CRE Explains: Housing Policy

C R E E X P L A I N S :

H

O U S I N G P O L I C Y

CENTRE FOR INDIGENOUS

This paper discusses colonialism and land displacement in the context of housing and homelessness. Please use the number below if you need support, or visit www.hopeforwellness.ca to chat online with a counsellor.

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- available in Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut -

B A C K G R O U N D

In Canada, safe and affordable housing has been increasingly difficult to find, and this housing crisis disproportionately impacts Indigenous and BIPOC folks. As we’ll break down in this issue of CRE Explains, inadequate housing and homelessness are linked directly with colonialism, racism and marginalization

Indigenous and BIPOC youth in particular are greatly affected by the crisis, as young folks are more likely to be renters, and Indigenous and BIPOC folks are more likely to face discrimination from potential landlords based on race, among other factors

There are many barriers to accessing social housing, and the process often comes with an extremely long wait time. In Canada, all social housing off-reserve is controlled by the provincial government in ON, QC, and BC, and controlled by municipalities in other provinces and territories.

The National Housing Strategy (2019) is the Government of Canada's and the CMHC's cornerstone policy when it comes to steps to ending homelessness and housing precarity, and for increasing the availability of affordable homes. In Canada, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) acts as our national housing agency

The CMHC is a Crown Corporation, meaning it was established and is run by the government The mandate of the CMHC is to improve housing access to Canadians, for both owned and rental properties They also provide advice to the federal government on housing, conduct research on housing, provide mortgage insurance, and run financial assistance programs for homebuyers

The CMHC administers social housing on-reserve, and any federally funded housing off-reserve.

Rental laws (eg. rent control and eviction laws) are a provincial matter. Depending on where you live, things like the legal amount your rent can increase and how quickly you can access social housing, can differ greatly.

When it comes to on-reserve housing, the federal government provides funding to First Nation communities, who are in charge of managing and maintaining their housing with the funds provided. The funds provided to First Nation communities are not sufficient, and as we’ll see highlighted later on, some communities even go into debt to maintain their housing.

H O U S I N G R I G H T S ,

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E , A N D I N D I G E N O U S P E O P L E

The United Nations (UN) released a report in 2019 highlighting the lack of access to secure housing for Indigenous peoples living on reserve and in urban areas in Canada, Australia and New Zealand

In addition to this, Indigenous peoples in urban areas are more likely to experience racism by landlords, creating a barrier to even accessing housing in the first place.

Canada has been a signed party to ICESCR since 1976, but as with many other international treaties that affirm housing and other rights, there is no enforcement for upholding its principles.

Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami (ITK) released their housing strategy in 2019 which points out that over half (51.7%) of Inuit folks in Inuit Nunangat were living in crowded housing as of 2016. Comparatively, only 8.5% of nonIndigenous people in Canada were living in crowded housing at that time. ITK’s strategy also notes that in order to stop the spread of tuberculosis in their communities, the overcrowding needs to be taken care of.

High construction and maintenance costs in the north also contribute to the shortage, along with having a shorter construction season.

As reported by Statistics Canada, about 21% of First Nations folks living offreserve are in need of housing, compared to about 12% of non-Indigenous people. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has said that colonial policies have caused the disproportional rates of homelessness for Indigenous people and has in turn caused negative outcomes in the areas of health, education and income levels.

Additionally, AFN points to lack of services, lack of funding for housing initiatives and aging out of the child welfare system as other contributing factors to Indigenous homelessness.

AFN has made multiple recommendations to improve housing outcomes for Indigenous peoples, such as making information on services more accessible, Indigenous-led research on Indigenous homelessness, increased funding for housing, and the co-creation of homelessness strategies

ITK points to the lack of government funding for housing as a key reason for the ongoing housing shortage in Inuit Nunangat.

Federal funding for on-reserve housing and infrastructure is inadequate, forcing communities to go into debt to maintain their housing.

The government states that Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) doesn’t cover full housing costs, and communities are expected to find the remaining funds elsewhere

To support communities that default on their funding, the government created the federal Default Prevention and Management Policy (DPMP), but this has actually ended up intensifying communities’ debts. The DPMP also causes damage to housing infrastructure in many communities, as communities that have been placed in this program are not able to access additional loans to maintain their housing

C A N A D A ' S H O U S I N G C R I S I S

The government has said that the current housing affordability crisis is caused mostly by a shortage of housing in general (low supply and high demand for housing), with most of the shortage being in Ontario and British Columbia. The CHMC released a report this summer stating that 5.8 million new homes would need to be built by 2030 to bring housing back to an affordable level.

The housing crisis has long disproportionately affected Indigenous and BIPOC folks A submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights and its partners outlines that homelessness and inadequate housing in Canada are directly linked to discrimination, colonization, racism, and marginalization

A national study conducted in 2019 found that Indigenous youth were at a much greater risk for homelessness than non-Indigenous youth. The study also found that Indigenous youth who have been involved in the child welfare system have an additionally increased risk of homelessness The study calls for distinctions-based policy initiatives to address the roll of colonization in Indigenous youth homelessness.

Additionally, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth face much discrimination and increased difficulties in accessing safe and affordable housing and make up a large percentage of people in Canada dealing with inadequate housing and homelessness. According to the CHMC, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth account for 25% - 40% of all homeless youth in Canada.

Last year the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs began looking at the effects of the housing shortage on Indigenous peoples in Canada During the summer, the committee released their third report, which acknowledges that Indigenous folks have been suffering “ severe consequences for their health and well-being" as a result of the housing crisis and longstanding housing shortages within Indigenous communities

The report also outlines solutions to the housing shortages provided by Indigenous folks, communities and organizations. The committee has made suggestions to the government based on what they have heard, which include:

Co-development of policies related to Indigenous housing with Indigenous peoples;

Removal of restrictive land ownership policies on reserves;

Improving funding for Indigenous housing;

Identifying program areas where housing funds could be given directly to Indigenous communities;

Supporting homeownership tailored to Indigenous peoples’ needs;

Exploring the implementation of the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey right to harvest timber on traditional lands for use at home, as ruled by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Over the last year, rent in Canada has increased at an average of 11.1%, with the average 1-2 bedroom rental costing about $1960 per month.

According to a 2021 report by RBC, about 36% of folks under 40 surveyed in Canada have given up on ever buying a home due to the costs.

T H E G O V E R N M E N T O F C A N A D A ' S R E S P O N S E

In 2017, the Government released Canada’s Housing Strategy, which is a 10-year plan with $72B committed to it, to create more affordable homes This strategy aims to create 160,000 new affordable homes and reduce chronic homelessness, while ensuring housing is accessible and sustainable. After its initial release, there was not much done toward the Housing Strategy, however the government has renewed its commitment to this through Budget 2022, which was released this spring.

The Government says they will provide funding to Indigenous communities to help address their housing needs through a specific Indigenous Homelessness funding stream within Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. The strategy’s goal is to reduce chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027-28.

Within Budget 2022, the Government committed $6.3B over seven years to “improve and expand” housing for Indigenous peoples Over half of this was allotted to housing on reserves, with the rest being divided between First Nations Self Governing and Modern Treaty Holder Communities, Inuit communities, and Métis communities.

In September, a partnership was announced between the government and the Squamish Nation to develop around 3,000 homes in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood – traditional lands of the Nation. This project will cost around $1.4B, and will be the largest First Nations economic partnership in history The commercial and residential development project will be owned by the Squamish Nation, and will include rental units, green spaces and more.

In 2021, the government provided federal funding to Métis citizens for housing for the first time. The 10-year, $500M funding is intended for the Métis Nation to construct new houses, provide rent supplements, and repair houses for Métis citizens in need. The Metis National Council president at the time, Clement Chartier, stated that this funding marked “ an important step in a real nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government”.

This 2022 article by Riley Yesno notes that total funding for Indigenous communities has fallen by $7B since the last budget. Yesno also notes that the Assembly of First Nations requested a commitment of $44B over ten years for Indigenous housing, but only $6.3B was allotted – not nearly enough to actually meet the housing needs of Indigenous communities.

C O M M U N I T Y R E S P O N S E S

As mentioned, the Government has received much criticism for their lack of support for Indigenous housing needs. Cliff Grant at the Aboriginal Housing Management Association points out that the National Housing Strategy doesn’t cover about 70% of Indigenous people, particularly those who live off-reserve.

In June 2022, Keepers of the Circle’s Indigenous Feminist Housing Working Group submitted a human rights claim to the Federal Housing Advocate due to the national housing crisis and its effect on Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit folks. The claim says that these demographics face inequality in accessing housing, and that homelessness is a national human rights crisis for women and gender-diverse people They are calling on immediate action from the federal government to address this issue.

Last summer, AFN Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse met with federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of housing and stressed that urgent action is needed in providing Indigenous peoples with safe and adequate housing. Woodhouse said that First Nations folks have an overabundance of poorquality housing due to the legacy of colonialism, and that it should be ensured that all First Nations people have access to safe and healthy homes She also called to the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to work in partnership with First Nations communities to make this happen, while letting First Nations take the lead.

Within their housing strategy, ITK says that in order for future housing investments to have meaningful impact on Inuit Nunangat, Inuit folks must be involved in the delivery of funding and decision making on housing in the territory They state that if the government works directly with organizations to deliver housing, it will create a more holistic and effective approach to the matter.

ITK also says that the creation of an Inuit-specific housing grant by the government would be beneficial in working toward improved housing in Inuit Nunangat

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I believe that we share in a universal principle – adopted internationally as a basic human right – that safe and adequate housing is not only essential for the wellbeing of First Nations, but is essential for everyone ’ s wellbeing.

- Cindy Woodhouse, AFN Regional Chief

Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak has said that Métis women, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, and their communities are affected by long wait times for housing programs, and that Métis folks don’t have their needs fully met by these programs They also state that there is a gap in data when it comes to housing experiences of Métis women, and that domestic violence often plays a part in lack of safe housing for many Métis women

C R E L O O K I N G A H E A D

Since passing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Act, the government has begun working on implementing the principles of UNDRIP into Canadian laws and policies. UNDRIP affirms the right of Indigenous peoples worldwide to housing in multiple Articles. If UNDRIP is implemented meaningfully, safe and adequate housing should become more accessible to Indigenous folks.

ARTICLE 21 OF UNDRIP:

Many organizations, communities, and individuals have called for the government to work directly with communities and co-develop housing solutions for Indigenous folks Policies and programs for Indigenous housing should follow the priorities of the communities they affect, and be led by those communities in development and in implementation.

Indigenous homelessness and housing precarity are direct results of past and ongoing colonialism and land displacement Indigenous youth have distinct needs and realities when it comes to their access to safe, affordable housing, and CRE will continue to seek ways to advocate for those needs wherever possible.

“Indigenous peoples have the right, without discrimination, to the improvement of their social conditions, including in the areas of education, employment, vocational training and retraining, housing, sanitation, health and social security.”

S O U R C E S & F U R T H E R R E A D I N G

Balancing the Budget at Indigenous Peoples’ Expense – Riley Yesno

Canada's housing crisis will not be solved by building more of the same - Ipek Tureli

The effects of the housing shortage on Indigenous peoples in Canada – Standing

Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs

First Nations Homelessness – Assembly of First Nations

First Nations Homelessness Action Plan – Assembly of First Nations

Homeless on Homelands – Submission to the Federal Housing Advocate – Keepers of the Circle

Housing - Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada

Housing and Housing Policy - The Canadian Encyclopedia

Housing crisis has long plagued Canada's Indigenous communities - Peter Wheeland

The housing statistics of Aboriginal people in Canada - Statistics Canada

Inuit Nunangat Housing Strategy – Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami

The National First Nations Homeless Action Plan - Assembly of First Nations

First Nations leaders say Government needs to consider housing needs for seven generations – CBC

H O U S I N G A D V O C A C Y

O R G A N I Z A T I O N S & S U P P O R T S

Federal Housing Advocate

Canadian Centre for Housing Rights

National Right to Housing Network

Miziwe Biik Development Corporation (Greater Toronto Area, Ontario)

Raising the Roof

A Way Home (youth supports)

Canada Housing Benefit

CMHC – Affordable Housing Programs Across Canada