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

N.A.

• Access to safe and affordable housing remains critical to improving health and social outcomes for Indigenous communities.
• Budget 2023 announced $4 billion over seven years, starting in 2024-2025, for the implementation of the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
• The Government of Canada is working with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self Governing Indigenous Government partners on their distinctions-based housing strategies.
• In 2024-2025, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) distributed $39.1 million to First Nations partners for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing projects.

Budget 2022 Investment

Budget 2022 committed to investing $300 million over five years, starting in 2022-2023, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to co-develop and launch an Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.

On November 25, 2022, the National Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Coalition outlined their intent to form a For Indigenous, By Indigenous housing entity. The entity, National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc., was granted permission to deliver the $281.5 million to meet urgent and unmet urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing needs, with an additional $5.6 million over two years to support operational needs.

Projects were identified through an expression of need process. Joint regional announcements were held to announce the recipients, which included 74 projects across the country aimed at building over 3800 housing units.

Budget 2023 Investment

Budget 2023 proposed to support the implementation of the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy through an investment of $4 billion over seven years, starting in 2024-2025. This Strategy is being led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Of this total investment, ISC and Crown Indigenous-Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) will provide $1.18 billion directly to distinctions-based partners. ISC and CIRNAC have 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.

ISC is distributing $533.3 million over seven years to First Nations south of the 60th parallel. First Nations organizations in all provinces have completed Statements of Work and cashflow documents and have entered into contribution agreements or amended existing contribution agreements to receive the funding. All recipients received their 2024-2025 funding allocations and are working with ISC on plans for future fiscal years. Projects being supported to date include the development of affordable housing, the construction of student housing, and repairs to existing affordable housing units.

If pressed on Budget 2025
• Through Budget 2025, the Government of Canada will continue to support Indigenous communities to address the unique housing challenges they face.

• This included confirming $2.8 billion for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing, which was originally announced in Budget 2023.

• Budget 2025 also proposes an engagement, led by ISC, with First Nations on reserve, Inuit Treaty Organizations, Métis governments, and Modern Treaty holders and Self-Governing Indigenous Governments to develop a cross-government Indigenous Housing Strategy. If pressed on Urgent and Unmet Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Needs
• Indigenous Peoples living in urban, rural, and northern areas face urgent and significant housing needs; supporting Indigenous-led solutions is key to ensuring needs are addressed.

• $281.5 million from Budget 2022 was provided to the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated for immediate delivery to Indigenous partners, through a For Indigenous, By Indigenous approach. This funding supported 74 projects across the country, resulting in 3,800 housing units.

• In 2024-2025, funding from the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy began flowing to
distinctions-based partners to address priorities in their communities. 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. If pressed on funding for distinctions-based partners
• The Government of Canada is delivering over $1.18 billion in distinctions-based funding to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and partners for urban, rural and northern housing needs over seven years.
• Of this, ISC will provide $533 million over seven years to First Nation partners, based on First Nation partners’ self-identified priorities. These include initiatives such as completing necessary repairs to affordable housing units.
• In 2024-2025, ISC provided over $39 million to First Nations partners, and will provide $66 million in 2025-2026.