In the pursuit of creating a more inclusive and accessible housing landscape for Muslim families, it was imperative to IslamicFamily that we rethink the systemic structures and cultural paradigms of how we build housing. Continually faced with the prevailing belief that pursuing innovative solutions and contributing to the common good must compromise practicality and realistic application, the Lab process worked to guide IslamicFamily through the complexities of culturally appropriate housing development, understanding nuanced factors, and synthesizing diverse inputs into a coherent plan that is both ambitious and impactful. The Intelligent Futures team has shared the learnings from the Lab to provide other Canadian communities with ideas, models and solutions that can create positive impact and change in the Islamic community by building culturally appropriate housing through the Halal Open Source Guide. At the same time, IslamicFamily has momentum, and a clear path in front of them to turn affordable halal housing from an idea into 40+ units of new affordable housing for larger and extended families in Edmonton.
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
