No problem.
CMHC is Canada's national housing agency. We are guided by a bold aspiration that, by 2030, everyone in Canada will have a home that they can afford and that meets their needs. We're doing this in part by delivering the national housing strategy, a multi-billion dollar plan grounded in a human-rights-based approach to housing.
To achieve the goal of the strategy, our corporate aspiration, and to support Canada's goal of reconciliation, we know that we must do more to address the diverse and pressing housing needs of indigenous peoples.
Canada has a severe shortage of housing supply and that disproportionately affects indigenous peoples. According to 2016 census data, the rate of core housing need among indigenous households is 18% compared with the national average of 12.7%. This data reflects crowding, the need for major repairs and unaffordable conditions.
Indigenous people are also overrepresented among the 35,000 people who experience homelessness each night in Canada. They are also more than twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness, especially in the north, compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. Indigenous housing needs are complex and they are urgent. They are most dire across the territories, where approximately one-third of the indigenous population lives in unacceptable housing.
There is much work to do with indigenous partners to resolve this. We must continue to build and expand on what is being done by and with the federal government. For example, first nations, Inuit and Métis nation organizations alongside Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada recently codeveloped distinctions-based housing strategies for first nations, Inuit and Métis. CMHC is very proud to be an active partner in this work.
Still, the majority of indigenous households live in urban, rural and northern areas, and they also need access to safe, adequate and affordable housing.
That's why we were pleased to see that the mandate letter of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion includes the commitment to engage with indigenous partners and to codevelop an urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. This strategy was one of the main recommendations of the previous HUMA committee's report, and we at CMHC are ready and fully committed to support this work.
In 2019, we also set up a new indigenous and northern housing solutions team to increase the uptake of our housing programs and help to navigate our funding options and application process. As a result, the number of indigenous housing projects committed to has increased exponentially and will continue to grow.
Take, for example, the rapid housing initiative created to address the urgent need for housing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program received strong interest from indigenous groups, and nearly 40% of all units created under the first round of this $2.5-billion program will benefit indigenous households.
I think one the most important changes at CMHC has been a major shift in our approach to indigenous housing. We're working with indigenous partners to make existing programs more accessible, to build stronger relationships and to support self-determination. This work is being led by our indigenous and northern housing solutions team. It is supported by our new vice-president of indigenous relations and will be guided by our reconciliation action plan.
First nations, Inuit and Métis people best understand the distinct housing needs of their people and communities. They are best placed to find solutions that work for them, and we are committed to helping them to succeed.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and the rest of the committee, for studying this important issue. I'd be happy to take any questions you may have.