  Spin-one matter fields are relevant both for the description of hadronic
states and as potential extensions of the Standard Model. In this work we
present a formalism for the description of massive spin-one fields transforming
in the $(1,0)\oplus(0,1)$ representation of the Lorentz group, based on the
covariant projection onto parity eigenspaces and Poincar\'e orbits. The
formalism yields a constrained dynamics. We solve the constraints and perform
the canonical quantization accordingly. This formulation uses the recent
construction of a parity-based covariant basis for matrix operators acting on
the $(j,0)\oplus(0,j) $ representations. The algebraic properties of the
covariant basis play an important role in solving the constraints and allowing
the canonical quantization of the theory. We study the chiral structure of the
theory and conclude that it is not chirally symmetric in the massless limit,
hence it is not possible to have chiral gauge interactions. However, spin-one
matter fields can have vector gauge interactions. Also, the dimension of the
field makes self-interactions naively renormalizable. Using the covariant
basis, we classify all possible naively renormalizable self-interaction terms.
