No Recourse: How Systemic Racism in BC Has Left Indigenous and Homeless Communities Defenseless
Vancouver’s latest attempt to remove Indigenous people from the Downtown Eastside (DTES) is not an isolated incident—it is part of a long, racist pattern enabled by government policies that provide no recourse for those affected. This is not just about Mayor Ken Sim’s leaked memo; it’s about how governments at every level have ensured that marginalized people—especially Indigenous communities—have no way to fight back.
The Dismantling of the BC Human Rights Commission
One of the biggest blows to justice in BC happened in 2002, when Premier Gordon Campbell dismantled the BC Human Rights Commission. Before this, the Commission had the power to investigate systemic discrimination and hold governments accountable for policies that disproportionately harmed marginalized groups.
- Without a Human Rights Commission, Indigenous and homeless people had no independent body to challenge discriminatory policies like forced removals, housing barriers, and racist policing.
- BC was the only province in Canada without a Human Rights Commission for nearly 15 years, until it was finally reinstated in 2019—but by then, the damage was done.
- In the meantime, governments, corporations, and police forces acted with impunity, pushing policies that disproportionately harmed Indigenous people.
COVID-19: Displacement and Death in a “Health Crisis”
When COVID-19 hit, the government had an opportunity to finally address homelessness and housing insecurity. Instead, they did the opposite.
- Encampment Evictions: Homeless encampments in Vancouver and Victoria were forcefully dismantled under the guise of “public health” while offering no real alternatives for housing.
- Selective Support: The government rushed to house middle-class people returning from vacations but left homeless and Indigenous people to die in the streets.
- Overdose Crisis Ignored: While COVID-19 funding poured in, the opioid crisis—which kills mostly Indigenous and poor people—was treated as an afterthought.
COVID revealed what we already knew: homeless lives are disposable to the government.
Ukraine Refugees: Housing for Some, Nothing for Others
In 2022, Canada opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees—offering them expedited visas, financial support, and housing assistance that homeless Canadians had never received.
- Airbnbs and Hotels Opened Up: While BC’s homeless population was told there was “no available housing,” Airbnb hosts and hotels quickly found space for Ukrainian refugees.
- Government Assistance Flowed Freely: While people in the DTES died in tents, Ukrainians arriving in Canada received housing subsidies, job placement programs, and emergency benefits.
- BC Housing Remained Useless: The very agency meant to address housing—BC Housing—was completely absent in supporting local homeless populations.
Let’s be clear: refugees deserve support. But the way Canada selectively provides housing, based on race and nationality, exposes its deep-rooted racism. Indigenous people, whose land this is, are still homeless in their own country.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): A System Built for White Soldiers, Not for Everyone
When Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) was created in 1946, it wasn’t meant for everyone.
- It was designed to help returning white soldiers find homes after WWII—not Indigenous people, not racialized communities, and certainly not the poor.
- Over the decades, CMHC policies have helped middle-class and wealthy homeowners while failing to support low-income renters or the homeless.
- The federal government gutted funding for social housing in the 1990s, leaving provinces like BC to pick up the slack—and they failed miserably.
BC Housing: A Bureaucratic Failure
BC Housing, the provincial agency responsible for affordable housing, is a disaster.
- Millions in funding go to administrative costs, not real housing solutions.
- The waitlist for social housing is years long, leaving people on the streets.
- It prioritizes "low-cost market housing" over actually helping the homeless.
Meanwhile, the government has no problem giving tax breaks to real estate developers and Airbnb owners—proving that they care more about profits than people.
Where Do We Go From Here?
- Reinstate a powerful, independent BC Human Rights Commission that can investigate racist housing policies and hold governments accountable.
- Ban Airbnb-style rentals that take away housing stock while people die on the streets.
- Demand real funding for Indigenous-led housing initiatives, instead of giving money to bureaucratic agencies that do nothing.
- Call out the hypocrisy—when the government says there’s “no housing,” yet thousands of refugees find homes overnight, we need to ask why.
Final Thought: The Cycle of Racism Must End
From Gordon Campbell’s dismantling of human rights protections, to COVID-19 neglect, to the selective housing of Ukrainian refugees, we see the same story repeated:
- The government finds housing when it wants to.
- It makes excuses when it doesn’t.
- Indigenous and homeless lives remain at the bottom of their priorities.
It’s time to break this cycle—because housing isn’t just about policy, it’s about who the government believes deserves to live.
