Photo © Courtesy of Hogan’s Alley Society
Hogan’s Alley was once the home of Vancouver’s first Black neighbourhood. Until the 1970s, it was a flourishing cultural hub. When urban renewal and the construction of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts demolished the community, that legacy was lost—but it wasn’t forgotten.
Today, the Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS), a Black-led nonprofit, honours the memory of Hogan’s Alley, reclaiming a physical space that was unjustly erased while building a future that envisions housing justice and cultural belonging.
Through culturally informed programming, housing support, and community-driven development, HAS works to create inclusive spaces where people of African descent can thrive. It’s a holistic process that preserves history so that, as a collective, we can shape a better future.
Building a Black-Affirming Future
So, how do you reclaim the legacy of a place that’s been erased? You start by revitalizing the very place where history was made. HAS has big plans for the future of Hogan’s Alley, and they’re making sure that no community member will be left behind.
Plans for the site include a Black Cultural Centre that will serve as a gathering place for the Lower Mainland, affordable housing that prioritizes Black and Indigenous residents, including those at risk of homelessness, and childcare and social enterprise spaces designed to uplift Black families and entrepreneurs.
This incredible reclamation is supported through the creation of the Hogan’s Alley Community Land Trust, a non-profit model that ensures long-term affordability and community control. Through a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Vancouver, the land trust will resist displacement and gentrification while restoring the legacy of Vancouver’s Black community in Strathcona.
A Home and a Haven
HAS’s impact goes far beyond bricks and mortar. Its Community Care Program blends emergency housing support with cultural revitalization. From eviction prevention and housing advocacy to African diasporic cultural programming and elder engagement, the program addresses the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the community.
Similarly, Nora Hendrix Place, a 52-unit modular housing project named after Black community matriarch Nora Hendrix, provides safe, secure, and dignified housing for Black and Indigenous people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
As of June 2024, HAS assumed full operations of Nora Hendrix Place, further expanding its leadership in culturally informed housing and restoring Black presence on the Hogan’s Alley block.
Collective Action for a Shared Future
HAS is a leading policy advocacy voice grounded in research and lived experience. The Hogan’s Alley Housing Solutions Lab contributes innovative, equity-focused ideas to Canada’s National Housing Strategy. The Society’s research, including its COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions Survey, focuses on the urgent need for accessible health and safety information to better serve Black communities in healthcare, housing, and beyond.
From collaborating with Indigenous nations and Downtown Eastside neighbours to engaging Black artists, educators, and business owners, HAS is building a powerful coalition for change. As it shapes the future of Hogan’s Alley, the Society invites individuals, institutions, and allies to join in restoring dignity, access, and joy to Black lives.
It takes a village, and that village includes us all. Learn more at hogansalleysociety.org
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Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) is a Black-led non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, economic, and cultural well-being of people of African descent in Metro Vancouver.