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“Internal government documents say Manitoba First Nations residents live in some of the most dilapidated homes in the country and it will cost $2 billion to eliminate mould and chronic overcrowding in the province alone.
That’s 13 times more than the $150 million the federal government has budgeted for housing on all reserves across Canada this year.
Reports from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, obtained by The Canadian Press under Access To Information legislation, say the housing situation in Manitoba has worsened while infrastructure funding has been siphoned into other areas.
Officials say Alberta is the only other province with a similar backlog.
Chief David McDougall says the situation is a ‘ticking time bomb’ on his remote reserve of St. Theresa Point in northern Manitoba. It’s not uncommon for 18 people to live in a small bungalow and many people are losing hope, he said.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says she’s not deterred by the $2 billion price tag.
She says First Nations housing is a ‘disgrace’ and Canadians agree it must be fixed.”
– CBC News, First Nations housing called ‘ticking time bomb’ in Manitoba.
“While the government’s own estimates put Manitoba’s housing needs at $2 billion, the department said $50 million is budgeted for on-reserve housing in the province this year.
That is to drop to $29 million next year.
Some reserves can build additional homes with a ministerial loan guarantee, but McDougall said that isn’t available if the reserve is under third-party management. The department’s internal report said only 30 per cent of Manitoba reserves operate independently.
People on McDougall’s reserve are losing hope, he said. Suicides are on the rise while others turn to a homemade alcoholic concoction called “superjuice.”
The federal government spent the last few years hooking up the reserve’s homes to water and sewer, but McDougall compared that to putting new tires on a rusty, decrepit car.
“We need to find a proper, sustainable solution — what is realistic in terms of how we can begin to even make a dent in this huge backlog.”
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said she’s not deterred by the $2-billion price tag. She couldn’t explain exactly how the new Liberal government will tackle the backlog, but said improving First Nations housing is a priority.
“I’ve been in those homes,” Bennett said in an interview. “It is a disgrace for Canadians to watch. There is a consensus in this country that we have got to get going on this.
“The sticker shock on any of these things can’t get in the way of us beginning what has to happen.”
Leilani Farha, United Nations special rapporteur on the right to housing, said her predecessor conducted a in-depth investigation in 2007 which evaluated the adequacy of on-reserve housing. He concluded “we have a crisis on our hands,” she said.
Canada needs a national housing strategy firmly rooted in human rights, she said.”
– The Canadian Press, $2B to fix dilapidated First Nations homes in Manitoba alone: government report.
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Indian Country 52
Indian Country 52 is a weekly project by David Bernie that uses the medium of posters that promote issues and stories in Indian Country.
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This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
