues to engage with First Nations and Métis on active and proposed projects and meets to discuss housing opportunities on and off reserve. A request for proposal for the Indigenous housing fund (IHF) was announced in November 2023 and closed in May 2024. The IHF program is aimed at Indigenous families, seniors, individuals, and people living with disabilities, on and off reserve. B.C. became the first province in Canada to invest provincial housing funds on-reserve, which is a federal jurisdiction. Since 2018, BC Housing opened all Building BC funding programs to applications from First Nations and Indigenous organizations.
As well, BC Housing has engaged with First Nations, Métis, and housing sector organizations over many years. BC Housing will be sustaining such strategic engagements as it moves into more collaboration and co-creation with these partners. BC Housing continues to consult with First Nations and Métis on active and proposed projects and meets to discuss housing opportunities on- and off- reserve. One example is the shelter and supportive housing at 1275 7th Avenue in Hope, in which BC Housing has been engaging with First Nation communities and the First Nations Health Authority to ensure services, design and opportunities for cultural practices are made available for First Nations tenants and shelter guests.
Are there challenges?
There are a number of systemic challenges associated with Indigenous housing in B.C., including those related to the ongoing impacts of colonialism, issues regarding infrastructure required to support housing particularly on reserve, and a need for greater federal support with respect to funding and programming. Related to the delivery of housing, supply chain shortages, difficulty sourcing qualified labour, and inflationary construction costs all affect the timelines and project success for housing across the province.
Highlights
Budget 2023 and the new Homes for People action plan announced the Province’s commitment to provide $1.3 billion over ten years (2023-2033) to double the construction of new Indigenous housing units from 1,750 to 3,500. This is on top of the $550 million over 10 years to invest in Indigenous housing provided through Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF). As of March 31, 2023, 87% of the original goal has been achieved.
The IHF is aimed at Indigenous families, seniors, individuals and persons living with a disability both on- and off-reserve. B.C. became the first province in Canada to invest provincial housing funds on-reserve, which is federal jurisdiction. Since 2018, BC Housing opened all Building BC funding programs to applications from Indigenous people.
Indicators
- Number of new social housing units: 1,519 units of new social housing units completed or underway as of March 31, 2023.
- Number of other Indigenous affiliated units: 1,084 units through the Community Housing Fund; 275 units through the Supportive Housing Fund; 55 units through the Women’s Transitional Housing Fund; and 261 units through the Deep Affordability Program underway or completed as of March 31, 2023.
How are we working together?
BC Housing has been engaging Indigenous partners and sector organizations over many years on strategic initiatives, such as the development of its reconciliation strategy and Indigenous design guidelines. BC Housing will be sustaining such strategic engagements as it finalizes its formal Reconciliation Strategy and moves into more collaboration and co-creation with communities as it implements the various strategy actions.
BC Housing continues to consult with Indigenous partners on active and proposed projects and meets to discuss housing opportunities both on and off reserve. One example is the shelter and supportive housing located at 1275 7th Avenue in Hope. BC Housing has been engaging with First Nation communities and the First Nations Health Authority to ensure services, design and opportunities for cultural practices are made available for Indigenous tenants and shelter guests.
Are there challenges?
This action item was identified as having no challenges at time of reporting. Further Annual Report updates may change this action’s challenge icon status indicator.