Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like brief responses, just because of my short period of time, from Madame Marin-Comeau and also Madame Goulding.
I want to thank everybody for being here. I know it's a very difficult time, and I appreciate your time here today.
With the government recently announcing funding for rapid housing, and with Reaching Home being primarily targeted, as you indicated, towards indigenous housing projects and women.... We know—particular to my riding—that 70% of the unsheltered community in Winnipeg is indigenous. Although I appreciated working with my colleague Adam Vaughan to get resources into our community, the $12.5-million allocation is grossly inadequate in terms of meeting our current needs, and it's resulting now in people losing their lives from COVID outbreaks within our shelter system.
We're running out of space in our isolation units for the unsheltered community in places that have been opened up during COVID. This wouldn't have happened in the first place if there hadn't been a history of underfunding and underinvestment, particularly in the area of indigenous affordable and accessible social housing. This is particularly pronounced on reserve as a result of former finance minister and former prime minister Paul Martin's 2% funding cap, which has been devastating in terms of the housing situation on reserve.
With the rise of COVID cases across the country—certainly in first nations and Inuit communities, both urban and rural on reserve—we know the investments are inadequate. Very simply, are there any plans to increase investments to actually meet the real needs and urgency of housing on reserve and also in urban centres? If you could quickly respond to that, then I'll move to my next question. Thank you.
Either one can start. Maybe we'll start with you, Madame Marin-Comeau.