I can give you concrete examples.
We talk about the amount of funding available to build housing in our communities. I think I heard one of the chiefs mention that they're not getting very much funding. In this fiscal year, regarding CMHC funding, Quebec receives 7% of the national budget. Historically, we received 12%. However, in 2001-02, with the adoption of the interim allocation model, Quebec saw its proportional share of the national budget drop to 7%. This fiscal year, CMHC's section 95 program—one of their legacy programs—is going to build a total of 30 units for 43 communities in Quebec. Right off the top, 10 of those units go directly to the Crees, because the Crees have a treaty and get 38% of the regional budget. That leaves 20 units for the 33 communities I represent.
That is a concrete example of chronic underfunding and what it means for first nations in Quebec. Because of that reality, we've had to look at innovative ways to address our housing needs. A number of communities developed Yänonhchia', which is a financial model that allows us to provide mortgages on reserve without ministerial loan guarantees or the band having to guarantee. Currently, first nations are the only jurisdictions in this country that have to guarantee every single loan or mortgage our members make for housing, and we also have to guarantee those mortgages for social housing. Each of these mortgages we guarantee goes against our contingent liability. Many of our communities are in debt with mortgaging for housing, because social housing doesn't meet the needs. Yänonhchia’ is, again, an opportunity for members of our community who are caught between a rock and a hard place. Most government funding is for social housing.
There are individuals in our community who have the capacity and desire to pay and the creditworthiness to do so. Unfortunately, there's no government assistance to help them, so they're caught and left in limbo.