Vancity and Keewaywin Capital launch $100 million partnership to finance Indigenous housing projects
TORONTO, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vancity and Keewaywin Capital Inc. (Keewaywin), a 100% Indigenous-owned private credit fund, are announcing a $100 million partnership to deliver a first-of-its-kind, streamlined source of financing for Indigenous-led housing projects across the country.
“The decades-long housing shortages in Indigenous communities are not due to a lack of vision or planning; they are driven, in large part, by a lack of available, dependable, scalable capital,” says Tracee Smith, CEO, Keewaywin Capital. “We see enormous potential to scale housing across the country through our partnership with Vancity. Our aim is to create a clearer, more efficient path to move Indigenous housing projects from concept to completion.”
Vancity’s federally incorporated subsidiary, Vancity Community Investment Bank, will make available up to $100 million in credit facilities – covering up to 90% of individual project costs – to Indigenous-led economic development corporations and related entities that develop or manage housing on behalf of their Nations. Keewaywin will then work to facilitate housing planning and construction loans, while Vancity will formalize take-out financing that aligns with each community’s self-identified needs and governance frameworks.
“Our role is not just to enable banking transactions, but to build long-term financial relationships that reflect each community’s goals, governance, and circumstances,” says Wellington Holbrook, President and CEO of Vancity. “We’ve had the privilege of working alongside Indigenous partners for many years. Our partners drive the relationship by naming their priorities, and we work with them to identify the banking tools that best support them.”
In 2011, Vancity became the first financial institution in Canada to recognize a First Nation as a government for lending purposes, and has since worked with several First Nations governments to co-develop banking solutions. Building on that experience and Keewaywin’s construction lending expertise, this partnership is designed to reduce friction, shorten development timelines and move projects from short-term construction loans into long-term, stable financing, so Indigenous communities can focus on delivering housing rather than navigating administrative hurdles.
“Access to capital shouldn’t be a barrier to communities building the homes they need,” says Jennifer Hutcheon, Vice President of Vancity Community Investment Bank. “As a financial institution, it’s our role to create equitable access to financial services and lending. We’re proud to be working alongside Keewaywin on a model that can scale Indigenous-led housing projects.”
About Keewaywin Capital Inc.
Keewaywin Capital Inc. is a 100% Indigenous-owned private credit investment fund focused on dedicated housing development for Indigenous communities across Canada. The firm provides short-term construction loans to accelerate Indigenous-led development, and works in close partnership with community leaders, government agencies, and private capital to deliver sustainable housing solutions that best suit individual Indigenous communities.
About Vancity
Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its 585,000 member-owners and their communities, with offices and more than 55 branches located in Metro Vancouver and Squamish, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, the Vancouver and Gulf Islands and Alert Bay, within the territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw Peoples. With $39.7 billion in assets plus assets under administration, Vancity is one of Canada's largest credit unions. Vancity uses its assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while at the same time helping to develop healthy communities that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.
Vancity Community Investment Bank is an Ontario-based Schedule 1 bank, a Certified B Corporation, and a subsidiary of Vancity. The bank provides specialized financing solutions for impactful projects like social purpose real estate and clean energy projects. For purpose-driven businesses and organizations, it offers banking, investing, and financing solutions tailor-made to increase their growth and impact.
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