Question Period Note: Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy

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• Access to safe and affordable housing is essential to living well and to ensuring Indigenous communities thrive.
• Budget 2023 announced $4 billion over seven years, starting in 2024-25, for the implementation of the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
• We are working with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self Governing Indigenous Government partners on their distinctions-based housing strategies.
• In 2024-25, ISC distributed $39.1 million to First Nations partners for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing projects to make housing more accessible, safer, and affordable for Indigenous families.

In January 2024, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation launched a Request for Proposals to establish a For Indigenous By Indigenous National Indigenous Housing Centre, whose key role will be to distribute $2.5 billion from Budget 2023 to address core Indigenous housing needs in urban, rural and northern areas. Negotiations are ongoing.

The Government of Canada has also been working with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty Self Governing Indigenous Government partners on their distinctions-based housing strategies to support their members living in urban, rural and northern areas.

If pressed on the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy
• The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, concluded a public engagement across the country to inform the development of the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
• This Strategy is intended to complement the three existing distinctions-based housing strategies for First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as other investments in Indigenous housing, and provides a holistic approach in addressing urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing issues.
• In 2024-25, Indigenous Services Canada provided over $39 million to First Nations partners for urban, rural, and northern housing initiatives.

If pressed on the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated
• The National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated is a For Indigenous, By Indigenous housing entity consisting of over 100 housing and service providers from across the country.
• The National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated delivered $281.5 million from Budget 2022 to address the critical need for safe and affordable housing for Indigenous Peoples in urban, rural and northern areas.
• The funding is contributing to 74 projects across the country aimed at building over 3800 housing units for Indigenous peoples.

If pressed on funding for distinctions-based partners
• Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada are delivering over $1.18 billion in distinctions-based funding to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and partners over seven years.
• Indigenous Services Canada has worked with First Nations organizations in the provinces to develop plans for housing initiatives.
• Plans were based on priorities identified by First Nations, and include initiatives such as completing necessary repairs to affordable housing units.
• In 2024-25, Indigenous Services Canada provided over $39 million to First Nations partners, and will provide $66 million in 2025-26.