At our 2021 Semi-Annual General Meeting in May, delegates passed a resolution (pdf) in support of a national Urban Indigenous Housing Strategy

Our friends at the Canadian Housing & Renewal Association (CHRA) and the CHRA Indigenous Caucus have continued to work towards a federal urban, rural and northern (URN) Indigenous housing strategy. Over the past several months, the following developments have occurred:

• Over the past few months, Caucus members have been engaged and consulted through a variety of workbooks, workshops, and interviews to develop the governance and operational framework for an eventual “For Indigenous, By Indigenous” housing body that was recommended by a Parliamentary Committee (pdf) earlier this year and endorsed by all political parties in the federal election.  The final report and vision of this consultation is expected in early January. 
• During and after the federal election, the Indigenous Caucus has worked with a consultant on outreach and communication with the new federal government and opposition politicians to ensure that an urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing is a top priority.
• On December 16, the Prime Minister released “Mandate Letters” to his Cabinet; among the directives included in the Mandate Letter to the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion is the following:
  
  “With Indigenous partners, co-develop an Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, a stand-alone companion to the National Housing Strategy, supported by dedicated investments, and create Canada’s first-ever National Indigenous Housing Centre.”

Although these are positive developments, the Indigenous Caucus and CHRA will continue to strongly campaign for an URN Indigenous housing strategy until such a strategy is finally realized. 

CHF BC will work with CHRA to build support for this goal.