Indigenous Housing
The City of Surrey is in dire need of housing for Indigenous people living in Surrey. Through our research detailed in our Finding Our Way Home Report, we know 1 in 26 Indigenous people in Surrey experience homelessness, compared to 1 in 239 non-Indigenous people. While Surrey’s urban Indigenous population is comparable to Vancouver, Surrey has less than one-fifth the number of Indigenous units as Vancouver.
SUILC is advocating for 800 units of deeply affordable housing for single parent Indigenous families by 2031, the increase of Indigenous non-market housing units in Surrey and the creation of a healthy ecosystem of Indigenous housing providers in Surrey.
Indigenous Gathering Space
The City of Surrey is the fastest growing municipality in British Columbia. However, unlike other cities in British Columbia the size of Surrey, Surrey does not have an Indigenous gathering place.
SUILC is advocating for an Indigenous gathering place that accommodates large cultural gatherings, a place to provide services, a place that can facilitate and support social and cultural connections, a place that gives visibility to the Indigenous community in Surrey.
Indigenous Youth Programming
Research and community engagement has shown that Indigenous youth in the City of Surrey face barriers at greater rates than non-Indigenous youth in Surrey. SUILC has conducted research on exemplary programs that are working for Indigenous youth in other parts of Canada and internationally. This research has shown that Indigenous youth benefit most when programs are youth-led, wholistic, intergenerational, and offers opportunities for (re)connection to community and culture.
Skookum Surrey has done extensive engagement with Indigenous youth in Surrey. We are creating a platform to uplift our youth and have their voices heard. We will continue to work alongside our Indigenous youth and advocate for programs that will best meet their needs.
