Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, to you and to your team for appearing today for this very important discussion.
I'd like to acknowledge that last night we had a really important take-note debate on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in this country. There are so many issues we can focus on that can better support indigenous women and girls, but I think housing is specifically one that is just so important. It's a social determinant of health, as we know.
Minister, our government has previously noted that investments in first nation housing, including self-governing and modern treaty partners, play a role in closing the infrastructure gap and the socio-economic gap in indigenous communities by ensuring their needs are met.
Can you please speak to how the government ensures these projects address the needs of the communities and involves them in the process?