Human Resources Committee on Nov. 17th, 2020

[Lindsay Neeley, Director, Indigenous and the North Housing Solutions, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation]

Thank you very much for the question.

What we can say about funding for the north is that there are new bilateral agreements in place with each territory where, as Romy indicated, there's $447 million over 10 years going to each territory to support the local needs. We're also working to prioritize northern housing needs through our programs of general application, like the national housing co-investment fund, and have provided $95 million to date to support projects across the territories.

There's certainly more to do, but we're encouraged to see the progress that has been made so far.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

I don't know if I agree with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

I understand you're going to get another chance in about 10 minutes.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

I hope so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

It is now your turn, Ms. Chabot, for two and a half minutes.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Goulding, both of my questions pertain to homelessness and the reaching home program.

You said in your opening statement that funding had been allocated to address indigenous homelessness, which is on the rise even without taking into account the unique challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis. I'll have to reread your statement, but I thought it referred to funding increases. How many projects or organizations receive funding under the program to address indigenous homelessness?

You talked about a results-based approach. Do you set targets? How do you decide on the criteria? Do you receive project proposals? Do you decide—not you, personally, of course—which organizations or projects receive funding? Do you allocate funding on the basis of a grassroots approach or only after proposals have been submitted?

The results are pretty hard to see. Given that the programs span such long periods, the needs and problems often grow over time. How can you be sure you are meeting the right targets using your criteria?

[Janet Goulding]

Thank you very much for the question.

I'm going to defer this question to my colleague, Mr. Kris Johnson, who is the director general responsible for the homelessness policy directorate at ESDC.

[Kris Johnson, Director General, Homelessness Policy Directorate, Department of Employment and Social Development]

Thank you for the question. It is an important question.

As Janet mentioned in her opening remarks, our program is community-based. What that means in practice is that while we provide the funding to communities, there are local governance committees put in place across the country—we call them community advisory boards—that decide which projects get funded. While we fund dozens of communities, there are thousands of individual projects that are funded by the program. Those decisions aren't made by the federal government; they're made by people in the communities all across Canada.

You're absolutely right. The problems continue to be present. As with many other programs, the communities themselves make the best prioritization decisions about where to invest the resources.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Ms. Chabot.

Next we have Ms. Gazan.

You have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you very much.

My question is for Madame Marin-Comeau, with regard to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

A report that came from the Native Women's Association of Canada indicated that first nations women living off reserve experienced “gendered and racialized discrimination by potential property owners”, which affects their ability to find not just adequate housing but safe housing.

Call for justice 4.7 of the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls says, “We call upon all governments to support the establishment and long-term sustainable funding of Indigenous-led low-barrier shelters, safe spaces, transition homes, second-stage housing, and services for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people”.

My question is, how many low-barrier, 24-7 safe spaces have been created since the national inquiry report was released a year ago?

[Chantal Marin-Comeau]

Thank you very much for the question.

I don't have the answer to that question. Perhaps some of my other colleagues from the federal departments would have some of those answers. If not, I'll get those answers and provide them to the committee.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I ask that because, since the beginning of COVID, I've heard the government say that the reason they haven't been able to follow up on the action is due to COVID. However, we know there's been a 400% increase in violence against women in some areas, mainly targeting indigenous women.

I'm wondering if that is a focus going forward. I know you don't have a number, but is that a specific focus? As we know, in many cases it is a life-and-death matter.

[Chantal Marin-Comeau]

Perhaps I'll answer for the responsibility of Inuit and the Métis Nation. The partners we're working with to develop the strategies certainly have that as a focus. Obviously this is something that is very prevalent, as you've just mentioned, and it's very important for indigenous communities. When we developed housing strategies with Inuit and with the Métis Nation, there was certainly a very large focus on gender-based violence and how housing can help to alleviate some of the gender-based violence, as well as the shelters and homelessness. There is a very strong focus in those strategies on what you've just mentioned.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Ms. Gazan.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Next we're going to Mr. Kent, please, for five minutes.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Thanks to all our witnesses tonight.

What's the current status of CMHC's on-reserve rental housing program? Are rents reduced or scaled back when they involve buildings that require major repair or renovation?

[Lindsay Neeley]

Mr. Chair, I will answer that question on behalf of CMHC.

Our section 95 is the on-reserve rental program, which we continue to offer and have offered for a number of decades to support on-reserve housing needs. There are no clawbacks or restrictions to the funding for repairs. We also offer a suite of on-reserve repair programs that support a range of repair needs, from emergency repairs to adaptations for persons with disabilities or seniors. It's a suite of programs that we continue to offer to address the on-reserve housing needs.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

So rental accommodations are repaired by CMHC at no cost to the tenants. With how much delay, in some cases?

[Lindsay Neeley]

The form of funding provided for on-reserve repairs through existing programs is through a forgivable loan, repayable by the proponent. In most cases, that is the band or council that we've entered into an agreement with.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Still with on-reserve households, what are the challenges facing those households to meet eligibility requirements for repair and renovation costs in whatever the successor programs are to the old residential rehabilitation assistance program? Again, it's an old program, but I'm sure it must have a successor of some sort.

[Lindsay Neeley]

At CMHC, we continue to offer the residential rehabilitation program on reserve. As I mentioned, it's a suite of programs that support a variety of repair needs on reserve. There's an ongoing annual budget of over $8 million.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Do band councils determine priorities?

[Lindsay Neeley]

That's correct.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Okay.

I wonder whether any of the programs that we've discussed here tonight have targeted shrinkage costs for administration. Is there a common target of what administration costs should be in the delivery of programs, funding and facilities to the homeless or those in need?