Urban Indigenous Housing in British Columbia
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This project builds on findings from a four-month study conducted by Breton and Low in partnership with the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), examining municipal responses to urban Indigenous housing needs.
Jump to Research OutputsIs municipal planning responsive to Indigenous housing needs in British Columbia?
This project builds on a four-month study examining municipal responses to urban Indigenous housing needs within Official Community Plans (OCPs) and Housing Strategies. That study found that although municipalities express a desire to engage in reconciliation, most do not address urban Indigenous housing needs within their OCP or Housing Strategy.
Project Lead(s):
Home Organization:
University of British Columbia
Other Participants:
Penny Gurstein, Cleo Breton
Community Partner:
Aboriginal Housing Management Association
Funding Stream:
Community-Focused Project
Project Status:
Completed
Background
While there is extensive literature on Indigenous housing on-reserve, and a growing body of research on urban Indigenous housing experiences, an analysis of municipalities’ responses to urban Indigenous housing needs in BC through policy and planning remains limited. Building on prior findings with additional survey and interview data, this project focused on pubilshing an academic paper expanding the depth of the research and addressing this gap in a prominent academic journal.
Methodology
The project data sample included 30 municipalities within BC. Data were collected through a content analysis of municipal documents, surveys, and interviews with municipal planning staff who had experience or in-depth knowledge of the processes undertaken to create their municipality’s OCP or Housing Strategy.
Results
The project produced evidence based outputs such as a podcast episode, journal article in the Canadian Journal of Urban Research, and a presentation. This project successfully identified three significant challenges for municipalities in addressing urban Indigenous housing needs: 1) lack of financial and human resources, 2) ambiguity over whether Indigenous housing needs are distinct, and 3) uncertainty around the role and jurisdiction of municipal governments.
Research Outputs
Existing reports, presentation materials, podcasts, webinar recordings, and research summaries.
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Episode 14: Indigenous-led Housing
Podcast
Learn moreWhat does Indigenous housing look like? Are there special forms of housing needed by Indigenous communities in particular to address specific health and community needs? And what kind of housing can be built when Indigenous people in charge of the plans? In this episode of the Overhead, we try to address each of these questions.
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Is Municipal Planning Responsive to Indigenous Housing Needs? An Examination of Housing Plans and Policies in British Columbia
Journal Article in Canadian Journal of Urban Research
Learn moreThis article explores how municipalities in British Columbia are addressing urban Indigenous housing needs through Official Community Plans and housing strategies. Drawing on document analysis, surveys, and interviews, the research identifies key barriers and calls for Indigenous-led, place-based approaches to municipal housing policy as part of meaningful reconciliation.
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How BC municipalities respond to urban Indigenous housing needs
Presentation
Learn moreDr. Maggie Low presented her research on how municipal housing plans in British Columbia address urban Indigenous housing needs at UBC’s School of City and Regional Planning.
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