What we heard about housing 2017-2019

Overview

Alberta First Nations seek to work with the Government of Canada to develop a new regionally driven Indigenous housing policy and program framework. The current federal government housing program and system framework is not working for the Alberta First Nations, program tweaks and stop gap measures are not addressing the issues, and will no longer be acceptable to the Blackfoot Confederacy moving forward.

Skills and capacity

• Calls for the development of a First Nation-led housing organization that handles housing and allows for the opportunity to provide education.
• There are currently no resources to attract, train or retain competent/qualified staff and contractors, or to implement plans and policies.

Funding and finance

• Funding is inadequate:
  • Limited funding creates competition amongst communities.
  • Outdated formulas do not reflect longer term plans for housing in communities, and are not transparent.
• Funding needs to be allocated one to three years in advance to allow for proper planning.

Governance

• Calls for the development of a First Nation-led housing organization that handles housing and allows for the opportunity to provide education.
• Lack of support for rental policies from community members, and no time to educate members.
• Capacity development support needs to be designed by First Nations, not the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation or the First Nation Market Housing Fund.
• Calls for a housing database management system to inform decision-making.

Right to shelter

• Treaties are considered to be the foundation of First Nations' relationship with Canada, and will continue to be an important part in moving towards reconciliation, respect and understanding in this area.

Program delivery

• There are too many stakeholders delivering federal housing programming, leading to unnecessary complications.
• There is a lack of engagement and communication from the Government of Canada.
• First Nations must agree with policy language and its interpretation so that bureaucrats cannot change the rules midstream.

Supporting First Nation economies

• Alberta First Nations are working diligently to build economies that will support job creation and community sustainability.
• The Government of Canada needs to change its focus from recovering payments for banks to reconciling and supporting sustainable community development.

Overview

Participants highlighted the need for housing planning to be integrated into community planning as a best practice to promote sustainability. Additionally, participants outlined the need to transition towards green energy and building materials as well as highlighting interest in socially and culturally appropriate community planning and housing designs.

Governance and institutions

• Participants considered that First Nations should be responsible for their own housing institutions and programs to be governed under rules and regulations determined at the community level.
• Participants stated that housing policies may be developed at the regional or aggregate level.
• Ensure that community members are educated on financial responsibility as a path towards homeownership.
• Resources which were noted as important for developing skills and capacity include education, resources, personnel and self-governance amongst others.

Operation and management

• Participants noted that unnecessary reporting is a burden and a source of complaints regarding the operation and management of on-reserve housing programs.
  • Reporting requirements place a strain on financial resources and housing managers.
• Additionally, participants noted inconsistencies between regions in reporting expectations which contributed towards confusion and stated that federal programming should focus primarily on outcomes and less on reporting required inputs.

Housing finances

• Participants identified insufficient funding by federal authorities as the main cause of the housing crisis in southern Manitoba communities.
• The rigidity of funding methods for housing programming was also identified.

Construction and repairs

• Participants stated that the need to build houses and repair the current inventory represents an opportunity for Indigenous communities to create local jobs and accelerate a transition towards greener housing.
• Participants stated that housing construction and repair programs need to be more flexible in timing and funding.

Construction material

• Communities would benefit from the greater use of local construction material by seeing a reduction in housing costs as well as increased employment opportunities.
• Material utilized needs to fit the conditions of the physical environment where houses are built to prevent issues such as mould.

Overview

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations has stated that solutions must be applicable to First Nations both on and off reserve. Solutions would seek to be centered on self-governance, homeownership and build upon inherent and treaty rights.

Skills and capacity

• Encourage effective communications and networking opportunities:
  • use newsletters to share success stories from various communities
  • develop a list of companies that provide training
• Targeted and specific funding for skills and capacity development centered on:
  • homeownership
  • cultural sensitivity training
  • gender and youth involvement
• Educate community members that financial responsibility is a path towards homeownership.
• Resources are important for developing skills and capacity. For example, education, personnel and self-governance.

Funding and finance

• Funding and finance are integral to the delivery and implementation of housing reform. Self-governance is the transfer of funding, control oversight of housing and related infrastructure to First Nations.
• The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations housing commission may form the basis of a regional housing authority, which would respect regional differences and provide a mechanism for a monetized government transfer model rather than a cash-based model.
• Financial support for homeownership options for different types of housing on and off reserve.
• For the Government of Canada to address insurance premiums on reserve for fire and flooding.

Governance

• The future of housing will be driven by self-governance, where power structures shift to communities, and political influence in the management and enforcement of housing policies is removed.
• Developing community planning from the bottom up drives strong policies and leads to long-term quality housing options for First Nations members both on and off reserve.

Program delivery

• Programming to support innovation, green and sustainable builds, both in the short and long term. For example:
  • alternative energy initiatives (wind, geothermal, etc.)
  • building materials (straw bales, recycled plastic, etc.)
  • housing solutions (including cooperative housing, tiny homes, etc.)
• The proposal process does not work. There is a need for greater understanding of what the community needs, not how needs fit for the proposals. There is no use for government because federal controls contribute to the problem, not the solution, as First Nations are being programmed at, rather than for.
• The government must be prepared to take on new nation-to-nation relationships, with a regular dialogue. The government needs to speed up this change.
• To escape this, First Nations to develop own source revenue, reform should be looking how to implement governance strategies, human resource policies and committees differently.

Overview

The participants of this engagement are calling for systematic change in the Government of Canada's housing programming to account for the housing realities in the Indigenous communities and historical realities that led to the present day community development challenges. It is recommended that the process be kept simple and direct, allowing for care and control to be practiced at the First Nation level. Yukon First Nations feel strongly that an Indigenous and regional approach must be taken when developing a housing institutional model. However, they also feel that the Government of Canada still has a responsibility and, therefore, this model should be based on providing capacity development support. Participants felt that a national approach is too big, burdensome and bureaucratic to address capacity development concerns at a regional level.

Skills and capacity

• Address immediate health and safety risk, developing governance and management frameworks, consulting and educating members, planning and construction management, making applications/proposals, reporting and the list goes on and on.
• The lack of human resources and capacity available to carry it all out makes it difficult to adapt to a mainstream housing model at the community level. Existing capacity-building service providers do not understand the extent of these challenges and continue to provide support for their models and outcomes specific to their mandate, but that do not address First Nations' needs.
• There is limited communication and contact with federal government housing service providers and the fact that decisions are being made outside of the Yukon region (Ottawa, Edmonton) is troubling because there is no confidence that the unique features of First Nation housing in the territory is understood.
• General lack of community and cultural understanding for the realities of the community, housing challenges and the innovation required to address these issues.
• Commit to supporting a good asset management system and associated policy and framework development tools to assist First Nations to design their own systems that are accepted by the members of the community and align with traditional design, practices and values.
• Participants feel that the regions are more familiar and have a greater understanding of the basis of issues giving them the advantage to delivering programs and services that are tailored to meet territorial challenges. There would be a greater opportunity to form relationships and partnerships using a regional approach such as facilitating purchasing power, and sharing best practices, technical and human resources.

Funding and finance

• Shortage of available financial resources and funding mechanisms to meet current and outstanding housing needs.
• Capital funding is not sufficient and creates pressures with competing needs to increase housing inventory to meet population needs or maintain and repair existing housing.
• The lack of available resources to fix an imposed system is a national issue amongst First Nations. More federal investment is required in community development.
• Both self-governing First Nations and Indian Act bands are concerned with the long-term financial risks and social liabilities of entering into mortgage arrangements for social or market housing programs. First Nations in the region report that it is difficult to implement a mainstream model because community members do not support this model nor do they take into account the human factor that is the reality in communities.
• Funding programs for housing are targeted, dictated by federal institutional mandates, and lack flexibility for the First Nations to address housing priorities holistically and sustainably.
• Targeted funding is restrictive and does not address the community's actual housing needs but rather provides only band aid solutions to satisfy corporate targets and/or government reporting.
• Targeted funding does not allow for carry overs into following fiscal years, compelling First Nations to meet frenzied and sometimes unrealistic timeline expectations that results in poor construction to avoid claw backs.
• Self-governing First Nations have limited access to the federal funding programs created and designed for Indian Act bands. Therefore, fewer pots of money are accessible for their unique status. The lands for self-governing First Nations are held under Aboriginal Title, and federal housing programs have not progressed to meet this new model.
• Review access and eligibility for existing programs (for example, rehabilitation, repairs) and ensure that the northern context is considered as part of initiatives to build and mobilize local building expertise and capacity.
• Review the approvals process, limitations in program requirements (for example, construction timelines, funding roll-out, and eligible access to credit such as the First Nations Market Housing Fund).
• Improve the allocation system. Transparency is required by the Government of Canada. Allocation activities should include First Nation representation and should be based on a formula that accounts for population, location, health and safety factors as well as product and people indicators.
• Consider one funding door to streamline the process and provide block or multi-year funding agreements to allow the flexibility for the community to perform the work when they feel it is feasible.
• Funding should be predictable and built on a housing plan that is based on reality and innovation to allow for better managed facilities and the ability to service changing population demographics.
• Yukon First Nations are requesting an investment of $100M over the next 3 years to be utilized on lands under the Indian Act, lands set aside and those with Aboriginal Title.
• Any funding programs should be regionally driven and placed in the care and control of the First Nations to determine the design of their projects (framework and construction).
• The use of these funds should be left to the discretion of the First Nations to invest in repairs, new construction and framework development as per their identified priorities.
• The option of debt financing should be left to the discretion of each First Nation and not programmed into the existing service providers, such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
• Funding should be able to be accrued to the next fiscal year if necessary to avoid clawback threats and to allow First Nations to practice care and control in alignment with their building and project seasons and timelines.
• The reporting mechanisms for these funds should be conducted through year-end audits and final inspection reports where applicable.
• The Yukon First Nations recommend a simplified regional funding model be explored that is based on a formula whereby 50% of the regional budget is divided equally amongst the First Nations. The remaining 50% of the budget would be divided based on population per capita (30%) and factors for remoteness (20%). The Yukon First Nations would like attention placed on the characteristics of the Northern Trust fund, which is a model that has proved to work well in the communities.

Governance

• The Yukon First Nations support eliminating the bureaucratic red tape, streamlining the funding process, duplicating services and alleviating the extensive operating costs by the Government of Canada stakeholders delivering First Nation housing programs.
• The following roles have been recommended to ensure First Nations are granted the care and control desired and aligned with principles of self-determination and the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Indigenous Services Canada should play a facilitator role in funding delivery and monitoring.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation should play a technical advisory role, if any, for engineering and planning support.
• Redirect federal operating costs to be used on improving living conditions in the communities.
• It is recommended that the system should explore moving towards the development and devolution of all funding services to a First Nation treasury board.

Program delivery

• First Nations reported that high unemployment rates hinder the viability of mortgage arrangements for social or market housing programs as well as shelter allowance policies that are not harmonized with costs associated to operate rental housing projects. This approach also provides limited incentive for citizens residing in these projects to maintain or repair homes.
• It is difficult to enforce evictions due to a variety of factors including family and clan connections which create additional challenges in meeting expectations, and will eventually foster homelessness and more overcrowding scenarios which only compound the problems.
• Programs and investment should be outcome-focused rather than program-focused.
• Programs have too many reporting requirements. Streamline all reporting through audits and final inspection reports. Funders can provide this direction to auditors.

Skills and capacity

• Training for policy makers, senior management, owners and members.
• There are language-related challenges that are perceived as obstacles.
• Institutions must be regional rather than national.
• The organization must be able to award certifications to better recognize the building manager's work (for example, college certification).
• Building managers have too many duties to perform.
• First Nations encounter challenges in the development of their abilities.
• Management and maintenance are key competency areas that should be prioritized.
• Future ability development support organization should be put in place at the regional level.

Funding and financial management

• Access to financing tools and capital that do not have restrictions on First Nations (for example, ABSCAN).
• Elimination of Ministerial Loan Guarantees.
• More funding is required.
• Provincial funding.
• Resource revenue sharing.
• First Nations want significant changes done to housing and infrastructure policies and programs. They specifically seek more funding options, a long-term government commitment and new partnerships.

Governance and service delivery

• Do not replace bureaucracy with more bureaucracy.
• Separate politics from administration.
• Collaborate, network, share resources, and break isolation.
• The allocation of funds is a contentious issue because funds are limited. Each dollar that is received from a grant is important. Communities may feel like they are competing for funds.
• Reluctance to go too fast in the process. Implement a process that leads to a solution from an upward community level.
• Governance requires standardized approaches, tools and models.
• The development of new programs and options, planning, management support and networking are areas of responsibility to be favoured by First Nations organizations.
• Expectations for funding (more options, more funding) were also clearly expressed under this theme.

Innovation

• Increase in the individual responsibilities of the occupants of the housing in question, whether they are tenants or owners of the housing (payment of rent, loan repayment, maintenance, home insurance, etc.).
• More financing options (bonds, revolving credit fund, equity, loans, etc.).
• Demographic considerations in creating appropriate housing to suit the lifestyle of people living in houses.
• A significant increase and commitment in terms of long-term funding to support housing revitalization.
• Mentoring and opportunities for youth and all members to actively participate in the development of new housing and the construction, operation and administration of these new community assets.
• Innovation is an aspect that must be pervasive in all aspects of housing and infrastructure reform. First Nations want capacity building, funding, financial management, governance, and service delivery preferences to translate into new ways of doing things and innovative approaches.

The region's expectations in housing and infrastructure reform can be summarized as follows:

• Skills and abilities: Develop skills and enhance abilities at all levels through innovative means.
• Funding and financial management: Increase funds and financing options through innovative means.
• Governance and service delivery: Increase First Nations self-reliance through innovative means.

Overview

Participants discussed the need for more tangible outcomes and more focus on the short term for housing needs. A shift towards independence would be a source of pride. Participants are looking for more control over jurisdictions, more partnerships across government departments and learning from what already works in the field. There is also a desire to discuss housing and find solutions at a community level. Importance of looking at gaps in programs to better understand so that funding can reach everyone.

Demographics

• There is a large young population with growing families, however, lower-income levels and overcrowding persist and this limits options and access to housing.
• Need the proper data to show population growth and other influences on housing needs and for planning.
• Look at children first as indicators of change.

Governance

• Avoiding political interference in housing.
• Establishing clear responsibilities between tenants and bands.
• Support to improve social media.
• Increased transparency from the Government of Canada.

Skills and capacity

• Local trades people are needed – inspection, construction.
• Well-staffed housing with better wages.
• Community level housing management expertise and training.
• Incentives to take better care of homes for occupants.

Funding

• Prioritizing, maintenance, renovations, new construction and ways to address overcrowding.
• Older houses means costs are even more elevated to adhere to present-day codes while also costs for repairs are more frequent.
• Need to renegotiate funding to meet needs, and to get better outcomes for investments.
• Establishing a sense of ownership, with high unemployment rate, band members cannot pay their own mortgages. There is dependence on federal funds and bands.
• Staffing and administrative costs to work in housing, including people, materials, overhead and supplies.
• Mortgage: renewals and ongoing payments. Extra costs of mortgage rate increases.

Education and training

• Educating our community members in home maintenance, but also education for trades for building construction and inspection.
• More education on basic life skills and trauma education.
• More incentive for maintenance and tenant responsibility.
• Understanding social housing versus home ownership.

Overview

The preliminary research report generated to support the housing engagement viewed housing as a basic human right demonstrated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The housing-first model and recognizing the need for a holistic approach were brought up as methods to address housing requirements. Poverty, low educational attainment, high unemployment, food insecurity, poor health, and other negative outcomes correlate with a lack of access to housing. Women face additional barriers in securing housing and employment including family violence, gendered and racialized discrimination, and homelessness: they are generally the primary caregivers.

Governance

• Consider the unique needs of specific population groups.
• Strong collaborative partnerships are essential to best serve the community.
• Housing should be centered on community supports such as child care, public transit, trauma-informed counselling, health clinics, employment services and opportunities.

Skills and capacity

• Use of local materials and labour.
• Create opportunities for self-reliance, and social integration. Community participation supports people in housing sustainment.
• Communities which are closer to urban centres or along major highways have greater opportunities for employment and economic development.
• Where the community has own-source revenue and high employment levels, the housing is more likely to resemble what is considered to be adequate housing in the rest of Canada.

Funding and finance

• Calls for funding as well as social and technical resources.
• Communities are strengthened socially and economically when all people are safely and securely housed.

Education and training

• Engage and involve Indigenous women in the development and implementation of housing and shelter strategies in their respective communities.
• Continuous learning and improvement, which includes evidence-based best practices, is necessary.

Addressing needs of Indigenous women relating to housing

• Any attempt to address the disparity in housing conditions in Indigenous communities must also address issues of socio-economic inequality and insecurity, particularly for Indigenous women and girls.
• Prioritize housing for women leaving situations of family and intimate partner violence, especially those with children or other dependants.
• Ensure that community infrastructure supports safe neighborhoods. For example, streetlights, and availability of public transportation.
• Situate women's housing around the services and supports they access. For example, employment opportunities, childcare, and counselling.
• Ensure housing is responsive to the needs of the people it was designed to support. For example, homes that are accessible for those with mobility issues.
• Provide resources for women to assist them in securing permanent, stable housing. For example, educational materials on landlord/tenant rights and obligations.

Sustainable/energy efficiency

• Limit energy consumption and building in a sustainable, intentional way.

Overview

Housing technicians with extensive experience from regions south of the 60th parallel participated in a two-day facilitated event to seek out recommendations through a technical dialogue, focusing on the needs of housing managers and technicians in delivering housing programs and services to First Nations on reserve. The two-day session focused on two key issues related to the future delivery of housing and infrastructure in First Nations: governance and skills, and capacity development.

Highlights:

• Participants expressed their trust in government changes. Momentum cannot be lost.
• Dialogue with technical professionals is invaluable. While it does not supersede political negotiations, both are key to developing housing reform.
• Meetings with technicians might be more valuable at the regional level, with greater collaboration between Indigenous Services Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and their regional offices in terms of service delivery and data sharing.
• Also, further engagement has to be conducted, specific to target audiences such as tribal councils, youth, occupants, leadership.

Skills and capacity

• Support the on-reserve housing profession through dedicated funding to their positions, existing skills and capacity initiatives and support for their professional networks, making them more widely available to all on reserve housing professionals.
• Invest in the skills and capacity initiatives that are currently operational, and that are resonating and contributing to success among housing and infrastructure professionals.
• Ensure that skills and capacity training is made available to leadership and senior officials to provide a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and operational requirements related to community housing. They should also be made aware of how their decisions affect the overall management success of the community housing system.
• Occupant skills and capacity development will be a key contributor to ensure long-term sustainability of the housing stock and ensure the life cycle expectations occur. Embrace occupant empowerment initiatives that increase skills to effectively operate and maintain the housing systems through their life cycle. Eventually contributing to a paradigm shift in the communities based on individual pride in the long-term protection of a housing asset for their future generations.
• Skills are not missing in many cases, but opportunities for professional development are.
• Beyond training, key instruments leading to actions are missing. A First Nations' community cannot wait to have all the know-how to try something innovative. Firstly, actions can be limited in scope to demonstrate proof-of-concept and possible replicability in other communities.
• Programs to train the trainers in the housing field would be key for the future (succession plans).
• Educating youth on housing from elementary school through to university (including internship programs) will provide professionalization of the housing field.
• Some communities cannot afford a housing manager, so no skills and capacity development tools are being used in the communities which likely need it most.
• The creation of a physical national centre of excellence to deliver the training and capacity required across Canada, in regions and locally. Support regional organizations to support and expand on this, and utilize the experiences from successful organizations.

Governance

• Successful governance structures that meet the critical needs of the community and are universally accepted by Indigenous groups must be replicated and featured as viable options.
• Data collection is a pre-cursor to strong governance.
• Culturally adapted policies are required to manage a high demand and a low supply of housing.
• Housing agreements are currently signed with chief and councils, who are then accountable/responsible (as per federal government requirements). Housing should not be politicized.
• Reporting should be annual and based on plans versus the ad-hoc proposal system in place.
• One key element to ensure a separation from politics is the implementation of mechanisms that promote accountability, and have an impact on community members (buy-in, involved and interested).
• Chiefs are often in vulnerable positions locally and receive pressures to adapt/modify procedures previously approved.
• There are imperfect policies, but it is understood by communities that these are better than any perfect document that would be unusable locally.

General comments of interest:

• Since the 1970s, First Nations have proven that, when given the opportunity, they have good credit.
• British Columbia is developing a school curriculum to educate future tenants and homeowners.
• It is unfair and unrealistic to ask First Nations communities to back assets for all of their communities. No other levels of government could do it.
• As per the 2015 Standing Senate Committee report on Indigenous Housing, costs related to housing increased by 16% while government contributions increased by 4%, which results in great strains on communities, especially those with high birth rates.
• A one-size-fits-all approach is not acceptable for housing programs nor would 600 independent versions of housing programs (for the 634 First Nations) be sustainable.
• A critical mass of population is required to develop and implement policies.
• Housing managers are an example of First Nations in general. They are often in a state of hypervigilance (which is expecting an imminent catastrophe). There was consensus that despite the insurmountable challenges, they can't stop trying; their communities rely on them.
• Implementing a universal rental regime is delicate. Beyond respecting the treaty rights argument, it would be a guaranteed failure to ask a community member to start paying rent if that member is not getting more than what he is getting for free at the moment.
• For many communities, constructing to a new Building Code will increase costs by 30% starting this year.

Overview

Housing reform needs to be founded on First Nation language, culture, tradition and land. Educate First Nation communities on federal housing processes, including Indigenous Services Canada and Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation programming to help build capacity and transition to First Nation care, control and management of housing. Solutions seek to be centered on self-governance, engaging First Nations at the community level and making sure that homes are going to those most in need. First Nations spoke of looking at new housing models that have locally sourced materials and are energy efficient, as well as considering new funding models to increase community capacity.

Governance

• Indigenous care, control and management of housing: First Nations need to be involved in the housing process.
• Goal is to attain reasonable comparable services with First Nations, provinces and the Government of Canada working in partnership, including resource sharing.
• In the long term, housing should be allocated to families with children, then singles, then transient with the end goal for everyone to have a home.
• There is a need for a national housing body to work nation-to-nation.
• The importance of First Nations to take control (for example, through good and healthy self-government), healing (for example, residential schools, sexual abuse, substance abuse, etc.), regaining identity through culture and language, and creating community.
• Best practices to mobilize and expand:
  • housing manager
  • housing committee
  • housing authority
  • housing maintenance (for example, tenant relations, agreements)
  • database for every home
  • build capacity and skills
  • updated community infrastructure needs/service lots
  • develop terms of reference, clarifying roles and responsibilities
  • ensure federal departments are working well together
  • network of housing managers
  • accountable to council and the band
  • building code knowledge for housing managers
  • involve tenants
• Change in roles/responsibilities:
  • First Nation culture versus a corporate approach
  • access to funding
  • rent for maintenance
  • ownership responsibility
  • maintenance planning
  • disability and elders plan
  • Tribal Council expand and renew mandate with respect to housing
  • devolve funding to First Nations
  • awareness of policies/local accountability
  • fire safety equipment
  • expedite change
  • include student housing, long-term facilities for medical purposes
• Need for First Nations institutions:
  • ensure treaty rights to shelter and housing are considered
  • engaging elders from the beginning and throughout
  • support for First Nation technical experts (agreements, building code, inspectors, First Nation business, housing materials)
  • move away from the Indian Act
  • local First Nations take over renovations programming
• Need alternative financing; design own homes; share information on vendors; address poor installation of Infrastructure (e.g., septic systems); retrofit existing homes; support local First Nation businesses; and transparency in the bidding process.

Skills and capacity

• Mobilize skills and personnel.
• Think beyond existing legislative, programming and policy constraints.
• The strength of coming together (threshold of community involvement to drive change and to pool purchasing power).
• Work to highlight: true costs, research and data, governance, engagement, and build a strategic plan (short, medium, long terms) and options to start a transition process.
• Next steps:
  • understand true costs of housing (data gathering exercise)
  • determine capacity and skills requirements
  • institutional development roles and responsibilities
  • finalize terms of the working group to build and adapt the housing framework into a strategy
  • develop table of contents
  • develop template for data gathering
• Barriers:
  • money
  • people (trained and available)
  • transportation
  • election timelines (Indigenous, federal, and provincial)
  • quality of work
  • community involvement
  • personnel turnover in housing department
  • education of occupants
  • don't have land/usable land
  • outdated policies/not implemented
  • lack of infrastructure
  • leadership not prioritizing housing
• Engage locally at all levels (community engagement, sessions, workshops, schools, education, newsletters, radio, and follow up with tenants). Interested in understanding the federal government process at a community level so to inform future transition/capacity building of First Nation.
• Changes to laws/policies/programs:
  • no operations and maintenance
  • no funding policy/legislation regarding expenditures
  • land use management/zoning
  • govern by First Nation law
  • fiscal relations
  • housing authorities
  • rent collection
  • government standards on builds
  • reflect needs ( reflecting actual costs in the north - outdated funding formula, index to inflation)
  • restrictions of Indian Act
  • no consultation on programs/policies
  • insufficient time to apply
  • tenant participation in building house and community involvement

Funding and financing

• New funding models and to increase capacity.
• Predictable/stable funding flowing directly to First Nations.
• Forgivable loans; promote youth builds; First Nation Financial Authority; First Nation Management Board; Mini/log/row/C-can housing (alternatives); support for disabilities and medical; remove fiscal year challenges; and habitat for humanity/other foundations.

Education and training

• Build saw mills with grading experts; develop policies to govern homeownership; separate housing committee from leadership; develop "how to" building models (homes and types – for example, architectural catalog and how to build instructions); create oversight committee.
• Need to educate the public about housing realities.
• CMHC social housing does not reflect the high costs of living in the North. It can be a challenge to make rent annual shortfall in base funding.

Energy efficiency

• Harvest raw materials/locally sourced; planning/where to site; certified trades, engineers, energy production.
• New course work on energy efficiency.
• Green incentives (solar, geothermal).

May 28, 2018

Overview

The participants stated that they require more funding for housing and more leadership meetings to discuss housing needs and future planning as a follow-up to the Dene Nation having put forward a Housing Development Initiative based on their March 2017 engagement session.

Skills and capacity

• There is a need for more housing, infrastructure and emergency services to be put in place
• There is support for communities to provide recommendations to develop a working group to discuss, plan and come up with solutions
• As many First Nations move to the city for work, considerations on how to build and sustain community-level capacity will be key
  • Job creation is needed at a local level and skill development is necessary for building homes

Funding and finance

• Dene Nation is seeking to change how funding is accessed, proposing to have federal funding flow either directly to communities or to the Northwest Territories regional federal office
• Participants want more clarity on the complexities of the relationship of First Nations with the federal and territorial governments, in both the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, to inform their own path forward

Governance and institutions

• Participants are seeking to take part in more engagements to discuss specific housing issues rather than develop a concrete plan and approach and report back to communities
• Dene Nation is seeking clarity on their eligibility under federal programs and funding sources to support their housing needs
• Participants stated concerns over relationships with federal and territorial governments and recognition of their treaty rights
• Dene Nation is considering more active representation on working groups and committees dedicated to housing, such as the National Chiefs Committee and government tables to establish a work plan with clear yearly targets that suits the needs of their membership

Program delivery

• Many houses are available; however, members do not fit eligibility criteria to access this housing due to affordability of market housing units, leading to overcrowding
• Housing programs in the south should be examined to see what could be adapted to the North
• If the housing situation is not improved today, the next generation housing needs will continue to be impacted

August 27, 2018

Overview

During the Housing Summit, the Chief's Committee on Housing and Infrastructure facilitated thematic discussions on governance and institutions; skills and capacity building; and, finance and funding for housing and related infrastructure. Chiefs, councilors and First Nations housing technicians discussed how to move forward on concrete actions to address housing challenges. It was noted that the socio-economic gap continues to grow in Indigenous communities, and that there is a need for a paradigm shift in housing programming. There was also discussion on fostering partnerships to take on challenges with a common purpose and in unity.

Governance and institutions

• Long-term solutions for institution building were discussed, such as the steps needed for First Nations control of housing, including resource requirements
• There is a need for long-term human resources and administrative support
• The short-term and immediate challenges facing remote communities, such as telecommunications and energy transportation must be addressed
• Addressing housing needs must be First Nations led. First Nations noted the importance of inherent rights, self-governance and self-administration. Community plans are important tools for First Nations and require sustainable funding to support the development of these plans
• Housing sustainability requires the use of local materials and labor
• There is a need to develop partnerships amongst First Nations to support economic development opportunities and the sharing of resources between communities

Skills and capacity

• A paradigm shift in government programming needs to occur to obtain better results and sustainability for safe, affordable homes in communities
• Adequate housing is linked to the social determinants of health; therefore, ensuring adequate, safe housing needs to be a priority
• The federal system and programming are problematic, as it is too prescriptive. There needs to be more points in program priority ranking methods attributed to innovation and meeting the needs of communities
• Concerns were raised that Canada's support for institutions may lead to the devolution of liability for housing programs to First Nations
• There is a need for resources and training to support skills and capacity development in First Nations communities, including for innovation, building standards and codes
• There is a need to focus on capacity building and skills development to enable First Nation control and the development of community plans that are forward looking
• Housing solutions need to be community led, including how housing needs are defined
• There needs to be flexibility in government programming to allow for capacity building to meet the needs of all First Nations communities in Ontario

Funding and finance

• Funding will need to consider the high costs of building homes in rural and remote communities, such as the cost associated with transportation, family/individual affordability and the lack of qualified trades in the North
• Innovation in financing could explore revolving loan funding for a range of housing options, such as for elder lodges, long-term care facilities, housing units for teachers, secondary suites, etc.
• First Nation-led, real-time and accurate data collection is required to understand housing needs within communities
• A review of funding methodologies that are used under existing federal programs is needed
• There is First Nations support for better access to low interest rates

Québec City, September 27 & November 27 to 29, 2018

Overview

Participants noted that they were open to ongoing conversations on the regional housing strategy in Quebec. Participants noted that it is important to address capacity at a community level and alternative funding models before coming up with various governance models. Transfer to First Nation care and control of housing is a process and should not be rushed as every community is at different capacity levels and needs regional support at different stages.

Skills and capacities

• Sensitize elected officials and familiarize them with housing stock, programs, political and administrative aspects, roles and responsibilities of managers, local and regional issues, challenges and opportunities
• Equip managers in their role of generalist: training (work-study balance), support, access to local and tribal expertise, strengthen the networks, access to best practices
• Empower all long-term, new and future occupants (and young people), by sensitizing them and providing them with innovative methods of communicating financial and housing literacy

Funding and finance

• Increase the use of modern financing tools, in particular to accelerate the development of individual ownership and the establishment of new infrastructure to align with the realities specific to the First Nations while thinking outside the box
• Establish partnerships at all possible levels: financial institutions, private sector, developers, lot holders, governments, etc.
• Integrate the actions of all stakeholders to maximize local benefits: work carried out internally, local contractors, bundled purchases, incentives, mentoring, etc.
• Explore all avenues to better meet needs inside and outside communities: target needs, analyze existing models, for example Kativik; increase and make better use of available funds; develop a continuum of housing, accompany individuals; partnerships with the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ); and access to lands off-community, etc.

Governance and delivery

• Target common needs in order to properly define local, tribal, regional and national responsibilities. Consider the frequency of need and critical mass
• Explore ways to integrate governance and housing delivery with off-community members, including engaging dialogue with stakeholders and determining current and desired jurisdiction and responsibilities
• Increase community autonomy, including retaining young people and encouraging their return, adapting programs to needs and not the opposite, and achieving the necessary legislative changes

General findings

General findings, which are not necessarily related to a single component, but which have significance in all aspects of the regional strategy, were also identified, including:

• Identify disincentives to housing and infrastructure development and work towards eliminating them
• Take into consideration the diversity that characterizes the communities: need, context, level where they are at, desire for First Nation care and control

Sessions

November 29, 2018 Treaty 7; January 9, 2019 Treaty 8; and January 10, 2019 Treaty 6

Overview

2016 and 2017

The Alberta region's housing engagement journey began in 2016 and yielded constructive dialogue, a discovery of challenges, barriers and opportunities, and provided for renewed optimism and recommendations for First Nation communities and the department to collectively move forward to better support and assist First Nations with their on-reserve housing needs. The First Nations' led engagement sessions held in 2016 and 2017 resulted in a detailed report called 'Listen'. This report outlined the challenges, barriers and detailed recommendations, including the need for additional engagement sessions held in 2018-2019.

2018 and 2019

Engagement sessions with the First Nation leadership in Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 took place in late 2018 and early 2019, providing participants opportunities to discuss how they wish to collectively move forward in and around the subject of on-reserve housing in order to address their needs, and position themselves to move forward with First Nations care, control and management of housing. As a result, a treaty solution to housing through organized housing governance structures, as one first step, best meets the needs of two of the three treaty holders at this time. They are currently exploring and creating aggregated treaty area housing structures. The third treaty area is working to discover a path forward that best meets their needs.

Governance and institutions

• Treaty 7 is taking a tribal-council-based approach. The Blackfoot Confederacy and the Stoney-Nakoda Tsuut'ina Tribal Council (G4) will be taking the lead role for housing and infrastructure organizational development on behalf of the First Nations they represent
• Treaty 8 is taking a treaty-based approach to institutional development and is looking to create a Treaty 8 Housing and Infrastructure Authority
• Treaty 6 is continuing to work on their approach at this time

Skills and capacity

The creation of a regional Housing Centre for Collaboration and Innovation that may provide customized advisory, capacity development, networking opportunities, and technical and off-reserve housing support is being requested

Funding and finance

• Sufficient, sustainable and predictable funding to support First Nations and First Nations organization(s) to undertake care, control and management of housing
• Ensure the new First Nation driven housing system(s) has funding that is adequate, predictable and long-term and is geared to satisfying First Nation housing needs
• Develop a new way to leverage government housing and related infrastructure investments to enhance financial opportunities
• Identify and develop new financial mechanisms for housing delivery
• Maximize funding for housing delivery systems across all jurisdictions to better serve First Nations members living away from their local First Nation in urban and rural areas

February 5 to 6, 2019 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Overview

Housing managers and staff from First Nations communities in the Atlantic region gathered for a 2-day engagement session to share successful local housing practices and identify improvements to national housing policies. This session builds on insight identified in similar gatherings hosted in 2017 and 2018. The event has centered around four objectives: to share successes in Atlantic First Nations' housing; to identify specific recommendations for improvements to First Nations housing programs, policies and practices; to share progress on the national housing policy change; and to further develop recommendations for First Nations control of housing and emergency management.

Participants shared community specific success stories

• Wagmatcook, Nova Scotia: strengthened capacity via apprenticeship programs
• St. Mary's and Kingsclear, New Brunswick: mapping projects
• Paq'tnkek, Nova Scotia: units built to meet needs, including small homes and senior complexes

General successes from multiple communities

• Built more energy efficient housing
• Increased capacity building efforts, inclusive of more responsibility of home owners
• Improved work across silos and departments

Participants collectively provided a series of recommendations to improve federal housing policies

1. Streamline federal housing programs by creating a single access pathway. Move to a housing plan-based approach rather than the annual allocations approach for funding.
2. Redesign the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) stream on-reserve and pool the funds. Ensure that all Band-owned housing is eligible for RRAP funds. Revise the inspection standards.
3. Ensure that First Nations' community inspectors across the region can be used in the RRAP inspection process.
4. Redesign the Emergency Repair Program to be a separate funding program that can provide funds to First Nations' communities for emergency repairs in a timely manner, through a simple process (i.e. a short request with a photograph of the damages).
5. Remove penalties to housing when communities are in third party management.

First Nation housing reform: local updates from participants

Building capacity

• There are 2 certification programs for First Nations housing managers; one is available online through Vancouver Island University, and the other available through Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. So far, 160 students are enrolled nationally
• The 'Keeper of My Home' is a program available online and free-of-charge; it includes curriculum material on housing for children from primary school to grade 12
• The federal government has developed online resources as well as a home owner's manual, both of which are available online and upon request

Governance

• North Shore Tribal Council has the inspection contract for the Atlantic region, however there might be potential for incorporating local inspectors in the future
• First Nation communities have been working on establishing housing communities and authorities to administer their own housing programs
• Some communities have found success using a Comprehensive Community Planning approach. This is a systematic way for communities to create plans by integrating housing and health holistically
• The Atlantic region is working towards more First Nations control in decision making through housing partnership projects
• First Nations are requiring support to perform on-reserve needs assessments
• Participants noted that future engagements should include more officials from related federal housing programs to improve the discussion on reform
• Engagements are expected to be ongoing, so all parties can continue to raise First Nations issues, concerns and seriously consider how to address housing policies and funding
• Overcrowding and disrepair has resulted in inadequate housing
• Strong governance would be required to establish financial and community planning and the community capacity to assist in managing and operating capital and infrastructure on reserve
• Connections with other First Nations are needed to explore how to leverage resources and skills (e.g. contract work with other First Nations and innovation in managing housing issues)
• Participants identified a strong interest in bringing First Nation technicians to decision-making tables, not just a political presence, such as the First National Housing Board

Funding

• Participants agreed that housing has consistently been underfunded: funding must evolve with the changing needs and realities of the growing population and address housing concerns, including repairs, renovations and new homes
• The housing crisis is growing exponentially, especially as the First Nations population in the region is growing
• Housing has a greater need for funding because of the impacts on the economy and social factors in First Nation communities
• The implementation of a proper funding mechanism has been requested of all federal departments dealing with First Nations, for example social programs, child and family services, etc.

First Nations control of housing: opportunities for governance and service delivery

• A housing partnership model was put forward by the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat to include Chiefs from Atlantic First Nations, a chiefs caucus on housing and federal partners. The model was intended to enable First Nations to provide meaningful input and promote shared decision-making into planning, management, and delivery of federal programs
• Networks are functioning in the Atlantic regions including the North Shore regional provision of technical services and the Housing and Infrastructure Network

Emergency management

• There is a need to look at mitigation and planning with climate change in mind
• The communities need to establish emergency management operations committees with all key people involved
• There is a need to create an emergency response plan with clear roles and responsibilities among the members. There is value in having disaster simulation drills
• There is a need to create multi-lateral agreements with the province and other partners to provide training in case of emergencies, as well as to have the authority to do so

February 5 to 7 and 26 to 28, 2019

Overview

On February 5 to 6 and 26 to 27, 2019, several First Nation representatives in the Yukon region gathered to discuss and understand the First Nations 10 Year National Housing and Related Infrastructure Strategy and how it applies in their unique environment. This is both a follow up to the First Nation recommendations documented in the "Joining the Conversation" report; and a response to the First Nations 10-Year National Housing & Related Infrastructure Strategy. It provides background information to establish a context and a timeline on the transfer of care, control and management and confirms their support. In addition, the report outlines a conceptual structure, as well as short- and long-term expectations on the subject matter as recommended by its contributors.

Governance

• Suggest the creation of a Yukon region First Nation controlled and managed technical institute that provides housing and infrastructure services, funding, programming, collaboration and capacity building support to its member nations. This would be for all 17 First Nations in the Yukon region
• A "North of 60" program and service framework and system that responds to the unique needs of the First Nations in the Yukon region

Skills and capacity

• Access to sufficient funding and capacity were identified as the main issues hindering housing and infrastructure programs at the community level; the participants view the national strategy as an opportunity to address some of the challenges

Funding and finance

• Funding models must all be for best value and outcomes to meet the needs of First Nations and their communities
• Eligibility for funding must account for flexibility based on remoteness costs in the North, as well as the distance to services, labour, materials, transport and building challenges unique to the Yukon
• Funding should accommodate multiple housing solutions that fit the specific needs of a community. For example, some have more youth and some have more elders
• Stable and predictable funding including the autonomy to leverage

Challenges of current housing conditions

• Housing must address multiple types of units for a variety of residents and their social and health needs
• There was a general agreement by all First Nations in the Yukon region that there continues to be a shortfall in meeting the housing needs and in bringing existing housing to a level comparable to the rest of Canada
• Older housing does not meet today's building or safety standards for Northern BC First Nation communities
• Recognition for the need for data
• Permafrost is a huge challenge in the North
• Difficulties to hire and retain maintenance staff
• Not all First Nations have a rental regime
• Challenge and understanding that in the Yukon region, there are 11 Self-Governing First Nations, three Northern BC First Nations and three Yukon First Nations that remain under the Indian Act

Meadow Lake, SK March 14 to 15, 2019; Kirkland Lake, ON March 18 to 19, 2019; Whitehorse, YK March 22 to 23, 2019; Gatineau, QC March 26 to 27, 2019

Overview

The housing policy engagement sessions facilitated discussions on housing insecurity, homelessness and housing services with women and gender-diverse people from communities across three provinces and one territory. The sessions covered a range of topics such as housing infrastructure, the social effects of housing on women's and gender-diverse people's well-being, the availability of housing stock and the availability of shelter services within communities.

The engagement sessions were held over 2 days, with one day focused on gathering input from community members, while the second day focused on the experiences of housing service providers in the community. The participants brought a diversity of perspectives to the table, ranging from youth to elders; single, married, and single mothers; mixed income brackets, employment backgrounds and living situation varying from rural, urban and Northern. Only one of the engagement sessions had a participant who identified as gender-diverse (two-spirit, in particular), making perspectives from gender-diverse people under-represented. Other sessions spoke about experiences of gender-diverse individuals within their families and their challenges. The sessions were conducted in a knowledge sharing circle style, where participants shared their experiences and stories. Elders were present on sight to start and end with prayers and offer emotional support to participants.

Governance and institutions

• Gaps and inconsistencies from band/council governance were consistently expressed as a major barrier impacting women on reserve when it came to housing
• Lack of housing stock and long waitlists for housing made many women feel that their housing concerns will never be heard or addressed. Inclusion of women in key housing decisions was deemed important and governing bodies need to facilitate representation of women's voices on housing issues
• Houses are built based on a one-size-fits-all model, which does not address the unique geographic and climatic challenges of diverse communities. Directing resources towards building distinctions-based and community-led housing models can address varying challenges impacting communities (i.e. permafrost melting in the northern communities, flooding, etc.)
• Housing contractors often fail to build houses that are sustainable. Women expressed concerns including windows and doors not being sealed properly, mould and inaccessibility as key challenges. Self-governing bodies need assistance in building capacity including developing housing codes and standards by which to maintain houses
• The challenges facing remote communities include limited telecommunications and energy infrastructure
• Indigenous women and gender-diverse people face unique challenges within the realm of housing and as such should be at the forefront of housing decision making within communities, provinces and at the national level
• Women's safety and security is tied to their access to a safe and secure home. Addressing housing insecurity is a key step in addressing gender-based violence in communities
• Concerns were raised that the devolution of housing programming could potentially lead to conflicts within the community, specifically if the Government of Canada is not being held duly responsible for the phasing out of the program delivery

Skills and capacity

• Current housing programming in Indigenous communities and for Indigenous communities within urban settings is restricted by colonial frameworks that often reflect the structures that displaced Indigenous peoples in the first place
• It is imperative to develop programming that addresses housing challenges through capacity building within communities
• Women expressed significant need for skills-building and training workshops within the community that gives them hands-on skills to be involved in addressing housing challenges in their community
• Programming that will enable women to be home owners needs to be designed to encourage home ownership for Indigenous women both on-and off-reserve
  • Current models of home ownership on-reserves reflect colonial frameworks and severely impede women's progression towards becoming independent home owners
  • Home ownership and related programming needs to be redefined in a culturally-appropriate manner
• Support services, such as mental health, employment, education support as well as shelter services are key to ensuring good housing outcomes for women
• Indigenous housing in urban settings needs particular attention, as Indigenous women's challenges are unique and often not accurately captured within the public housing eligibility criteria and point ranking system
  • Many women are disqualified for factors beyond their control, such as poor references from previous landlords where they resided in an abusive relationship, having bad credit or no credit history
• Indigenous women and girls move to urban settings to access better services, yet find themselves socially isolated and without any community supports
  • Shelter services are stretched and at over-capacity, leaving them homeless and extremely vulnerable
• Significant attention needs to be paid to mixed-income housing as a solution
  • Lack of mixed-income housing and segregation of public housing puts Indigenous women and girls at risk of violence and threatens their sense of security
• Indigenous women are recognized as knowledge keepers and caretakers in their communities, and therefore should be reflected as such in sustainable housing plans and policies
• There is a need to focus on capacity building and skills development to enable community control and the development of community plans that are forward looking
• Housing solutions need to be community led, including how housing needs are defined
• Flexible housing programs would allow for a distinctions-based, urban, rural and northern approach for Indigenous communities across Canada

Funding and finance

• Funding programs need to recognize the importance of incorporating women in housing solutions. Specific funding streams need to be assigned to enable women's voices in housing programs and policies
• Innovative financing targeting women's pathways to home ownership need to be explored
  • Financing solutions need to be community based and culturally appropriate to address current barriers to home ownership for Indigenous women
• Rent supplement programs, and public housing rent need to be re-evaluated to better facilitate affordability and address income insecurity for Indigenous women
  • the 25% - 30% rent rate of gross income for public housing prevents income security for Indigenous women
• Housing solutions need to consider the high cost of building homes in rural and northern communities (i.e. transportation costs, material costs and the lack of qualified trades)
• Training programs in trades and construction targeting women's involvement need to be put in place to further empower women in pursuing their own housing solutions
• Innovative financing options could be a solution for a variety of housing options such as elder lodges, long-term care facilities, teacherages, in-law suites as well student and youth housing
• Indigenous led, real-time and accurate gender-based data collection is required to understand the housing needs of women and gender-diverse people