In response to today’s federal Budget, the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) today lamented the lack of a dedicated funding stream for the housing challenges facing Indigenous peoples living in urban and rural settings. Furthermore, although CHRA continues to applaud the release of the National Housing Strategy by the Prime Minister in November 2017, CHRA had hoped that Budget 2018 would provide new information regarding the status and implementation of the programs announced as part of the National Housing Strategy.
Today’s budget announced allocations for Indigenous housing of $600 million over three years for a First Nations Housing Strategy, $400 million over 10 years for an Inuit-led Housing Strategy, and $500 million over 10 years for a Metis Nations’ Housing Strategy. Furthermore, the Budget announced an increase in the Rental Construction Financing Initiative first introduced in Budget 2016 from $2.5 billion to $3.75 billion over the next three years. This program supports the construction of new rental housing; however, it has little impact on housing supply for Canada’s most vulnerable populations.
“Although CHRA welcomes new investments in distinction-based housing for Inuit, Metis, and First Nations, the federal government must commit resources to a fourth housing stream, that being urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing” stated Stephan Corriveau, President of CHRA. “With the vast majority of Indigenous peoples living in urban centres, it is imperative that the federal government create a separate strategy and funding stream so that the housing challenges facing Indigenous peoples in urban settings can be properly addressed,” he added.
“Social, affordable and non profit housing providers were very pleased to see the federal government reinsert itself in social housing through the 2017 National Housing Strategy. However, we are growing increasingly concerned over the lack of details regarding implementation of those specific measures. We had hoped that Budget 2018 would have provided that opportunity – the government needs to provide information as quickly as possible to housing providers on how to access these necessary programs,” said Jeff Morrison, Executive Director of CHRA.
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For more information, please contact:
Jeff Morrison, Executive Director
jmorrison@chra-achru.ca (email)
(613) 291-9377 (cell)
CHRA’s members include housing providers, municipalities, businesses, all 13 provincial and territorial housing departments, service and support agencies, individuals, students and other housing-related associations and networks.
chra-achru.ca @CHRA_ACHRU