Hon. Michèle Audette: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

The government’s budget allocates a total of $918 million over five years to address a housing crisis that has affected Indigenous communities across the country for far too long. In March 2024, the Auditor General of Canada said that she was completely discouraged to see how few improvements had been made to fix the inadequate housing in our communities over the past two decades. People have been talking about it for 20 years. The Liberals even committed to ending the First Nations’ housing crisis by 2030. Do you think that this kind of annual budget announcement will get us there?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. It’s an important question. I also want to thank you for stating your case so forcefully.

Decades of underinvestment and discrimination have led to an abysmal lack of safe and affordable housing and housing assistance for Indigenous populations. The government is prepared to implement all of the Auditor General’s recommendations. Resolving this crisis is a priority for the government. For example, it has increased funding for on-reserve housing by 1,000% since 2016. That has made it possible to support the construction, renovation and improvement of over 34,000 housing units in First Nations communities. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. The government is determined to address this crisis by creating meaningful Indigenous-led solutions to close the housing gap.

Senator Audette: Thank you, Senator Gold.

In Budget 2023, the government announced $4 billion in funding over seven years starting in 2024-25 for the implementation of the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy and the creation of a national Indigenous housing centre.

Has that strategy come into effect? Why create a new organization when we already have the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc., where there is a Quebec First Nation that speaks French?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. The government has announced measures to advance a strategy that includes establishing a “for Indigenous, by Indigenous” national Indigenous housing centre. I’ve been informed that, once a proponent is selected, the government will finalize an agreement with it to establish the centre I mentioned.