REPORT from OTTAWA Rapport d’Ottawa

by/par Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are continuing to deal with woefully inadequate housing.ToomanyhomesonFirstNationsterritory donothaveproperaccesstocleandrinkingwater. Manyhomeshavemouldproblemsthatcanleadto a lifetime of health problems. People living onreserveare40timesmorelikelytocontacttuberculosisthanCanadian-born,non-Indigenouspopulations, due in no small part to overcrowded, poorly ventilated homes. Indigenous housing is a serious problemthatneedstobetackledimmediately.

According to StatsCan, Indigenous populations grew by 9.4 per cent from 2016 to 2021, roughly twice the pace of non-Indigenous populations.The statistics also show that in 2021, one-sixthofIndigenouspeoplelivedinahomethat requires major repairs, 17 percent live in a home that is overcrowded and one-fifth of Indigenous peoplesliveinalow-incomehousehold.Ifwedon't meet the challenge of ensuring there's sufficient housing soon, problems will continue to be com-