A landmark Indigenous-led, mixed-use housing development is underway in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that’s set to bring 150 rental homes, 25 supportive housing and 80 shelter beds to market by late 2025. Named Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum, which means “to gather, good spirits”, the cojoined towers will prioritize Indigenous residents and include larger family-oriented homes, ceremonial space, support services, and other key amenities.

Construction on the $97-million project kicked off more than a year ago, but the vision originated in 2009, when Susan Tatoosh, executive director at Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS), became a force for combatting housing insecurity in the beleaguered Eastside neighbourhood. Located at 1607 East Hastings Street, VACFS’s headquarters has long been rooted in the highest concentration of Indigenous Peoples in Vancouver, offering an array of services from the Centre including health and welfare programs, cultural education, human rights advocacy and recreational activities.

While Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum is a huge undertaking for VACFS compared to past housing projects, it’s also a symbol of hope—and a testament to what can be achieved with a strong vision, strong leadership, and a shared commitment to tackling  Vancouver’s homeless crisis. The project is the result of a partnership between the Province of BC, the federal government, the City of Vancouver, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, and VAFCS, with development support from Western Canadian Properties Group and M’akola Development Services.

“We are proud to work in partnership to demonstrate ‘Reconciliation in Action’ and our shared commitment to upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by providing culturally safe, affordable and accessible housing that is operated by and for Indigenous Peoples,” Tatoosh said at the ground-breaking ceremony in August 2023. “We are excited to welcome community members to an environment where Indigenous placemaking is prioritized and our community members see themselves when they walk through the door.”

Operations and funding

When complete, Ho’-kee-melh Kloshe Lum will feature a café and a Klatawa DIY bike shop—both to be operated by VAFCS in addition to the supportive and affordable homes. Residents and visitors will have access to a courtyard, a rooftop multi-purpose room and a multi-level day centre offering a library, an art studio, counselling spaces and other services.

Funding-wise, $57.27 million was supplied through BC Housing, including $34 million through the Supportive Housing Fund and $23 million in Affordable Rental Housing grant funding. The federal government provided $22 million, including $19 million in co-investment funding through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and $3 million from the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund. The City of Vancouver contributed $4.6 million in combined grants and fee waivers, as well as the land for the project, which was valued at $13.3 million under a nominal-fee leasehold agreement.

Since 2017, M’akola Development Services (MDS) has been working with VAFCS and BC Housing as a development consultant on the project, helping to guide future programs that will support guests and residents on their journey to wellness, stability and independence. The development was designed by Low Hammond Rowe Architects, a Victoria-based partnership specializing in large residential projects throughout BC.

Susan Tatoosh is an Elder of Shuswap ancestry and a member of the Hupacaseth First Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Territory.

More Indigenous housing projects coming to B.C.

In other development news, more than 1,600 new affordable rental homes are coming to British Columbia for Indigenous people, both on and off reserves. The homes are part of the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF), a $1.7-billion provincial program, administered by BC Housing to support the government’s target of delivering 3,500 homes for Indigenous families, elders, individuals and people with disabilities.

The new homes will include 41 on- and off-reserve projects that will provide 1,662 affordable rental homes; this includes 667 on-reserve homes for First Nations members and 995 off-reserve homes for Indigenous people.

When the IHF was launched in 2018, B.C. became the first and only province in Canada to invest in First Nations’ housing on reserve, a federal jurisdiction. With this latest project selection, more than 3,220 IHF homes are now open or underway.

“With each new home built through the Indigenous Housing Fund, we are taking meaningful action to address the critical need for culturally supportive shelter and foster a lasting vision of community and resilience for First Nations in British Columbia,” said Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the BC Assembly of First Nations.

Through the Indigenous Social Housing Management Agreement, operating agreements with off-reserve Indigenous non-profit housing organizations will be administered by the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). AHMA is the first for Indigenous, by Indigenous housing authority established in Canada. Its members manage more than 95 per cent of all Indigenous-housing units located off reserve in B.C.

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