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View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
Indigenous Services Canada does operate some programs for urban indigenous folks. Unfortunately, it still has not gotten back to our committee with a full breakdown of how much money and staff are involved. Do you ultimately believe that it would be better if we reduced the size of Indigenous Services Canada and the services it provides to indigenous people today, and transferred those services to indigenous-run organizations to serve indigenous people?
David Eddy
View David Eddy Profile
David Eddy
2021-01-28 17:02
I'm just kidding you.
I think if it is done in an effective manner and folks already working for ISC, especially the indigenous ones, were to be segued into those other jobs or that other organization, then absolutely.
Romy Bowers
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Romy Bowers
2020-11-17 18:38
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'm joining you today from Toronto, the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinabe, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
It’s a great pleasure to appear before this committee on behalf of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. We are Canada’s national housing agency. We are guided by a very bold aspiration: By 2030 everyone in Canada has a home that they can afford and that meets their needs.
To achieve this goal, we know that we must do more to address the diverse and pressing housing needs of indigenous peoples. For indigenous households living in urban, rural and northern areas, the rate of core housing need is 18%, as compared to the national average of 12.7%. The housing needs are most dire across the territories, where approximately one-third of the indigenous population lives in unacceptable housing. There is much still to do, but we believe there are many reasons to be optimistic.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, CMHC is actively working with new and existing partners to help address the exceptional housing challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. At CMHC, we have quickly rolled out a number of new initiatives that will support indigenous and northern housing needs. For example, we are delivering a new shelter initiative that will fund the construction of 12 new shelters for indigenous women and children across the country over the next five years. We are also supporting close to 400 indigenous youth to secure employment in the housing sector, at a time when jobs can be difficult to find. Last month, we launched a new rapid housing initiative, a $1-billion program to help address urgent housing needs by expediting the creation of permanent affordable housing.
In addition to these recent initiatives, we continue to offer funding and financing options to support indigenous and northern housing needs through the national housing strategy. Launched in 2017, the national housing strategy was developed in consultation with Canadians and various partners, including provinces and territories, indigenous organizations and community housing providers. There is more than $55 billion being delivered through various programs and initiatives, and we have prioritized indigenous and northern housing needs across them all.
For example, through the national housing co-investment fund, we have invested over $121 million over the past two years to support 577 units serving indigenous and northern housing needs. There is also $125 million set aside within this fund to target specific needs, including repairs to the existing urban indigenous housing stock and for projects in the north.
We are also supporting indigenous-led innovation, research and demonstrations projects to help communities explore culturally appropriate and industry-leading housing models or technologies.
I'd like to point out that provinces and territories play a key role in supporting indigenous and northern housing. Through new bilateral agreements with CMHC, provinces and territories are delivering various programs, including the new Canada housing benefit, which will help low-income households access affordable housing.
In addition, there is $200 million in targeted funding being provided through the Canada community housing initiative to protect and preserve affordability among existing units serving indigenous households. Although not indigenous-specific, targeted funding for the territories will benefit indigenous peoples living in the north. There is $447 million being provided through bilateral agreements with three territories, including $300 million to address the higher housing costs and needs of the north.
Reducing chronic homelessness is also a key priority of the national housing strategy, and my colleagues at ESDC will be speaking later about funding and programs being delivered to address homelessness.
There are various other programs under the national housing strategy umbrella, and we are actively working to ensure that indigenous housing providers and organizations can access these funds and make the most of these programs to address their needs. We have recently created an indigenous and northern housing solutions team at CMHC to provide dedicated support for our clients.
However, we recognize that to advance reconciliation we need housing strategies that are for indigenous people and led by indigenous people.
We are very proud to be an active partner in working with first nations, Inuit and Métis organizations alongside Indigenous Services Canada and CIRNAC on distinctions-based housing strategies. My colleagues from these departments can provide more details on these initiatives.
We'll also be working with indigenous partners, housing providers and others to identify critical housing needs and gaps in urban, rural and northern areas. This work will complement a larger plan to address critical infrastructure needs in indigenous communities.
For many years, we have offered funding through various legacy housing programs to build new housing or repair or renovate existing housing in first nations communities. We provide the tools and training to first nations to assist with housing management, maintenance and construction. In 2019-20 alone, these programs helped to build or renovate some 1,200 homes and preserve rent subsidies to 22,600 households.
These programs are complemented by initiatives delivered by Indigenous Services Canada. Together, we invest some $326 million annually on first nations housing on reserve.
Finally, I'd like to note that our real change starts within CMHC. At CMHC, we want to do our part. I'd like to highlight a few actions we are taking in support of our reconciliation initiatives.
We have nominated an executive-level special adviser on indigenous housing and reconciliation and are in the process of establishing an indigenous advisory council. This work will touch on all facets of our country and company, including our business practices and relationships with indigenous peoples and organizations.
Our reconciliation work is also being supported by our indigenous employee resource group. We're offering training to all employees on reconciliation. We will also support the transition of our dedicated housing programs for indigenous housing toward indigenous self-determination, care and control.
We are very pleased that this committee will be exploring the gaps and barriers in urban, rural and northern indigenous housing as part of its study. We are committed to doing our part to help build a better future for indigenous peoples across the country.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I will be very pleased to answer any questions the committee may have regarding my opening remarks.
Thank you so much.
Chad Westmacott
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Chad Westmacott
2020-11-17 18:58
Good evening.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the work that Indigenous Services Canada is undertaking in collaboration with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and first nations partners to address the housing gap for indigenous people on and off reserve.
Before I proceed, I would like to recognize that I am presenting from the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin nation.
By way of introduction, I'm Chad Westmacott, director general of the community infrastructure branch within Indigenous Services Canada. My branch leads policy development, interpretation and implementation for infrastructure that helps to ensure that first nations communities have access to high-quality education facilities, clean drinking water and better housing.
Housing is a fundamental need for all Canadians, including indigenous people. All should have access to safe, adequate and affordable housing.
We know that first nations, Inuit and Métis are more likely to experience poor housing conditions, overcrowding and homelessness than the general population. We also know that overcrowding can be a key indicator of hidden homelessness, where people have access to accommodation but have no immediate prospect of permanent or stable housing.
Not having access to adequate housing has impacts on community and family well-being. For example, not having an adequate place to sleep or study can impact education, health and the ability to secure and maintain work. Housing is a core element of the social determinants of health, and its impacts are great, both on individuals and families.
COVID-19 has further illustrated the housing gap and the impacts housing has on human health. It has also emphasized the importance of working with indigenous communities to address their housing requirements.
In relation to housing on reserve, ISC supports first nations in the development of sustainable and community-driven housing solutions. This includes providing approximately $140 million in ongoing annual funding and has, for the past five years, included an additional $200 million annually in time-limited funding through budgets 2016 and 2018, for a total of $1 billion from those budgets. These funds are used to address urgent housing needs and support new construction and repairs to first nations housing units on reserve.
As of June 2020, ISC and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have jointly supported the construction, renovation or retrofit of 20,096 homes and servicing of 1,127 lots, benefiting 595 first nations communities. ISC has also been supporting 992 housing-related capacity development and innovation projects in first nations communities. These projects include supporting the creation and implementation of housing authorities and housing management training.
In April 2019, the department also launched the $36-million indigenous homes innovation initiative. The initiative directly supports innovative indigenous-led and community-driven ideas that could lead to better housing and social conditions in rural, urban and remote first nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
Our support for first nations through these investments is improving living conditions. For example, the Anishnabe Nation of Lac Simon built eight semi-detached mini houses suitable for both seniors and single-parent families, to better respond to the needs of vulnerable people living alone.
Pelican Lake First Nation introduced new housing policies around home ownership, a housing maintenance program for tenants, and training on newly upgraded software used in on-reserve housing management for the community's housing staff. This has enhanced its ability to ensure that community members have comfortable, quality housing for generations to come.
These investments are only the first step in moving beyond responding to critical needs. To this end, ISC is working with the Assembly of First Nations and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to co-develop a 10-year first nations housing and related infrastructure strategy. The overall goal of the strategy is to improve housing conditions for first nations and ensure that all first nations have access to safe, adequate and healthy housing, thus creating sustainable and healthy communities.
This work supports first nations to identify their priorities, to prepare for the transfer of housing programs and services, and to identify how they want to be involved in addressing urban, rural and northern housing issues.
Next steps for the strategy include the co-development of an implementation plan to describe short-, medium- and long-term outcomes. Simultaneously, first nations-owned data and information is being gathered by first nations to inform further development and implementation of the strategy.
Finally, in support of closing the critical infrastructure gap by 2030, which includes housing, ISC is working with indigenous partners to co-develop plans that will support community-led investments in infrastructure that will help address disparities. This is balanced by a longer-term vision to stabilize infrastructure funding to ensure that resources are available to enable the successful transfer of housing services to first nations.
In closing, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak to the ongoing work that my department is doing to close the housing gap in collaboration with federal partners and indigenous people and organizations.
Thank you.
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