Question Period Note: Supports for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people

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• The Government of Canada is making investments to address the social determinants of health, including housing, economic opportunities, and Indigenous-led healthcare systems.
• The $27 million announced in Budget 2024 for the operation of emergency shelters is enabling Indigenous service providers to maintain shelter services and a safe environment so that women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people have a place to go when they need one.
• We will also continue working with shelter networks and Indigenous Organizations to prevent
gender-based violence, support survivors, and break the cycle of violence in families and communities across Canada.

The goal of the Indigenous Services Canada's Family Violence Prevention Program is to improve the safety and security of Indigenous women, children, families, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Through Budget 2024, Indigenous Services Canada’s Family Violence Prevention Program received $27 million over two years to support the operation of emergency shelters and transitional homes on reserve, and to renew one year of funding for the Moose Hide Campaign. Shelter funding sunsets in March 2026.

Through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada committed $724.1 million to launch a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy that would expand culturally relevant supports for Indigenous peoples facing gender-based violence and support new emergency shelters and transitional (second-stage) housing across the country, including in the North and in urban centres.

Between fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2024-25, Indigenous Services Canada has provided $203.1 million to fund the operations of new shelters and transition homes and to support violence prevention activities under the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy.

If pressed on the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy
• The Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy will support new emergency shelters and transitional housing across Canada, including in the North and in urban centres.
• Indigenous Services Canada will invest $304.1 million over five years to support the operational costs of the new shelters and transitional homes and expand funding for culturally relevant violence prevention projects.
• In collaboration with Indigenous partners, a total of 71 new proposals have been selected across the country, providing Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ survivors of gender-based violence with a place to turn and culturally appropriate supports and services.

If pressed on shelter shortages in Indigenous communities
• Shelters provide a place for Indigenous women and children to turn when escaping violence.
• As part of the 2020 Shelter Initiative for Indigenous Women and Children, the Government announced funding to build 10 shelters in First Nations communities on reserve, and 2 in the territories. In June 2021, the 12 new shelters were announced.
• Further funding was announced via the 2020 Fall Economic Statement to build and support an additional 38 shelters and 50 transitional homes.
• Because of this funding, countless Indigenous women and children who are experiencing violence will have a safe place to turn, connected to culture.

If pressed on shelter shortages for Inuit women
• In January 2021, the Government of Canada committed to fund the construction and operations of shelters for Inuit women and children across Inuit Nunangat, as well as in urban centres.
• In August 2021, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, launched the Call for Proposals for the Shelter Initiative for Inuit Women and Children.
• As of July 2024, a total of 11 Inuit-specific projects have been selected. These projects are located in Inuvialuit, Nunavut, and Nunavik.