Introduction
Housing is not a commodity; it is a fundamental human right. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) are the earliest key documents which recognize adequate housing as a crucial element of basic human rights. As a signatory of the UDHR, Canada must ensure adequate housing rights for all its citizens. In 2019, Canada passed the National Housing Strategy Act that recognizes adequate housing as a fundamental human right. However, sufficient housing on-reserve remains unfulfilled for many First Nations people in the province of Manitoba and elsewhere in Canada, who face ongoing challenges which continue to impact citizens’ health and overall well-being as a community.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health and well-being are intrinsically connected to housing conditions. The rapidly growing Indigenous population and often deplorable housing situation on many First Nations reserves in Manitoba make it difficult to maintain health and wellbeing comparable to non-First Nations populations in the province. Conditions remain inadequate, and combined with a lack of housing, the growing demand for housing units by First Nations living on-reserve is currently a major challenge. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Cathy Merrick recently stated, “the First Nations population in Manitoba continues to grow while housing has remained stagnant and subpar.”
Issues Caused by Inadequate On-Reserve Housing in Manitoba
With the lack of available housing options, First Nations families are often forced to live in overcrowded and substandard living conditions. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, 35.7% of First Nations people living on-reserve in Manitoba were likely to live in crowded households (compared to 8.5% for the non-Indigenous population). Housing suitability rates – a measure of crowding – are even higher in remote First Nations, at approximately 53% for both Wasagamack and Garden Hill First Nations in Northern Manitoba. Overcrowding causes significant challenges for First Nations, including alarming health conditions, such as the spread of infectious diseases, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, chronic illnesses, increased rates of learning disabilities, and attempted suicides among youth. Overcrowding in households on-reserve results in First Nation people having a higher incidence of precarious housing or homelessness (i.e., living in homeless shelters, transitional housing, or residential facilities for victims of abuse). Overcrowding also creates significant obstacles for families trying to provide care to children and elders. In overcrowded households, children find it difficult to thrive academically as overcrowding hampers educational attainment and outcomes. Chief Operating Officer of Norway House Cree Nation (NHCN), Wayne Anderson, told CTV National News, “people tend to sleep in shifts because there is not enough space for bedrooms or beds to sleep on.”
Lack of Infrastructure
Another major challenge of housing on-reserve is the lack of infrastructure. According to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, the typical components of housing-related infrastructure consist of water infrastructure, sanitary and storm sewers, roads, and street lighting, as well as individual installations when constructing new homes. In Manitoba, many of the houses on-reserve lack adequate basic infrastructure including access to unpolluted water, proper sanitation systems, accessibility by roads, and many more. For example, due to the lack of access to clean water, First Nations people on-reserve are susceptible to contamination from waterborne diseases such as E. coli. Lack of clean water also makes it difficult to bathe, have clean laundry, and as documented during the COVID-19 pandemic, practice basic public health recommendations such as frequent hand-washing. However, more housing units on-reserve can only be built when an upgraded water facility and wastewater management are first in place.
Additionally, many of the existing houses on-reserve in Manitoba are not constructed to withstand the harsh environment. For example, during the unforgiving and long winters, many houses use wood as a source of heat which can cause catastrophic house fires. Moreover, due to the lack of adequate numbers of emergency response units in many First Nations, situations such as house fires can be disastrous. According to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), in Manitoba approximately 5,500 homes on-reserve either require renovations or must be replaced.
Article 23 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) clearly details the housing rights of Indigenous peoples. The housing challenges on-reserve for First Nations people in Manitoba will continue to persist unless the federal government increases funding to rectify inadequate infrastructure, replace insufficient homes, and build new units. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funds housing under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program (CFMP) and the federal government funds housing on-reserve through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). CMHC further assists First Nation communities in constructing cost-effective rental housing on-reserve by extending financial aid through their Non-Profit Housing Program.
Federal Commitments to Addressing the On-Reserve Housing Crisis: Is it Enough?
In Budget 2022, the Government of Canada allocated $2.4 billion over five years for housing for First Nations on-reserves. Additionally, there are some publicly funded organizations that support housing for First Nations through financing tools, capacity, and training. However, most of this funding often goes to repair and maintenance rather than building new housing units. Therefore, the overcrowding crisis remains a problem for First Nations on-reserve. The written submission by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) for the pre-budget consultations of the Federal Budget 2023 estimates the future and current housing needs of First Nations require a $63.4B investment. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) 2023-24 Manitoba Alternative Federal Budget estimates the federal government needs to invest around $5.7B to address the current repair, replacement, and challenges of building new housing units on-reserve in Manitoba. The AMC 2023-24 Manitoba Alternative Federal Budget also estimates $2.3 billion is required to meet the future requirements of on-reserve housing needs for the next eighteen years, until 2040. The final report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) states 19,125 new units are needed and by 2040, Manitoba needs to invest an additional 13,300 units to adequately meet current and growing housing demand on-reserve. Increased funding for First Nations housing on-reserve is therefore desperately required. The federal government must commit greater funds to address these issues and make further strides towards reconciliation.