Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to rise to respond to the question from my hon. colleague. I know that she, along with many of us in this House, realizes the gap in housing faced by indigenous communities. We also realize that it is absolutely unacceptable.
Housing and infrastructure, we know, are fundamental to the needs of indigenous people, just as they are to all people in Canada. We know that they are a critical part of healthy and sustainable communities and the social framework we always talk about in this House for raising people out of poverty and giving them a safe and secure environment.
Coming from an indigenous background, representing a large indigenous riding, and working with indigenous people all my life across Canada, I know that safe and sensible housing is an absolute necessity for basic health and community safety.
It is a major factor in many first nations, Inuit, and Métis regions of Canada in developing strong, economic platforms for their communities and their residents.
The government is listening to indigenous communities, and we have very much been attentive to their concerns, and we have continued to discuss with them solutions. As these solutions are coming forward, we are taking action.
We invested $8.4 billion in budget 2016 to create transformational change for indigenous people over the next five years.
We know that the systemic problems faced by indigenous communities across Canada did not arrive overnight. They were arrived at through years of traumatic experience and colonialism in this country. We also know that we will not resolve all these issues overnight, but we also realize that we have to give it our full attention and our full commitment.
We have provided more than $554 million over two years to address urgent housing needs on reserve. We have not seen such deplorable conditions among first nations people on reserve in Canada as we are seeing today.
We have already allocated $268 million to support the construction, service, and renovation of over 3,000 housing units across first nations. This is part of $829 million in targeted funding for first nations community infrastructure.
In addition, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has already committed $64 million this year to renovate and retrofit over 2,800 homes and has committed $3.7 million for skills and capacity development in 324 first nations communities.
In order for us to make the kind of progress we want to make with indigenous people across Canada, it requires more than commitment and more than planning. It requires tremendous and historic investments, and that is what we have been doing.
We have not only invested in housing for first nations communities at a record level in Canada but have done the same for Inuit housing as well. We launched the first ever Inuit housing program in the country.