Largest Indigenous-led housing development to create thousands of rental units
Massive housing projects in Vancouver aim to address the city's housing crisis while restoring Indigenous culture and heritage, the Fast Company reported.
The Squamish Nation's Sen̓áḵw village, featuring 6,000 rental units and extensive green spaces, is set for completion by 2030 and is expected to generate up to $13 billion for the Nation.
Towering over a 10.5-acre site near downtown Vancouver, Sen̓áḵw will boast 6,000 rental units spread across 11 residential towers. Parks, commercial spaces, and an innovative waste-to-energy system aiming for net-zero emissions are all part of the ambitious plan.
“We have been out of sight and out of mind in our own village for 100 years,” Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams told FC in an interview. “Now we have a generational plan to bring everyone home.”
Expanding Indigenous development
Sen̓áḵw isn’t the only Indigenous-led project in Vancouver.
The MST Development Corporation, a joint venture between the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, oversees several large-scale projects, including 160 acres of developable land, valued at over $2 billion.
These developments will include thousands of housing units, commercial spaces, and community amenities.
Ginger Gosnell-Myers, a fellow at Simon Fraser University, highlighted the cultural and environmental benefits of these projects.
“It’s definitely poetic justice,” she said.
Sen̓áḵw, located on prime urban waterfront property, is exempt from Vancouver's zoning rules due to its status as a First Nation reserve. This has allowed for a dense development with towers ranging from 17 to 59 stories high.
“Sen̓áḵw is market-informed, and that includes the density necessary to build housing in Vancouver,” said Mindy Wight, CEO of Nch'ḵay̓ Development Corporation. "You see that in the embedding of cultural elements in the design and you see that in the integration of the Nation's views of sustainability and land management."
The architectural design of Sen̓áḵw’s residential towers will reflect traditional Squamish elements, incorporating cultural symbols and sustainable building practices. The development will feature net-zero emissions heating and mass timber construction, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
Future projects
Matt Shillito, Vancouver's interim planning director, noted that Sen̓áḵw will provide urgently needed rentals in a city facing high rents and low vacancy rates.
Twenty percent (20%) of Sen̓áḵw's units will be below market rate, with 250 reserved for Squamish members.
As these projects progress, Vancouver’s First Nations are becoming some of the largest developers in the country. Their efforts are reshaping the city’s real estate landscape while addressing housing needs and promoting Indigenous culture and heritage.
Wendy Grant, chair of the MST Development Corporation, highlighted how these projects are reviving historical alliances: "Working together is where our success has come from."
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