Bringing Our People Home
Squamish Nation Sets Plans to Build 1,000 Affordable Homes for Squamish People by 2028
The Squamish Nation has some incredibly exciting news to share about a project that's close to our hearts - our commitment to build 1,000 secure and affordable homes for our people. This initiative is a giant leap toward addressing our community's housing needs and bringing our Squamish People home.
As you may know, the Squamish Nation has been tirelessly working to bring our Squamish People home quickly and effectively. Currently, we have four hundred new apartments under development, but we recognize that the need for housing remains pressing. We require approximately one thousand additional homes to meet our goal of housing all Squamish People within a generation.
Fast-Tracking Our Housing Vision
We've decided to accelerate our timeline thanks to favourable political and economic conditions and unprecedented funding opportunities. We aim to have an additional six hundred homes under construction by 2025. The reasons behind this decision are compelling:
Housing Demand: The Eslhílhkw’iws Chet (Squamish Nation Census) completed in 2022 to 2023 has conveyed an immediate need for more member housing on Squamish lands, supported by data illustrating the number of member households seeking to return home.
Regional Housing Crisis: Our region faces a housing crisis with soaring interest rates making homeownership increasingly unattainable and rents costs intensifying
Funding Support: We are fortunate to access significant funding sources for housing and housing-related infrastructure development, including the Housing Accelerator Fund through CMHC and upcoming Community Housing Fund and Indigenous Housing Fund intakes through BC Housing.
Building the Path Forward
To achieve our housing goals, we propose creating a "Build 600 Affordable Homes Action Plan." This comprehensive plan will define member housing needs, assess potential sites, develop prioritization criteria, identify funding sources, and map out the necessary steps to make it happen.
To accomplish this, we’ve set a goal to build 350 affordable homes on the North Shore, 150 homes in the Squamish Valley, and another 100 homes to be built in locations to be determined. The goal is for all of these homes at a mix of rents that are affordable to the tenant.
What the Census Reveals
Our recently completed Census provides invaluable insights into member housing needs:
75% of Squamish People not living on our First Nation reserve lands wish to move home - approximately 1,650 individuals. We've determined that 600 additional homes are needed to accommodate these Squamish People.
Among those wishing to move home, 55% are concerned that housing is or will not be available.
Location preferences:
63% wish to live on the North Shore,
21% in the Squamish Valley, and
16% elsewhere on Nation lands.
Timing matters:
42% wish to move within one year,
29% within five years,
10% in ten years, and
19% in another timeframe.
On the waiting list for subsidized housing, 84% have been waiting for 7 or more years.
For those considering leaving Squamish lands, 40% cite a lack of housing meeting their needs, followed by 25% citing a lack of affordable housing.
A New Approach to Housing
For the past four decades, we've primarily provided housing through single-family dwellings. While this approach has its merits, it has limitations:
Based on our current waitlist, this method would take at least 100 years to house all waiting Squamish People, assuming sufficient land could be found.
Not all Squamish People find single-family homes suitable or desirable.
Our existing approach requires more land and resources than we have available.
In response to these challenges, we've diversified our housing efforts. In 2019, the Squamish Nation created Hiy̓ám̓ Housing and developed 400 apartment homes. On the Squamish Nation lands on the North Shore, nearly 147 apartments are under construction, with occupancy expected from fall 2023 to fall 2024. In Squamish Valley, 30 apartments are under construction with occupancy expected in fall 2023. In the City of Vancouver, approximately 125 apartments in the Sen̓áḵw Development will be set aside for use by Squamish People, with another 175 to come in Phases 3 and 4 of the development.
This shift to large-scale construction of multi-family dwelling homes is a game-changer that brings us closer to our housing objectives.
Setting the Definition of Affordable
Affordable housing isn't a one-size-fits-all concept; it's about housing that's genuinely within reach for different groups of people. Depending on your financial situation, it can mean various rental rates that make living more accessible for everyone.
Let's break it down with some real-world examples in 2023 numbers:
🏡 Income Assistance Rates: For those relying on income assistance, affordable rents translate to as little as $375 for a cozy studio or one-bedroom, $570 for a comfortable two-bedroom, and just $650 for a spacious three-bedroom.
📈 Rent Geared to Income: In this scenario, your rent is tailored to your income, ensuring that you're never stretched too thin. Picture paying just $850 for a studio, $960 for a one-bedroom, $1,208 for a two-bedroom, or $1,400 for a three-bedroom, all based on your gross income.
🌆 Vancouver's Reality: We understand the challenges of living in a vibrant city like Vancouver. Affordable housing here means rents set at 80% of the city's average rates. That's $1,167 for a studio, $1,429 for a one-bedroom, $1,961 for a two-bedroom, and $2,720 for a spacious three-bedroom. These rates are a game-changer compared to the current market averages, which can range from $1,500 to $3,400.
At Squamish Nation, our commitment goes beyond just providing roofs over heads. We're dedicated to setting rents that genuinely suit the diverse income levels within our Squamish households.
An Ambitious Timeline
On August 17th, 2023, the Squamish Nation Council approved plans and a timeline to have 600 more homes constructed by 2025. This ambitious goal requires teamwork, responsive funding, timely negotiations, and other crucial inputs. Success will depend on coordination with ongoing work on the Housing Policy Framework and land use strategies.
A Bright Future Ahead
In his book "Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America," New York Times writer Conor Dougherty wrote, “Every problem is a housing problem.” In the Squamish Nation, we understand the power that a safe, secure, and affordable home provides to create a life for the individual and the collective. When I was first elected in 2017, I made it my mission to end the housing crisis in my Nation, and I’m proud to say that we’ve set the stage for us to see that dream come true.