We urge decision-makers to take action beyond wearing an orange shirt.

The Tyee: The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is more than just a day of reflection — it is a day to heed urgent calls to action to support Indigenous Peoples’ well-being.

We are writing from our work for the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. As two organizations working towards poverty alleviation and housing security for Indigenous people in B.C., we see this day as a chance for governments to support the safety and well-being of Indigenous people living across B.C., starting with significant action on housing.

This day is an opportunity for candidates seeking election this fall and future elected officials to honour their commitments, heed community calls to action and demonstrate follow-through on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples action plan.

According to recent polling from Housing Central, over 90 per cent of British Columbians think it is important to invest in housing to maintain affordability relative to local incomes.

Equitable access to housing is essential to protect human rights. Evidence shows that Indigenous families, individuals, Elders and youth are disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis.

We are ready to see the tangible steps of reconciliation to improve Indigenous Peoples’ access to affordable, stable and appropriate housing.

Housing is vital to well-being

We approach housing with a similar spirit of interconnectedness that guides Indigenous world views. We see housing as not just a roof over one’s head, but a vital part of overall well-being. Housing affects health, education and economic stability for both individuals and communities.

We see this echoed not only in research that identifies housing as a social determinant of health in Canada, but also in that there are many groups that do not have access to adequate housing.

How can we talk about reconciliation when Indigenous Peoples do not have reliable access to the foundation of well-being: a safe home? Though the rates of Indigenous homelessness are well documented, the issue of inadequate and unsafe housing for Indigenous Peoples is contributing to what we call a “slow genocide” due to the long-term health impacts of mould, lack of proper heating and cooling and the high cost of energy, all of which can be ultimately deadly.

The lack of justice in Indigenous housing is not new. Indigenous experiences of homelessness, housing inadequacy and housing insecurity are directly connected to historical and ongoing colonialism. This ongoing inequality takes many forms.

It includes the governments of Canada and B.C. managing Indigenous homes and families through the creation of reserves and the pass system, the Indian Act and over a century of child apprehension into both the residential schools and the foster care system.

Our colonial systems undermine Indigenous relationships to each other, culture, territory, law and governance. Homelessness and colonialism must be addressed simultaneously for the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and communities — and all of society.

Everyone benefits from the work of reconciliation. Empowered Indigenous communities and nations positively benefit local economies and public health, diversify housing options, strengthen arts and culture and fortify healthy communities.

Let housing lead the way to reconciliation

Between 2020 and 2023, there was an increase in Indigenous homelessness in B.C. by an average of 42.5 per cent. Contributing factors include lack of affordable, safe and accessible housing and intergenerational trauma resulting from colonization, cultural genocide and policies that actively sought to dismantle Indigenous culture, families and communities.

The 2023 report on homeless counts in B.C. noted that 40 per cent of those who reported experiencing homelessness identified as Indigenous, despite Indigenous people accounting for only 4.9 per cent of B.C.’s population. This number has climbed to over 80 per cent in some northern communities.

The disproportionate impact of the housing crisis on Indigenous Peoples is exactly why the work of reconciliation is so important. Nobody should be homeless on their own homeland.

Housing precarity affects Indigenous people living on reserve as well as those living in urban settings. As the first “For Indigenous, By Indigenous” housing authority in Canada, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association administers a provincial stream of funding that supports housing and services for those living off reserve.

This is part of an effort to preserve and protect the limited existing federal funding streams dedicated to on-reserve housing.

In its research, the AHMA found that inequities for Indigenous people seeking safe, secure places to call home include:

• low home ownership rates due to intergenerational poverty and lower-than-average income levels;
• higher likelihood of facing adverse rental experiences and racism, including higher eviction rates;
• having no choice but to rent homes that are below standards for suitability, adequacy and affordability, including overcrowding; and
• discrimination against Indigenous individuals experiencing housing scarcity.

We call for targeted, immediate measures to rise to the challenge of reconciliation.

Governments must swiftly commit to improving maintenance standards in rental housing and maintaining affordable rental rates in the current housing market and newly developed housing. Strengthening renters’ rights protections is urgent.

Moreover, we call for the development of homeowner incentive programs for Indigenous Peoples and policies that address unmet urban Indigenous housing needs.

Reconciliation work focused on housing can greatly improve the quality of life for Indigenous people living in B.C. by reducing intergenerational poverty.

In 2022, AHMA released B.C.’s first Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, which makes evident not only the growing need but also the actions required to ensure adequate support for non-profit Indigenous housing and service providers who are well-established experts in trauma-informed, culturally supportive housing solutions. To date, this strategy remains unfunded.

The road map to reconciliation through housing exists and has been clearly carved through years of knowledge gathering.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ final report and Calls for Justice mention housing over 300 times as an element critical to health, safety, culture, healing and overall wellness. The evidence is plentiful: housing is the way forward.

Beyond Orange Shirt Day

Housing represents the right to security, peace and dignity for all British Columbians. The current provincial government has laid the groundwork for reconciliation by adopting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and developing detailed action plans to make reconciliation tangible. It will be up to the next government to enact these plans.

Read more: The Need for Indigenous-Led Housing

The new provincial government will also have the opportunity to be leaders as the first province to adopt “housing as a human right” in provincial legislation. Such legislation would provide a much-needed framework for elected officials at all levels of government to think about housing and housing strategies, as well as the reconciliation strategy in British Columbia.

Today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we urge decision-makers to take action beyond wearing an orange shirt.

We call on leaders across sectors to address the inequities still faced by Indigenous Peoples, particularly in securing the right to housing.

Reconciliation must begin with action. 

Chantelle Spicer and Celeste Hayward 

Chantelle Spicer is the campaign manager at the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition. Celeste Hayward is the director of operations at the Aboriginal Housing Management Association.