Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate members of the committee giving me the opportunity to indulge in my questions. I particularly appreciate the witnesses' patience in this important study.
You've spoken a lot about the need for non-market homes. The history that pertains to Canada is, in many ways, investment, but I think it's also a proud legacy of building homes in the tradition of making sure that it's seen as a human right and that people actually have a home.
Mr. Sullivan, you spoke about how it's important that non-market homes speak to the ability of our economy to flourish.
Dr. Whitzman, you've spoken about the history since the sixties and the postwar era in Canada. As a matter of fact, there was the huge population boom that we had. At that time, we suffered a housing crisis, and we had Canadians step up with solutions for it. In my city of Edmonton, we know that to be the case.
Mr. Gordon, in so many of these cases, indigenous people were left behind, whether it was in the sixties or even up to today. It's troubling to see how depleted the on-reserve housing stock is and how opportunity, both economic.... The lack of infrastructure, from clean water to roads and transport, has largely left indigenous people excluded from the economy and excluded from Canadian society. They've been excluded from the ability to participate fully and fairly, leading to what has been, to your credit, the point you made of having this huge influx of indigenous populations going to small, rural centres and to cities. As a matter of fact, over 50% of indigenous people today now find themselves in urban settings.
You spoke about the 22 important agencies that came together, recognized this problem and said, “We're going to do something about it. We're going to create a for indigenous, by indigenous solution to what is the terrible plight of exclusion from society.” You spoke about the racism that placates not only this place but provincial and municipal governments as well.
I commend you for your work in leading an organization that has created a coalition of over 100 now, including in my city of Edmonton and likely in many cities.
I want to give you some time to speak about the importance of the for indigenous, by indigenous quality. If it's truly for indigenous, by indigenous, the systemic barriers like racism and this exclusion that is experienced by persons in homes, or those who can't find homes and sometimes find themselves in encampments today.... Why is that principle so important?
I know you were just in my city of Edmonton, speaking to a coalition of indigenous operators across the Prairies and across the country who value this principle because of what it really means.
Do you want to speak about the importance and power a for indigenous, by indigenous solution will have for the housing sector and the crisis we're facing?