Squamish Nation Emergency Housing Project

In partnership with the Squamish Nation, Renewal Development helped give a structurally sound North Vancouver home a second life, this time, as emergency transitional housing for Indigenous families in need.

Originally located in Edgemont Village, the 1,200 SQFT home was slated for demolition as part of a redevelopment. Through our Renewal Removal service, Renewal stepped in to assess, deconstruct and dispose of the non-moveable lower level, and relocate the salvageable upper floor to Capilano 5 reserve, on Squamish Nation land near the Lion’s Gate Bridge.

Now repurposed to provide safe and dignified shelter for Squamish Nation members in crisis, including displaced families, single parents, or individuals recovering from house fires, the home reflects a deeper commitment to both sustainability, housing equity, and supporting communities in need.

This initiative builds on Renewal’s long-standing relationship with the Squamish Nation and follows in the footsteps of our 2023 collaboration to relocate and retrofit the historic Little Yellow Schoolhouse into a Squamish early childhood Learning Nest.

The Environmental benefit of saving this 1,200 SQFT home:

  • Approximately 40 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided

  • Over 32,000 kg of construction material diverted from landfill

  • Roughly 50 tonnes of embodied carbon preserved

By reusing the structure instead of demolishing it, the project:

  • Reduced landfill waste and construction emissions

  • Delivered a usable housing unit more quickly and at a greater cost savings over new construction

  • Preserved embodied carbon and extended the useful life of a well-built home

Community Context & Policy Momentum

The repurposed home is part of the Nation’s broader housing strategy, which includes the recently completed 55-unit Estítkw building, designed to bring Squamish members back to their ancestral lands and reconnect with culture.

“This house will provide much-needed shelter to Squamish People in times of great need… It will be an inviting and safe place to stay in an emergency.”

— Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams), Squamish Nation council member

The project has also helped spark conversations about local policy change. Inspired by this and other projects, District of North Vancouver councillors have proposed demolition permit rebates to encourage more developers to consider reuse before resorting to teardown.

“A lot of these homes, they were built very, very well in the 1950s… If there’s land available, and certainly partnering with the nations, there is an opportunity to move these homes nearby.”

— Coun. Lisa Muri, District of North Vancouver

A Repeatable Model

Renewal has relocated several homes to non-urban or Indigenous communities across British Columbia since 2020. In every case, we’ve proven that responsible removal and reuse can deliver affordable housing outcomes, sustainable development practices, and support culturally meaningful community partnerships.

At Renewal Development, we believe that with the right partners, timelines, and tools, affordability and sustainability can work together. And when they do, they create real impact.