Canada's First Nations are constructing dense new housing in the country's most expensive city.
Canada faces a severe housing affordability crisis and the projects aim to help solve it.
Take a look at three of the ground-breaking developments.
Canada's First Nations are breaking new ground with several major housing developments in the city of Vancouver.
Like the US, Canada is facing a severe housing affordability crisis, in large part driven by a shortage of homes — and Vancouver has some of the highest housing costs in the country. These projects represent major strides in addressing disproportionate housing burdens on Canada's Indigenous communities, as Business Insider recently reported, as well as efforts to build generational wealth for tribe members.
One project minutes away from downtown Vancouver, being built by the Squamish Nation, will include 11 towers and 6,000 housing units. The Nation won back the 12 acres of land the project sits on about 20 years ago after their ancestors were forced off the land in the early 20th century.
In another set of projects, three First Nations - the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples - have come together to develop six piecesof land in Vancouver and its surroundings. Acquired over the past decade, the value of the land sits at $4 billion, according to Brennan Cook, vice president of the MST Development Corporation, the real-estate company representing the three First Nations.
"What they're doing here is groundbreaking, it really hasn't been done elsewhere," Cook recently told Business Insider.
Take a look at these projects and the future of housing in Vancouver.
This rendering of the Sen̓áḵw development under construction in Vancouver shows what it'll look like when completed.The Sen̓áḵw development in central Vancouver
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
The first three towers in Sen̓áḵw are scheduled to be completed by November 2025.The Sen̓áḵw development in Vancouver
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
Altogether, the development will have 11 towers with 6,000 housing units.The Sen̓áḵw development in Vancouver
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
As the land belongs to the Squamish Nation, rather than the Canadian government, speedier permits were granted for construction. The Sen̓áḵw development sitting across the city's False Creek
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
The 12 acres the development sits on originally belonged to the Squamish Nation, before they were driven off the land in 1913. View of the Sen̓áḵw development across the Burrad Street Bridge
The Squamish Nation won the land back in 2002. The Sen̓áḵw development in central Vancouver
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
Mindy Wight, the CEO of the Squamish development group, described the project as "a modern Squamish village." The Sen̓áḵw development in Vancouver
Courtesy of the Squamish Nation
Jericho Lands is another First Nations-led housing development being planned in Vancouver. Jericho Lands development
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
The 90-acre development is slated to house up to 18,000 people. Jericho Lands development
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
The building process will occur in phases and is expected to take 20-30 years. Jericho Lands development
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
Jericho Lands will be situated in Vancouver's West Point Grey neighborhood, known for its mountain views and popular beaches. Jericho Lands development
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
Heather Street Lands is another development led by the MST Partnership between the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Heather Street Lands
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
The project sits on 21 acres and will have 2,600 homes. Heather Street Lands
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
Heather Street Lands will be located near Queen Elizabeth Park, the highest point in Vancouver. Heather Street Lands
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
The development will offer 99-year leases, instead of selling any property outright. Heather Street Lands
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
With that strategy, the hope is for Heather Lands to be an "economic engine" for the tribes leading development, explained Brennan Cook, the vice president of the MST Development Corporation. Heather Street Lands
Courtesy of MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company
