Question Period Note: Indigenous Housing & Infrastructure Investments

N.A.

• Since 2016, the federal government has made considerable investments to address the growing needs with respect to housing and infrastructure for Indigenous communities.
• While this work is supported by investments across the federal government, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada works directly with Indigenous partners by providing housing and infrastructure funding to Inuit, Métis, Modern Treaty and Self-Government and northern Indigenous partners.
• The launch of Build Canada Homes supports Canada’s commitment to working with provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners to help fight homelessness and ensure affordable housing for all Canadians.
• Budget 2025 reconfirmed funding in support of the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy. This Strategy provides a total of $4 billion, including funding for distinctions-based Indigenous partners as well as Indigenous-led service providers.

• As part of the federal government’s commitment to ensuring safe, affordable, and adequate housing for all, the Government of Canada has made historic levels of investment into distinctions-based and northern investments support programs delivered directly by Indigenous partners. These CIRNAC-delivered investments are being delivered in a way that builds capacity for Indigenous partners and puts decision making in their hands, including how to address housing challenges such as cost of living, northern remoteness and population density.
• Distinctions-based housing and infrastructure investments are leading to positive impacts and results that are contributing to the narrowing of gaps. While challenges remain, Indigenous partners highly value the approach to investment delivery that is supporting the broader goal of renewing Crown Indigenous relationships and advancing self-determination.
• The remaining housing and infrastructure gap is significant and will take substantial and sustained time and effort to fully address. It will require whole-of-government coordination and concerted efforts by all responsible governments and organizations.
• Budget 2025 announced investments to support housing and infrastructure needs:
o $115 billion for major infrastructure, of which $19 billion is specifically earmarked for Indigenous and municipal communities; and
o $2.8 billion for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing.
• On April 24, 2026, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations announced how funding will be delivered to support housing for Indigenous Peoples living in urban, rural and northern areas across Canada:
o Close to $1.7 billion will be delivered by Build Canada Homes, the federal agency dedicated to building affordable housing, to support Indigenous housing providers serving urban, rural and northern areas;
o Nearly $2 billion will go towards distinctions-based agreements with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. This includes $1.2 billion in existing funding agreements with Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, as well as a $780 million top-up in new funding for the agreements.
o Finally, up to $300 million will continue to be made available through Indigenous Services Canada to address urgent housing needs in urban, rural and northern communities, ensuring projects in the current pipeline can move forward as Build Canada Homes advances its partnerships with Indigenous housing providers.
• The Government of Canada is committed to working with Indigenous partners as delivery moves forward.

If pressed on housing and infrastructure results
• Federal investments are supporting Indigenous-led approaches to addressing their housing and infrastructure priorities.
• For example, since 2016 Inuit partners have built 640 new housing units, repaired 580 existing units, enhanced Inuit-led housing programs, and carried out essential land acquisition and development work.
• Similarly, since 2018, Métis partners have also constructed or purchased 2,025 houses, provided downpayment assistance to 2,809 households, renovated 7,918 houses, and provided rent supplements to 12,049 families. If pressed on Northern Housing and Infrastructure
• This government is committed to providing access to safe and affordable housing for Indigenous communities in the Arctic and the North.
• Housing and the necessary supporting infrastructure are critical to improving socio-economic and health outcomes and ensuring a better future for these communities. If pressed on the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy
• Indigenous households in urban, rural, and northern communities across Canada face disproportionate challenges accessing adequate and affordable housing.
• The Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy provides investments to support affordable housing options that are being delivered to Indigenous partners to help address the needs of their urban, rural and northern communities.
• Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for providing funding to distinctions-based Indigenous partners. As a core element of self-determination, Indigenous recipients have flexibility to address housing needs to reduce the cost of living for their membership in accordance with their own priorities.