Human Resources Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2017

[Michel Tremblay]

I'm not sure.

That was not actually a question, was it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

That was very quick.

Now we'll go over to MP Robillard, please.

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

My last question is for either Ms. Scott or Mr. MacArthur.

Let me go back to the announcement the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development made in Laval last month. It was said that those investments would provide support to building and renovating housing units for victims of family violence.

Can you tell us more about that initiative in particular? An initiative of that kind is likely to help reduce poverty. Finally, is the initiative expected to be introduced elsewhere, outside Quebec?

[Charles MacArthur]

That was part of the investment in affordable housing. Across the country, off-reserve there's $89.9 million available for shelters for victims of family violence, and on-reserve there's another $10.4 million available, so yes, to answer the question, it is available across the country.

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Thank you.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

My question is again to Ms. Lynda Clairmont.

The federal government has committed $554.3 million over two years through budget 2016 to address urgent housing needs on reserve. Can you please speak to the current on-reserve housing reforms engagement process and provide some feedback to this committee on how indigenous people are responding?

[Lynda Clairmont]

I'll start off and then kick it over to David.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Yes, anyone can answer.

[Lynda Clairmont]

The $554 million is CMHC and INAC funding, correct?

[David Smith]

Yes.

[Lynda Clairmont]

That's for on-reserve, so we are working very closely with CMHC.

Over the past year we've initiated a number of engagements, including with the AFN, with indigenous organizations regionally, and also with various communities, to assess what the concerns are and what our options and strategies are for moving forward. I think that answers your question.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Yes.

[Lynda Clairmont]

David, would you like to respond?

[David Smith]

Yes, if I may.

As Lynda highlighted, through the national housing strategy we've been working very closely with CMHC and participating in their engagements with regard to what we heard. We've been working with the Assembly of First Nations and their housing and chief committee, where there are also technicians. They have representatives from every region. We've been to the Assembly of First Nations general meeting and the annual meetings, and we supported the AFN in having a working session in Manitoba where there were 550 participants from first nations communities who were technicians, operators, and different experts who came to discuss future programs and to speak specifically to housing and their view on how housing should be delivered in the future in first nations communities. We continue to work with these organizations and with the regional organizations and communities.

We've also posted on our website for all Canadians to be able to share their views on how housing could be delivered in first nations communities, and we continue that.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Inuit are not included in the reserves because the Indian Act does not apply to them, so what do you suggest is the remedy for them?

[Lynda Clairmont]

As I said in my opening remarks, in budget 2016 we did also get funds to invest in Inuit housing, and the department is working very closely with CMHC and with Inuit partners to look at how best to resolve some of those acute needs in the north.

I don't know if the CMHC wants to add anything.

[Charles MacArthur]

In addition, in Nunavut there was money associated with the funding we have in all three northern territories, so in addition to the Inuit-specific funding, there were investments in affordable housing.

Also, we received money with regard to our housing internships initiative for first nations and Inuit youth, which is a training program. For us, of course, it's around housing and the like. We have 35 Inuit youth working in the program now, learning about different kinds of housing. It could be administration or it could be as simple as painting and the like, but we've done that. That's part of the overall program. We've made a concentrated effort to try to target Inuit youth and get our numbers up.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

We have about 15 minutes left. After some discussion, we thought maybe we would give every side an opportunity for another three-minute question. I know Glen had a three-minute question, as did Dan. Is that something that you would be willing to do? Okay.

We'll start with Dan for three minutes. Go ahead.

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

I want to focus on challenges faced by urban aboriginals.

In my riding, there's a young man whose name is Andy Bird. His big thing is that he's a wrestler, and that's why he pulled himself out of his reserve to make himself better. He comes from Saskatchewan. He started something really cool. It's called The Bird's Nest. He brought one or two people over from Saskatchewan from his reserve into urban Maple Ridge, and he just started working with them. Slowly, one went to two, two went to three. Now he's got, I think, seven or nine, and another three more, and they bought a house. They're doing this on their own.

It's great that I see money flying all over the place for larger organizations, but how do urban aboriginals like Andy Bird tap into some of this money so it's not coming out of their pockets and they're not struggling? These are people who are trying to help themselves. How do we facilitate that for them?

[Lynda Clairmont]

CMHC is doing a lot, but I'll maybe kick it off. One of the things we're hearing through the consultation process from first nations is the artificiality around on-reserve and off-reserve, because there is a certain amount of flow. How do we address those needs? That's part of the collaboration that we're working on through the national housing strategy with CMHC, looking at solutions to that. I think the innovative approach of that fellow you spoke about is one of many different kinds of approaches and options that people are initiating on their own. When we come through the national housing strategy, I think it's something that we'll be looking at so we can better help people in that situation.

[Charles MacArthur]

I was just going to say that this is the sort of thing that our folks who are on the ground need to make contact on. Depending on how large he wants to grow his initiative, we've got some small funding available for folks to think through their ideas and help them to get their product ready. Here's somebody in Maple Ridge, a community where, if the mortgage, the financing, is put together properly, we can possibly finance it from the perspective of mortgage loan insurance. There are a variety of things—

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

I've only got about 10 seconds left. Should I send him to CMHC?

[Charles MacArthur]

Yes, absolutely, with his ideas, for sure. We would be interested in talking with him.

[Dan Ruimy, Liberal, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you.