North Bay – MP for Nipissing—Timiskaming, Anthony Rota, on behalf of Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, and National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated (NICHI) Chief Executive Officer John Gordon, announced a recipient of NICHI’s expression of need process to address the critical need for safe and affordable urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing projects in North Bay, Ontario.
Endaayaan Awejaa, a start-up non-profit organization that provides youth and families with safe places to heal and build solid foundations for their future, received $1 million from NICHI. This funding will be put towards capacity building and enable the hiring of six dedicated staff members with a primary focus on housing and transitional support initiatives that currently support 100 youth.
Through the national process, $280.4 million out of a total funding amount of $281.5 million is being distributed to 73 projects across the country aimed at building approximately 3781 units. This funding was provided to Indigenous Services Canada through Budget 2022 and was distributed by NICHI, applying its “For Indigenous, By Indigenous” approach. NICHI brings together Indigenous-led housing, homelessness, and housing-related service delivery organizations to provide lasting solutions that address diverse housing inadequacies including homelessness for Indigenous Peoples living in urban, rural and northern areas.
Over 171,000 Indigenous Peoples in urban, rural and northern areas off reserve are in core housing need according to the 2021 Census. Indigenous Peoples continue to experience core housing needs at a significantly higher rate than non-Indigenous people – with the gap between them being exacerbated by the housing and homelessness crisis and by inadequacies in distinctions-based funding. Through a For Indigenous, By Indigenous approach to Indigenous housing that recognizes Indigenous organizations are best placed to understand the needs of their communities, Indigenous Services Canada is striving to close this gap by 2030.
Access to safe and affordable housing is critical to improving health and social outcomes, and to ensure a better future for Indigenous communities. This funding initiative is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to address the social determinants of health and advance self-determination in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Articles 21 and 23.
Also, Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA announced a repayable contribution of $2 million to Island Structural Systems Inc. (ISSI) for the establishment of an automated truss manufacturing facility. This investment supported the purchase of highly specialized automated equipment for ISSI’s new 25,000 square foot facility, which will address a significant bottleneck in residential and commercial construction on Prince Edward Island. The announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to responding to regional needs and opportunities by helping Atlantic Canadian manufacturers become more productive and competitive.