Indigenous People of Canada: Housing & Homelessness

From 1998: "The Committee is greatly concerned at the gross disparity between Aboriginal people and the majority of Canadians with respect to the enjoyment of Covenant [on economic, social and cultural] rights. There has been little or no progress in the alleviation of social and economic deprivation among Aboriginal people. In particular, the Committee is deeply concerned at the shortage of adequate housing, the endemic mass unemployment and the high rate of suicide, especially among youth, in the Aboriginal communities." – Concluding observations of the [United Nations] Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Canada, 1998. UN E/C.12/1/Add.31.

From 2009: "Federal and provincial governments should develop a comprehensive and coordinated housing strategy based on a human rights approach, in collaboration with Aboriginal governments and communities, to address effectively their responsibility to ensure adequate housing for on and off reserve Aboriginals." ... "In reserves, there is a need to commit funding and resources to a targeted Aboriginal housing strategy that ensures Aboriginal housing and services under Aboriginal control." – recommendations from Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari, Mission to Canada (2007), 17 Feb. 2009 (UN General Assembly A/HRC/0/7/Add.3)

From October 2019: Trudeau’s Promised Indigenous Housing Strategy Still Nowhere in Sight, The Tyee. PDF

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COVID-19 and Indigenous communities: The Government of Canada's website monitoring and supporting First Nations and Inuit communities in responding to COVID-19. WebLink

March 2020: Government of Canada $305 million Indigenous Community COVID Support Fund. PDF
May 2020: Prime Minister announces additional $75 million COVID support fund for Indigenous peoples living in urban centres and of reserve. PDF

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Readings

Gasparelli, Janet (2011). Trends and Issues in Aboriginal Housing: An Overview, FIFSW, UofT. PDF
Lanigan, Jim (2004). “The Unique Needs of Aboriginal People,” Chapter 17, Finding Room. PDF
Divine, George (2004). “Aboriginal Housing in Canada, Chapter 23, Finding Room. PDF
Menzies, Peter (2007). Understanding Aboriginal intergenerational trauma from a social work perspective, Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 27(2), 363-388. PDF
Toronto Aboriginal Research Project (TARP) Final Report (2011). Chapter 11, Housing in the Toronto Aboriginal Community, and Chapter 12, Aboriginal Homelessness in Toronto. http://www.tassc.ca/tarp-research-project “The TARP Report is the largest and most comprehensive study of Aboriginal people in Toronto conducted as of 2011. With a sample of over 1,400 individuals, 14 topics studied and seven methodologies utilized, the TARP Report provides an important picture of the current situation, the aspirations and challenges facing Aboriginal people in the Greater Toronto Area.“
Alan, B & Izumi Sakamoto (2014). “The Wisdom and Vision of Aboriginal Women Experiencing Homelessness or Marginal Housing,” Chapter 3 of Homelessness and Health in Canada. WebLink for entire book

Suggested (optional) Readings

Kidd, S. A., Thistle, J., Beaulieu, T., O'Grady, B., & Gaetz, S. (2019). A national study of Indigenous youth homelessness in Canada. Public Health, 176, 163-171. PDF
Wallace, B., Pauly, B., Perkin, K., & Cross, G. (2019). Where’s the Housing? Housing and Income Outcomes of a Transitional Program to End Homelessness. Journal of Poverty, 23(2), 161-178. PDF
Fast, E., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2019). Historical trauma, race-based trauma, and resilience of indigenous peoples: A literature review. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 14(1), 166-181. PDF
Anderson, J. T., & Collins, D. (2014). Prevalence and causes of urban homelessness among indigenous peoples: a three-country scoping review. Housing Studies, 29(7), 959-976. PDF
Krasny, E. (2019). Claims for the Future: Indigenous Rights, Housing Rights, Land Rights, Women’s Rights. In Performing Citizenship (pp. 111-126). Palgrave Macmillan. PDF
Pawson, H., Milligan, V., & Yates, J. (2020). The Indigenous Housing Policy Challenge. In Housing Policy in Australia (pp. 217-257). Palgrave Macmillan. PDF