Prior to the beginning of Canada’s colonial period, Indigenous Peoples thrived in what is now known as Canada. Throughout the country’s colonial history, Inuit, First Nations and Métis have been subjected to atrocities and injustices which have had continued impacts on the subject at the centre of this report: housing. Colonial policies have affected housing at its core, including by making it less accessible, less affordable and in worse condition.

Safe, affordable and adequate housing is an important social determinant of health and a condition for community and economic development. It is also a fundamental human right recognized in Canadian and international law. Yet, First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have been dealing with a longstanding housing crisis across Canada for decades. That crisis extends beyond the boundaries of rural and remote Indigenous communities and affects Indigenous People in urban areas as well. This has severe consequences on the physical and mental health, and personal, social, educational and economic development of Indigenous Peoples.

During its study on the subject, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs heard that several factors contributed to the lack of housing including colonialism, racism and discrimination, housing unaffordability, Indian Act barriers, the lack of developable land and infrastructure in many communities, population growth, limited capacity at the community level and chronic underfunding. Witnesses identified that First Nations, Métis and Inuit have been deprived of the right to housing.

In this report, the committee is making a series of recommendations aimed at:

• a)      ensuring that any federal policy or legislative proposal related to Indigenous housing be co-developed with Indigenous Peoples;
• b)      recognizing housing as a social determinant of Indigenous health and implementing immediate measures to mitigate the impacts of the housing crisis on Indigenous Peoples;
• c)       exploring opportunities to address the rapidly increasing costs of building materials and costs of housing in remote and northern communities;
• d)      addressing the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities;
• e)      taking into consideration population growth when providing funding for Indigenous housing;
• f)        providing additional funding for Indigenous organizations and communities to recruit, retain and train staff working on the housing file;
• g)      exploring mechanisms to provide long-term, stable, flexible and predictable funding for Indigenous housing;
• h)      reviewing programs and funding provided for Indigenous housing to identify areas where funding could be delivered directly to Indigenous governments, organizations and communities;
• i)        considering way to deliver a greater proportion of housing funding directly to First Nations, Métis and Inuit in the Northwest Territories;
• j)        reviewing Indigenous housing programs to ensure these programs meet the needs of Indigenous Peoples and communities; and
• k)      exploring ways to support homeownership tailored to the needs of Indigenous communities.