Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
I am Grand Council Chief John Beaucage, elected from the 42-member first nations of the Anishinabek Nation. I am pleased to offer you this submission on behalf of the Union of Ontario Indians and the Assembly of First Nations.
I share the national portfolio for housing and infrastructure with National Chief Phil Fontaine and Yukon Regional Vice-Chief Rick O'Brien. This document builds on the pre-budget submission by the Assembly of First Nations and is the position of the first nations of Canada. I respectfully submit this brief for your review.
National Chief Phil Fontaine has met with the Hon. Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and briefly with the Prime Minister on this plan. Both were quite receptive to these ideas, which move to establish creative financing for the purposes of a legitimate free market housing process on reserve. That being said, we cannot ignore the substantial needs for social housing and the right to shelter of those who are unable to access capital under this proposed market housing regime. The proposed comprehensive framework takes steps to provide creative financing for first nations to establish sustainable access to capital for both private market housing and public social housing through the same business case envelope.
The most innovative proposal in this comprehensive framework is the establishment of a first nations investment trust. The investment trust would consolidate federal funding for first nations housing. It will act as a sustainable revolving loan fund and an indemnity fund. It will provide delivery program funding through the members of a first nations housing authority and a first nations housing institute, which is also being proposed under this comprehensive initiative.
I can't stress enough that both first nations and the government need to make significant transformative change in the way we fund and administer our housing programs. Dollars currently being spent by Indian Affairs and CMHC housing programs are simply going out the government door and building houses dollar for dollar. We need to make those housing dollars go a lot further through investment options as well as public and private partnerships.
Our recommendation for first nations housing is a $1.2 billion investment in the 2007 federal budget—specifically, an allocation of $395 million the first year for development and startup costs, together with a $215 million annual allocation for the next four years to facilitate ongoing operation costs and capital investment in the first nations investment trust. We also recommend that the government consider annual investments in first nations infrastructures of $300 million over the next five years.
Without a doubt, there is tremendous need for government action for on-reserve first nations housing. Our estimates indicate a backlog of some 80,000 units. Those who have a home are living in deplorable conditions—overcrowding, mould contamination, and a lack of basic amenities. There is a significant lack of basic infrastructure to sustain our communities right across the country.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are not just catch phrases or embellishments. These circumstances are real. This is happening in my home community of Wasauksing. This is happening throughout the Anishinabek Nation. This is happening right here in Canada. We ask that you do your part in eliminating first nations poverty. We cannot afford to ignore these conditions any longer.
Kichi meegwetch. Thank you.