Jeff Mesina and his spouse were poised to embark on a new life journey. Recently married and eager to start a family, they aspired to own a spacious home suitable for raising children — a place with room to play, perhaps with both front and backyard spaces.
However, in the exorbitant housing market of Metro Vancouver, this dream felt unattainable.
“Vancouver, Burnaby, any of the Lower Mainland cities [in B.C.] were just unaffordable,” Mesina informed CBC’s Cost of Living.
Then, a single lead changed their outlook. His partner, employed in real estate marketing, discovered an Indigenous-led housing development on Tsawwassen First Nation territory, located south of Vancouver.
There, newly constructed homes were being sold at around $300 per square foot — significantly lower than the regional average of $1,000 — and offered via a 99-year leasehold agreement where the First Nation retains land ownership beneath the homes. Mesina highlighted that this lease duration was sufficient for their lifetime and retained resale value.
The couple purchased a presale home in 2013 and settled in two years later, just in time to welcome their first child that June.
Throughout the nation, various First Nations near or within urban areas are spearheading significant housing projects — endeavors that some believe make homeownership and quality rental housing more accessible to a wider demographic, while also fostering Indigenous economic advancement.
One of the largest initiatives is Sen̓áḵw, a substantial development on Squamish Nation territory in Vancouver. Upon completion, it will comprise over 6,000 rental units spanning 11 towers.
In Alberta, the Taza project on Tsuut’ina Nation land near Calgary spans approximately 190 hectares and will encompass three interconnected villages, with 6,500 residences planned in its initial phase.
Further housing developments are in progress at Naawi-Oodena by the Treaty One Nations in Winnipeg, and at the Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia.
Possessing a residence on First Nations land
Michael Janes, an economist and a doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria focusing on First Nations economic progress
