Yes, I understand that.
Evidence of meeting #57 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #57 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funding.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Okay.
We heard from INAC that the federal government supports housing on reserves, but not at full cost. First nations share the responsibility of providing the housing and the additional funding--or part of it, at any rate. How difficult is this in terms of raising that funding? I know that we had this three-part program: federal, provincial, and then community or others. Is that a problem?
12:10 p.m.
Executive Director, National Aboriginal Housing Association
Yes, it is a very significant problem.
Jim, maybe you could say a few words.
12:10 p.m.
Treasurer, National Aboriginal Housing Association
Yes. The National Aboriginal Housing Association primarily represents aboriginal housing providers off reserve, so in that sense we really don't get to access the resources that are available on reserve.
However, for an example of the percentage of first nations people who are housed in the off-reserve urban aboriginal housing system, here in Ottawa it's 90%. Within a 100-mile radius of Ottawa, there are 30,000 first nations people. They come to Ottawa for education, for health care, and to visit their relatives.
We don't get any support. We don't really want a whole lot of support, but we want to be able to do things like research and work on a national scale when those issues come before us. So in that sense, I think CMHC got off the boat a few years back, and we now get services from the Ottawa housing branch.
We're the only province in the country where our housing system is administered locally, and it's working as well as it can. The bright light in the process was the new mayor announcing $14 million in homeless and housing initiatives for the city on an ongoing basis annually, so things are happening there.
But it would help us greatly if Indian Affairs started to recognize the fact that a great number of first nations people are living off reserve and that the organizations that are in the urban community are responding to those needs and are ill-equipped financially to do that.
12:15 p.m.
Executive Director, National Aboriginal Housing Association
Just to add to that, our report shows that 54% of the registered population is living in urban areas, and that would be 45% on the reserves.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
Ms. Mathyssen, that's it.
Now we'll go to the second round. The second round is a five-minute round. Please do not forget that we do have a guest witness on video conferencing. Let's not forget him, as I'm sure he has a lot to say.
Five minutes, and we start with Ms. Simson for the Liberals.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I would also like to thank all the witnesses for being here today, because I do agree that one of the fundamental root causes of the violence against aboriginal women primarily rests in the lack of affordable housing.
I'd like to start with you, Ms. Mitchell, in terms of your presentation and the economic action plan. It stated that $150 million over two years was allocated for first nations housing. I always have trouble when it goes from dollars to units. Of the $150 million, how much has been spent? I assume that the money runs out, that this lapses like everything else on March 31, so how much of the $150 million over the past two years has been spent?
12:15 p.m.
Director General, Community Infrastructure Branch, Regional Operations Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I apologize. I will have to get back to you with the detailed figures on that. We sought proposals for housing initiatives--
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I understand that. The reason I ask specifically is that nine months into the economic action plan I posed a question to the government on the order paper. It was absolutely brutal, the amount of money that had been accessed because of this three-way split: the provincial governments don't have the money to pony up, nor do the municipalities, or, in this case, first nations.
It's one thing to have numbers out there, and it sounds good, but what does it represent? Because it says that 2,000 units were built or renovated...so how many new units were built? You said “built or renovated”. Obviously you have a breakdown, right?
12:15 p.m.
Director General, Community Infrastructure Branch, Regional Operations Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We're still waiting for reports to come back in on those. We can provide all of that.
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Madam Chair, I would like the figures concerning how much has been spent, because this money will lapse.
I'm going to address this to you, Mr. Barriault. Are you getting money from the economic action plan? You have been allocated money, have you?
12:15 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Are there provisions for extensions on any projects due to the remoteness of some of the communities where you have no access?
12:15 p.m.
President, Nunavut Housing Corporation
At this point we have no problem with making all the financial commitments that are required under the agreements, so that is not causing us a problem.
For us, the logistics of things are that we deliver material one year, and then we undertake the labour to build the following year, so our commitments will be in place and we will be able to deliver on all the funding in the time allotted.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
It won't dry up with a drop-dead date of March 31. Is that what you're saying?
12:20 p.m.
President, Nunavut Housing Corporation
No. Our problem is that it's never enough money, but we will have all our commitments in place. We are in the process of construction, and our commitment dates will all be met.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Again, I'll address you, Mr. Barriault. You mentioned that 35% of first nations people live in crowded situations. This was based on what, the 2006 census?
12:20 p.m.
President, Nunavut Housing Corporation
No, on the 2010 Nunavut housing needs survey that was undertaken in partnership with Statistics Canada, so these are current figures.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Okay.
Is that a decrease? Is that number going down or increasing?
12:20 p.m.
President, Nunavut Housing Corporation
The number is increasing because the housing units available to people are increasing at a slower pace than the population is increasing.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Michelle Simson Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Okay. I just wanted to see how successful...if we're headed in the right direction. Obviously that isn't the case.
12:20 p.m.
President, Nunavut Housing Corporation
No. We are trying to hold back the tide. We're slowing it down, but we haven't reversed the patterns yet.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
Next would be Mr. Boughen for the Conservatives, for five minutes.
12:20 p.m.
Conservative
Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK
Thank you, Madam Chair.
For the whole panel, whoever would like to answer these questions, feel free to do so.
Here is one thing that came to mind when we talked about increasing the number of housing units. I'm wondering whether this is due to population increase or due to one family splitting up and now occupying two housing units rather than one?