The Assembly of First Nations national chief is calling for action from the federal government following two reports from the Auditor General released Tuesday showing continued shortcomings in Indigenous housing and policing.
The report on housing in First Nations communities referred to 2021 Census data showing that people in First Nations communities are four times more likely to live in crowded housing and six times more likely to live in housing in need of major repair than non-Indigenous people.
“These reports provide a clear path forward for the changes urgently needed,” said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak.
The report, which focused on on-reserve housing in the provinces, says there has been no meaningful improvement since 2015 in housing conditions. It cited a 2021 Assembly of First Nations report that estimated more than 55,000 new units were needed and 81,000 units need repairs.
In 2019, the Trudeau government pledged to close the housing gap in First Nations communities by 2030, but …