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On the southern edge of downtown Vancouver, the Squamish Nation is reshaping what urban housing can look like when it is grounded in Indigenous authority. The Sen̓áḵw development—built on reserve land at the foot of the Burrard Bridge—is not simply a housing project. It is a powerful expression of jurisdiction, economic strategy, and long-term vision. What makes Sen̓áḵw distinctive is that it operates outside the constraints that typically govern municipal development. Because the land is reserve land, the Squamish Nation is able to exercise its own planning authority. This has enabled a scale and density that would have been difficult—if not impossible—under city zoning rules. Thousands of rental homes are being constructed, in a city facing acute housing shortages, with revenues flowing back to the Nation. But Sen̓áḵw is not an isolated initiative. It sits within a broader ecosystem of Squamish-led housing approaches, including partnerships through entities such as Hiy̓ám̓ Housing and collaborations with regional housing organisations. Together, these initiatives reflect a shift from being positioned as recipients of housing policy to being architects of housing futures.  Importantly, the development also reflects a different set of priorities. While it is market-facing, it is underpinned by intergenerational thinking—creating a long-term revenue stream to support Squamish people, including housing, services, and wellbeing. It demonstrates how Indigenous governance can operate at scale in contemporary urban contexts, without relinquishing its grounding in land, people, and responsibility. At a time when housing systems across Aotearoa and globally are under strain, Sen̓áḵw offers more than a model—it offers a provocation. What becomes possible when Indigenous peoples are able to plan, build, and govern on their own terms? LinksSquamish Nation
Project Website - A Modern Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Village Joel MacManus, Spinoff - Inside the Canadian apartments redefining indigenous housing Squamish Community Housing Society Other Squamish housing projects
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