Tackling racial inequality in Vancouver’s housing crisis: a new community research initiative
The CCPA-BC, in partnership with a diverse coalition of community organizations, is launching a new research project titled “Metro Vancouver’s Colour-Coded Housing Market.” Funded by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancity, this initiative seeks to shed light on the racialized dimensions of Vancouver’s housing crisis and to develop data-driven housing policies that prioritize both racial equity and decolonization.
Why this project matters
The housing crisis—while widely recognized—has not been adequately addressed in terms of its uneven impact on racialized and Indigenous communities. The lack of research on the racial dimensions of the housing crisis has hindered the ability of Indigenous, Black and racialized communities in Metro Vancouver to advocate effectively for their needs and to challenge the policies and practices that perpetuate inequality.
This project recognizes that the challenges faced by racialized communities and the struggle for Indigenous sovereignty are not separate issues but are intertwined in the context of colonialism. We will explore the interconnected issues of the exploitation and commodification of land, labour and housing.
The project will be collaboratively designed with our community partners including, among others, representatives from the the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), the BC Federation of Labour (BCFED), the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), the Canadian Union of Public Employees BC (CUPE-BC), the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), MOSAIC, the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), West Coast LEAF (WCLEAF), as well as academics from Simon Fraser University’s Geography department and the University of British Columbia’s Allard Law School.
The impact we hope to achieve
There is an urgency to bring an intersectional, decolonial lens to understand housing inequality in British Columbia.
In the context of the BC government’s commitment to the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) on the one hand and to address racial inequality on the other, housing policies must be informed both by decolonial practice and better data on racial inequality.
This project aims to deliver substantive new data and analysis that will empower our community partners to speak to housing equity issues with governments and in the public arena. We hope to contribute to setting a new agenda for equitable housing policy in this city that can serve as a model throughout the province.
Topics: First Nations & Indigenous, Housing & homelessness, Immigrants & refugees, Law & legal issues, Municipalities, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Racism & racial justice
