Shshlh Nation rescues, relocates 10 houses slated for demolition

Ten homes will be saved from demolition and bargedto the shshlh Nation next week in what one company is calling a "revolutionary housing solution."

Fifty-nine homesin Port Moody, B.C., just east of Vancouver, were set to be demolished to make way for a large-scale high-rise development. The shshlh Nation is working with Renewal Development to move 10of themto the communityabout 53 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.

"We're trying to look at ways that we are building good, strong homes and looking at how we can expedite the process," said lhe hiwus (Chief) Yalxwmeult Lenora Joe.

Joe said housing is currently their top priority, with200peoplewaiting for a home.

"We have a lot of multiple families living in one home or they're living outside the community and they're renting a home at an outrageous price," said Joe.

The homes will be moved to the nation's Selma Park subdivision project, where Joe said they currently have room to build 77 homes.Renewal Development willupgrade themto be more energy efficient.

She saidthe estimated costto build new homes for thesubdivision wasupwards of $450,000 per home. Joe said the cost of rescuing these homes is about half that, at about $200,000 per home.

"It's just a significant savings which allows us to bring in double the amount of homes that we need to bring in," said Joe.

Houses to be moved to barge overnight

Glyn Lewis, CEO of Renewal Development, said starting April 2up to three homes at a time will be moved overnight from Port Moody south to the Fraser River, where they will be put on a barge.

The barge will travel through Howe Sound to the Skookumchuck Narrows and into Porpoise Bay, where they will be put back onto a truck and takento the subdivision.

"The longer you're on the road, the more challenging the move is, but as soon as you get it to water, the easier it is to save and relocate a home," said Lewis.

"A lot of the Indigenous communities that we've been building relationships with have land very close to water, which makes it easier for them to receive these homes."

Last year, Lewis's company worked with the Squamish Nation to move a century-old schoolhouse that was set to be demolished from the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver to Xwemelch'stn(Capilano reserve), on the North Shore.

"Shshlh Nation is really blazing a new trail here and I can't give them enough credit for leaning into what is an innovativebut also I would almost call it revolutionary housing solution," said Lewis.

Data from the 2021 Census indicated thatpeople in First Nations communities are four times more likely to live in crowded housing and six times more likely to live in housing in need of major repair than non-Indigenous people.

Joe said they haveapplied for a number of federal and provincial grants to cover the costof theproject.B.C.'s housing minister said in a statement to CBCIndigenousthat they are still in talks with the First Nation about the relocation of the homes and have not yet finalized a budget.

Joe said shshlh Nation currently has about 179 homes and a membership of about 1,700 people, of which about 700 members live outside the Sunshine Coast. They have not yet chosen families to live in the relocated homes, but Joe said the selection will bebased on need and income.

The houses are scheduled to be ready by the end of the year.