Human Resources Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2017

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

Okay.

Moving forward, can you describe what programs or funding opportunities exist for wraparound services? Providing a place is one thing, but if somebody is addicted to drugs or has mental health challenges, just putting them into a home is not the only answer. How are we addressing wraparound services?

[Catherine Scott]

That's really at the core of the Housing First model, and that is the focus of federal investments. Sixty-five per cent of federal investments in large urban centres are to be directed toward Housing First approaches.

You're right that it's not just about placing people in permanent housing. That is the first step, because that approach has demonstrated clearly that once individuals are in permanent housing, they tend to be more stable, and then they're able to address some of the other issues that they're facing.

At the core of Housing First there is an intensive case management approach. That approach is around providing those individuals with a case manager and ensuring that they are connected to all of the services they need, including housing retention, working with landlords, and accessing mental health or medical services.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

We have to move on now to MP Boutin-Sweet, please. Welcome.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My thanks to everyone for being here. I have been hearing some very interesting things today.

I am going to start with some questions on Aboriginal housing. They go mostly to the group of witnesses from the department, but also to the officials from CMHC.

Last year, my colleague Charlie Angus asked you a question about Aboriginal housing. Let me quote you a part of the reply: “…the housing shortage on reserves will rise to approximately 115,000 units by 2031.” You added that “almost 41% of households on reserve are dwellings in need of a major repair and mould or mildew has been reported in 51% of the units.”

I travelled to Nunavik and saw that for myself. I also saw the overcrowding in the housing there; it was senseless.

In Budget 2016, the amount of $416.6 million over two years was allocated to this. According to your estimates, with that amount, it should be possible to build 300 new units and renovate 1,400 others. We know that the growth rate in the north is high.

I have a proposal; tell me what you think about it. You want innovative solutions? Perhaps I have one.

Construction costs are very high in the north. One possible solution would be to provide training in the construction trades in the north, on site. Of course, the training would be tailored to the local cultures. There would be a lot of advantages. One would be job creation, of course. That alone would be a great help in combatting poverty. You would not have to bring workers in from the south, so the construction would cost less.

You could work with the local population. We want a new nation-to-nation relationship with Aboriginal people. There would also be advantages in working with them, as they could propose solutions for building accommodation that is adapted to the culture and the climate, which is not the case at the moment. I know that there are already local leaders, in Inukjuak, for example, and they have very good ideas on the subject.

Ms. Clairmont, just now, you mentioned addressing the gaps in infrastructure, especially in connecting energy systems. That is actually one of the problems: people there are not connected to the Hydro-Québec grid.

I would like to know what the two groups of witnesses think of that idea.

[Lynda Clairmont]

Thank you for the question. I'll start off and then maybe I'll ask some of my colleagues to jump in. Allan can talk a little bit about connectivity and Internet access. We're also looking at a number of projects around electrification and connecting communities to the electrical grid, particularly in the north.

With respect to your idea about training for trades in the north and in all communities, this is a priority for us. That, I think, is what I was referencing around developing capacity-building. Increasingly we want to work with communities so that we don't have the situation in which somebody goes in, builds, and then leaves.

Just yesterday I saw a film from a B.C. community in which they were building a small community centre and a couple of houses, and they were training people in the community to get “trade tickets”, as I believe they called them, from the building they were doing. Capacity development and working with the communities on their needs are very key for us.

We're also quite focused on innovation, and again Allan may want to speak a little bit to that. We're looking for alternative solutions in the north: more green and environmentally friendly housing, and housing that more closely meets the needs of the communities and can follow people through their stages of life. The house you want at 18 isn't the house you want at 40, and it probably isn't the house you want at 65. We're trying to look at how, in smaller communities, we would be able to build that flexibility around housing stock. We're also, with the communities, focusing on how to maintain that stock. That also offers employment opportunities, I think, for community members.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you.

[Lynda Clairmont]

Allan, did you want to...?

[Allan Clarke, Director General, Economic Research and Policy Development, Lands and Economic Development, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

I could say a few things about some of the innovations we're looking at in financing. When the minister reported to the Senate standing committee following their report on on-reserve housing infrastructure, she committed the government to look at some innovative financing options that would support the construction of housing and infrastructure.

There are a number of interesting innovations that have already begun. One that we consider best in class in some of the work it's doing is the First Nations Fiscal Management Act. That's a piece of legislation through which first nations can assert jurisdiction over fiscal matters as well as taxation. It also provides a vehicle called the First Nations Finance Authority that allows first nations, through the mechanism of pool borrowing, to raise money in the capital markets. The first bond of the finance authority was issued back in June 2014, and since that time the finance authority has raised almost $300 million for first nations to finance a number of on-reserve projects, including housing and infrastructure.

Now that it has been road-tested, we see this as a vehicle we could be developing further to deal with some of the major gaps in housing and infrastructure. People will look at how we deal with housing now—we're funding homes, but we're not really financing housing. That vehicle, the finance authority, and the other institutions under the fiscal management act would help support more innovative financing structures.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you so much.

Now we'll go over to MP Sangha.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and my thanks to all the witnesses for coming here today.

My first question goes to Catherine Scott.

We have seen that the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness has talked about homelessness conditions in its study, and York University's Canadian Observatory on Homelessness has also talked about homelessness in regard to indigenous communities. We also see that CMHC's study states that core housing needs are greater for Inuit. Inuit are disproportionately represented in respect of Canada's homeless population. When we talk about core housing needs, Inuit feel core housing needs aren't there.

My question to you is this: what measures has ESDC taken to ensure that the first nations, Métis, and Inuit people have access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing?

[Catherine Scott]

I can speak a little bit about the investments through the homelessness partnering strategy in our indigenous stream, and then I'll ask my colleagues to add anything supplementary they have on access to affordable housing.

Within our program there is a dedicated indigenous stream of funding. It's about $28 million this year and next and it provides funding to about 40 communities across the country. We have dedicated community advisory boards, made up of indigenous stakeholders who manage and decide the priorities of investment for those funds. The way the program is structured allows the local communities to design interventions that are culturally sensitive and that respect indigenous practices.

In looking at the statistics on homelessness, in 2016 we did a point-in-time count in 32 communities across the country, and the indigenous population was about 37% of homeless individuals. Similarly, the shelter study we released at the end of 2016 also demonstrated that indigenous populations are significantly overrepresented in emergency shelters, representing about 30% of that population.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Is the funding that the federal government is giving going to the agencies or directly to the indigenous communities? I'm talking mostly about Inuit now.

[Catherine Scott]

This funding goes directly to indigenous-serving organizations to develop interventions specifically for indigenous clientele, interventions that are culturally sensitive.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Is there any way that private infrastructure improves on the first nations infrastructure fund? Do you think that private infrastructure will be better than the other one?

[Catherine Scott]

Private infrastructure in terms of...?

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Spending through private infrastructure.

[Catherine Scott]

Through our program, we do invest mostly in the community-level service providers at this point.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Would it be helpful for the national housing strategy for the reduction of poverty? Will it be helping in that way?

[Catherine Scott]

I think that will certainly be an important component in terms of looking at how we address homelessness within indigenous populations.

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

My next question is to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Maybe Mr. MacArthur or Mr. Tremblay can answer this question.

Our minister is already speaking regarding the plan and policies. He says that these investments are transitional measures to bridge the gap for the next two years while consultations are undertaken with the provinces, territories, and stakeholders, leading to a new approach under the national housing strategy.

With regard to the national housing strategy, we have already seen that the maximum amounts are being spent on that. Budget 2016 announces the federal government's plan to expand current investments with regard to affordable housing.

How will you lead the development and implementation of the national housing strategy to better address the needs of Canadians with respect to affordable housing and to help reduce poverty?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

You must answer very briefly, I'm afraid; sorry.

[Michel Tremblay]

I can't speak to all the details, as the national housing strategy is still being developed, but I can safely say that we've heard from Canadians that we need to focus on those Canadians who are most in need. Obviously there's a recognition that a lot of investment is required, but also that there's a finite amount of money available, so we will focus on those who are most in need. That's what Canadians have been telling us through our consultation process.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

I'll turn it over to MP Robillard, please.

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

Welcome to all the witnesses.

This question is open to everyone.

Last January, in Laval, our government and the Government of Quebec announced a two-year agreement on investments in affordable and social housing in Quebec.

Can you tell us how it will be decided which seniors will benefit from those investments, in Quebec and elsewhere in the country? What are the best ways in which to turn those investments into reality?

[Charles MacArthur]

We have signed agreements with all 13 provinces and territories. All of the supplemental agreements for the flowing of the dollars through our provincial partners have been signed.

There are a variety of ways. The doubling of the investment in affordable housing is intended to serve folks who are on or are eligible to be on social housing waiting lists. It is definitely directed that way.

With regard to other investments that were made, some were geared directly towards seniors. There is a requirement that it go towards seniors. Others are for renovation and retrofitting of existing social housing.

There are requirements. We work with the partner, and they have to submit plans to show where money is being spent. We have an audit process in place to make sure it went to where it was intended to go.