Photo: Jimmy Jeong/The Narwhal
The day Margaret Wanyoike moved into an affordable apartment in New Westminster, British Columbia, her son asked her “Mom, is this the way that rich people breathe when they are in the house?” Wanyoike and her son and daughter moved into their three-bedroom apartment in September 2024, one of 96 apartments in an affordable rental building operated by the Lu’ma Native Housing Society and the Swahili Vision International Association. Half the homes are rented to members of the Indigenous community and half to Black community members. Wanyoike, who works as a volunteer with the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, pays $775. The family previously paid $2,600 per month in rent, had poor ventilation, unreliable appliances, few windows, and no air conditioning. Her current home was built to meet high standards in B.C.’s voluntary “energy step code,” which sets guidelines for ensuring buildings are well-insulated and airtight.
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