Release the funds as fast as possible - we can spend it quickly and where it is needed most
April 17 2024 - 12:27AM
Unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam),
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations,
Vancouver, BC (April 16, 2024) – In the wake of the
Government of Canada’s 2024 budget release, AHMA and their
provincial and federal partners are asking to speed up the delivery
of funding promised for those most in need. Federal budget 2024
boasts increased spending on housing but Indigenous housing experts
want expedited action on implementation.
“Safe places to rest their heads,” says Margaret Pfoh, CEO of
the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). “That’s what
we call it, because what really counts is not what the federal
government promises in funding but how quickly those commitments
are rolled out to the non-market housing sector to become homes for
people to feel safe, raise families, and thrive.”
“The funding promises mean nothing if they are not quickly
dispersed to the organizations dedicated to putting it to good use
immediately for the benefit of Indigenous and marginalized people
suffering ongoing oppression and poverty,” adds Pfoh. “We are still
waiting for funds that were promised in previous years that have
been held up in administrative processes. In the meantime, the
situation for Indigenous housing providers, who can barely keep
their existing operations afloat on meagre and stagnant budgets, is
worsening daily.”
AHMA celebrates the new National Rental Protection Fund, the
Co-operative Housing Development Program and the Tenant Protection
Fund, along with other commitments to infrastructure and taxes on
those with extreme wealth. “We hope to see these implemented with
urgency,” says Pfoh.
In BC alone, some communities are experiencing up to a 106%
increase in homelessness, with Indigenous people being
overrepresented (as high as 88%) in many regions. The Federal
Housing Plan reiterates the 2023 commitment of $4.3 billion towards
Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing, stating that money
will be released in 2024. “This timeline is critical and will save
lives,” says Pfoh.
“It needs to come to the non-profit Indigenous housing sector as
fast as possible – we can spend it quickly and where it is needed
most. Urgent implementation is key. While these announcements are
welcome, they do not proportionately respond to the extent of the
housing crisis and we need to turn these commitments into action
that addresses the clear and immediate need in every
community.”
Considering this, AHMA is calling on the Government of
Canada to make a clear commitment to support NICHI and its
goals to advance housing for URN Indigenous populations and to
quickly release the necessary funding.
“NICHI is primed and ready to make progress with this crucial
work. An equity-based approach to housing centers Indigenous rights
and Indigenous leadership,” says Pfoh. “I am confident that NICHI
will bring the holistic, culturally supportive, trauma-informed
lens to URN Indigenous housing that has long been needed in
Canada.”
Federal Budget 2024 falls short on the following:
- The Plan lacked
initiatives targeting housing for people in the greatest need. The
initiatives are not adequately addressing complex and chronic
homelessness.
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- $250 million to
address encampments and unsheltered homelessness is a small
contribution given the situation. People who used to be
capable of surviving the rental market can no longer afford to keep
a roof over their heads.
- Housing is
healthcare – if housing is not at the core of investments in
health, where will people rest and recover once their health needs
are addressed? Housing impacts women’s safety, mental health, and
family stability - it is the foundation of well-being.
- No action or
funding was stated for shelters or transitional housing. The Plan
mentioned past initiatives but failed to commit to any current or
future action.
- The government is
allocating an additional $1 billion to the Affordable Housing Fund
(AHF). The AHF provides low-interest or forgivable loans and
contributions for new and repaired affordable and community
housing.
- The big question
is: affordable for WHOM? This plan misses the mark for those most
vulnerable to housing precarity. Deep affordability needs to be
defined.
- In BC, we are
taking an innovative approach with complex care, that connects
housing and health services to integrate the supports required and
prioritize Indigenous people, who are vastly overrepresented in
experiences of housing insecurity.
- Many of the
affordable housing funds are structured around loans. The sector
needs grants as well; loans will be paid back with interest and do
not adequately support affordable housing or their ongoing
operational needs.
In November 2023, CHRA, Housing Partnership Canada, and sector
partners released an economic study, The Impact of Community
Housing on Productivity. This study, authored by Deloitte, finds a
causal connection between the proportion of community housing
within the overall housing stock and gains in economic
productivity. It’s estimated that approximately 2.6 million
Canadians are currently in core housing need. Increasing the share
of community housing units from its current level to the OECD
average of 7% by 2030 will improve our productivity and boost GDP
by $110 billion in 2030.
In addition, AHMA’s Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing
Strategy for BC lays out clear plans for how funding can be quickly
and efficiently put to direct use creating more home spaces for
those who are hardest hit by the housing affordability crisis.
Safe, affordable, culturally supported housing is a key component
to ending cycles of poverty and improving health outcomes for
Indigenous families.
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AHMA is a For indigenous, By Indigenous (FIBI) organization made
up of 55 members that represent over 95% of Indigenous Housing
and Service providers in BC. AHMA members support over 10,000
Indigenous families living in urban, rural, and northern regions of
BC. AHMA has over 25 years of experience and expertise as the first
Indigenous Housing Authority in Canada. Our strategy is
broadly endorsed, seen as a national baseline, and celebrated as an
international example of excellence in Indigenous research and
approach.
Kelly Moon
Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA)
(604) 353-0427
kmoon@ahma-bc.org