The B.C. government is funding over 1140 new affordable homes for Indigenous families on and off reserve.
The $231 million announcement made Saturday is the first phase of the NDP government’s Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund.
It will include nearly 780 off-reserve homes and close to 370 homes on-reserve.
B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee says it’s a start, but there is much more to be done.
“The housing situation for many B.C. First Nations communities has been crippled by decades of federal government funding policies and models that haven’t kept up with our needs, nor with economic fluctuations,” says Teegee in a news release. “This provincial funding will begin to make a difference, but we still have a long way to go to ensure an adequate supply and good quality housing in our fast-growing communities. We will continue to work with both levels of government to reverse a crisis that has become a monumental challenge.”
Northern British Columbia will get funding for nine projects and a total of 288 homes.
Off-reserve:
Prince George: $10 million to Aboriginal Housing Society – 50 homes
Prince Rupert: $12 million to Lax Kw’alaams WAAP Housing Society – 60 homes
Quesnel: $5.4 million to Dakelh and Quesnel Community Housing Society – 27 homes
Terrace: $9.6 million to M’akola Housing Society – 48 homes
On-reserve:
Kitamaat Village: $7.5 million to M’akola Housing Society – 23 homes
Lax Kw’alaams: $4 million to Lax Kw’alaams WAAP Housing Society – 20 homes
Quesnel: $2 million to Lhtako Dene Nation – 10 homes
Skidegate: $4.8 million to Skidegate Band Council – 24 homes
Witset: $5.2 million to Witset First Nation – 26 homes
Bella Bella: $1.2 million to Heiltsuk Tribal Council – 6 homes
The government says the homes will be built over the next 2-4 years as part of its 10-year, $550-million commitment to build 1,750 new social housing units for Indigenous Peoples in B.C.
A full list of the projects announced can be found here.
