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

N.A.

• Everyone has the right to live free from violence, yet Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people continue to experience violence.
• That’s why the Government of Canada is supporting 38 shelters, 39 transitions homes and Indigenous organizations to prevent
gender-based violence, support survivors, and break the cycle of violence in families and communities across Canada.
• Investments in shelters and services that support Indigenous survivors of family violence are a key component of the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, and reflective of the Government of Canada’s commitment to the safety and security of Indigenous women and girls.

The Family Violence Prevention Program
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. The Family Violence Prevention Program provides funding for the following components:
• day-to-day operations of emergency shelters and transitional (second stage) housing that provide services for Indigenous women, children, families, and 2SLGBTQI+ people across Canada, including in the North and in urban centres;
• support for shelter capacity; and,
• culturally-appropriate prevention projects across Canada, such as public awareness campaigns, stress and anger management support groups, and community needs assessments.
Through Budget 2024, ISCs 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.
2020 Shelters Initiative for Indigenous Women and Children
On May 29, 2020, $44.8 million was announced over five years for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to build 12 new shelters: 10 shelters for First Nations communities across the country and two in the territories. The government will also provide ISC with $40.8 million to support operational costs for these new shelters over the first five years, and then $10.2 million annually ongoing.
On June 17, 2021, both Ministers jointly announced the location of the 12 new shelters for Indigenous Peoples seeking to escape family violence. The approved shelters are intended to be Indigenous-led and seek to provide vital refuge as well as critical supports and services to help survivors of family violence recover from the trauma of their experiences.
2021 Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative
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.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and ISC worked with the Steering Committee and Selection Committee for the general and Inuit streams of the initiative, which are comprised of representatives from Indigenous Organizations, including First Nations, Inuit, Métis, 2SLGBTQI+ people, urban Indigenous groups, those with lived experience, and shelter staff. The committees have supported the development of the evaluation process and recommended the selection of projects. Since its launch, 73 projects have been selected to date, which includes 37 shelters and 36 transitional housing projects.
In addition to funding shelter operations, the Family Violence Prevention Program supports culturally-appropriate violence prevention and awareness activities, including enhanced wraparound services for shelter clients.
Between fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2024-2025, ISC has provided $203.1 million to fund the operations of new shelters and transitional homes and to support violence prevention activities under the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy.
The Federal Pathway Initiative
The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
On June 3, 2021, the Government of Canada launched the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. It is a key component of a much broader effort to end the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, so that they are safe and free from violence, no matter where they live, work or travel.
The federal pathway is part of the larger national action plan, 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. The national action plan, centered around the National Family and Survivor Circle, was co-developed by:
• representatives of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Indigenous grass roots organizations
• Indigenous, provincial and territorial governments
• Indigenous urban and 2SLGBTQI+ leaders
Like the national action plan, the federal pathway will evolve to remain effective in ending the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Activities under ISC’s Family Violence Prevention Program are a key component of the Federal Pathway.

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 (ISC) 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 77 new projects have been selected across the country, providing Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ survivors of gender-based violence with a vital refuge and culturally appropriate supports and services. If pressed on shelter shortages in Indigenous communities
• Shelters provide a vital place of refuge for Indigenous women and children escaping violence across Canada.
• As part of the 2020 Shelters 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.
• Further funding was announced via the 2020 Fall Economic Statement to build and support an additional 38 shelters and 50 transitional homes. Currently, 77 new projects have been selected by two Indigenous-led Steering Committees. 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 ISC and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, launched the Call for Proposals for the Shelters Initiative for Inuit Women and Children.
• A total of 18 Inuit-specific projects have been selected. These projects are located in Inuvialuit, Nunavut, and Nunavik, as well as urban centres of Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg.