A new report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has revealed the shocking truth that Indigenous households in Canada are living in a significantly higher rate of unaffordable and unsustainable housing.
The findings of the report confirmed that close to 20 per cent of urban, rural and northern indigenous households in Canada are in unaffordable or unsuitable housing, a rate far above the national average. 124,000 Indigenous households in housing need, including 37,500 who are homeless in a given year. The annual affordability gap for indigenous households is $636M.
“Action speaks louder than words. Indigenous peoples are 11 times more likely to use a shelter. Vancouver East has the largest homeless encampment in the country with 40 percent identify as Indigenous,” said Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East), NDP Critic for Housing. “It is disgraceful how the Liberals fail to follow through with their promise that adequate housing is a basic human right and their empty promise of a dedicated housing strategy for Indigenous people.”