New urban, rural and Northern Indigenous housing organization gets $287.1M for urgent projects

Those facing housing challenges — including homelessness — and those looking for ways to address housing challenges got a bit of a boost earlier this week.

The federal government announced $287.1 million in funding on Thursday for the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated (NICHI), a coalition of Indigenous-led housing organizations in urban, rural and Northern communities.

Jeff Loucks, CEO of NICHI and a band councillor of Hiawatha First Nation in southern Ontario, has worked in Indigenous housing for over 45 years.

"Housing, to me, is a catalyst to positive outcomes in all other areas," said Loucks.

"You can't have [positive] health outcomes with someone living on the street or in an unhealthy house. You can't have [positive] education outcomes when you have people in overcrowded situations or not able to live in safe and stable housing."

He said housing funding is often targeted for on-reserve and he sees the funding for NICHI as an important step to bridging the funding gap for those living off-reserve.

The organization, which formed in November, has over 50 organizations as members — groups like friendship centres, women's organizations and housing authorities.

He said the organization is still developing its internal structures, but he hopes to hear proposals about how to spend the new money by August.

It's earmarked for infrastructure projects that address immediate and unmet housing needs of Indigenous people in Northern, urban and rural communities, with priority for projects with funding shortfalls that are already underway or ready to begin.

Homelessness a complex issue

Misty Schofield, a Red River Métis woman who works with Fresh Start, an organization that supports homeless people in Saint John, said skyrocketing housing costs are among the issues people face in her community

"We don't currently have enough services to support individuals with the other things," said Schofield.

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness reports 183 people are experiencing homelessness in Saint John in 2023 and in 2018, 23 per cent of the homeless population identified as Indigenous.

As a person who faced homelessness herself, Schofield said Indigenous people have unique challenges when they are away from their communities.

Schofield said isolation, loneliness and a lack of a sense of belonging can contribute to mental health issues, while experiences in residential schools, day schools and through the Sixties Scoop are intergenerational factors that contribute to higher rates of homelessness in Indigenous people than non-Indigenous people.

Schofield applauds Thursday's funding announcement but said chronic homelessness is a complex issue.

"We need structural and systemic change to make sure that the issues affecting people aren't just continuing on, because it's kind of like putting a Band-Aid over a bullet hole," said Schofield.

Tiffany Lee, director of housing strategy for the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, said the women she serves are faced with unsustainable or otherwise harsh living conditions — some housing units have rat and mould issues.

"I hope that the Canadian government keeps looking at different gaps that still exist in support for housing for Indigenous women and two-spirit people," said Lee.