Construction of various “shovel-ready” housing projects for Indigenous people is at risk of being delayed for another building season because the federal government is sitting on $2.8 billion earmarked for new native homes, an Ottawa-based advocating agency claimed on Thursday.
The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association’s Indigenous caucus said lingering issues that particularly impact Indigenous people — including over-crowding, unsafe living conditions and homelessness — “will only get exponentially worse” if a delay on the release of the funds continues.
“We cannot accept missing yet another construction season, because (the) government did not make timely decisions and release the promised funds,” the association said in a news release.
According to an earlier report by the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board, there are about 1,000 people in the city on a waiting list for social housing.
A “point-in-time survey” conducted by the board in 2018 found more than 500 people in Thunder Bay to be homeless. More than 65 per cent of those surveyed identified as being Indigenous, the board said.
The Housing and Renewal Association noted the $2.8 billion for Indigenous housing projects was budgeted in January, 2024.
The funds need to be administered by “a national Indigenous housing organization” that would meet the needs of Indigenous people in “urban, rural and northern” parts of the country.
Development and management of housing projects that affect Indigenous people must be overseen by Indigenous agencies — a requirement since 2021, when the Canadian government signed a United Nations declaration making it mandatory.
It’s been estimated by Ottawa’s parliamentary budget officer that it would take $27 billion to address the current need for Indigenous housing across the country.
“We have shovel-ready projects that could move ahead today, if only the government would follow through on its word,” the association said.
It added: “Indigenous people are disproportionately over-represented in the housing and homelessness crisis, yet they are the last to receive support.”
Indigenous Services Canada said it may respond to the association’s concerns today. The department is overseen by Liberal MP Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay-Superior North).
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has also been asked to provide a response.
