New report calls attention to Métis housing conditions and presses for solutions in Saskatchewan

October 23, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Office of the Federal Housing Advocate

In a new report launched today, the Federal Housing Advocate and the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) are raising serious concerns about the high rate of housing precarity and homelessness in Métis communities across the province.

The Federal Housing Advocate visited the province at the invitation of the MN-S government in Saskatchewan to hear directly about the Métis housing experience. For the first time in Canada, this report comprehensively examines and documents Métis housing conditions first-hand. It calls attention to the long-standing challenges faced by the Métis in having their human right to adequate housing upheld in Saskatchewan.

Métis communities experience disproportionately higher rates of homelessness and housing precarity compared to the non-Indigenous population. Additionally, they experience higher rates of addiction and mental health issues. This is the result of a history of a denial of rights, racism and colonial systems that perpetuate harm.

This visit was also an opportunity for the Federal Housing Advocate to get a sense of the housing and homelessness challenges in rural, remote and Northern communities. There is a need for more research and direct engagement as well as solutions and supports for these regions, where the realities and needs are different.

Across the province, the Advocate witnessed a critical shortage of emergency and transitional housing. Adequate emergency and women's shelters were lacking in every rural community visited in northern Saskatchewan. In some cases, the communities the Advocate visited had no shelters at all, nor a food bank. This lack of emergency support means that people in dangerous situations do not have a safe space to turn to.

Remote and northern communities lack basic infrastructure and services. Many people are facing high utility costs, aging homes in need of expensive repairs, and barriers to adequate home insurance.

In every location the Advocate visited, housing providers are overwhelmed by the impacts of the drug toxicity crisis. In addition to a shortage of housing with wrap-around supports that are needed for people with complex needs and recovering from addiction, there is also a critical shortage of all other kinds of permanent housing.

The Advocate also met with many community and provincial organizations that are working to address pressing housing needs. In fact, MN–S is the largest provider of affordable housing in the province. It also offers several programs that ensure culturally relevant approaches to housing, and has overseen the development of Métis-informed housing models that are demonstrating success. However, this success is being compromised by unstable provincial and federal funding, and policy priorities that do not align to support better housing outcomes.

The report makes recommendations to dismantle barriers to housing for Métis in Saskatchewan, including correcting past and present government actions and policies that have had negative effects on the right to housing. A key recommendation is that the MN–S government's jurisdiction be recognized, and that they are included in decision-making related to housing. All governments, including the provincial and federal governments, should work with MN–S to identify and invest in shared priorities.

It is critical that decision-makers at all levels recognize and embrace unique Métis ways of knowing and doing in order to find culturally appropriate, responsive, and effective solutions to housing and homelessness. Fulfilling the human right to housing for the Métis in Saskatchewan requires an understanding of the multiple intersecting issues that are involved – culture, history, intergenerational trauma, poverty, substance abuse disorders and mental health.

Finally, the human right to housing must be recognized and supported in Saskatchewan to make lasting change when it comes to housing and homelessness. A human-rights based approach puts people first and ensures their rights are respected and their needs are met.

Moving forward, this report will provide the foundation for conversations around solutions and transformational change at all levels of government. The recommendations will be discussed in upcoming meetings with federal Ministers and Senators. They will continue to be an important advocacy tool for the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan in the province and at the federal treaty negotiation table. Finally, the report will continue to drive the Federal Housing Advocate's work on housing for rural, remote and Northern communities.

All governments should heed this call to uphold the human right to adequate housing of Métis in Saskatchewan.

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Quotes

  • “The housing and infrastructure gaps faced by Métis citizens in Saskatchewan are serious and are the result of more than a century of displacement and dispossession. We are at a critical time in our history. We are proud of our efforts to serve our people through already established partnerships because we know we cannot do this work alone. We've done a lot already but we've only just begun. Finding solutions to ensure all Métis have adequate housing will take sustained effort. It will take transformational change in our partner municipalities, province, and the federal government. I hope that we can move forward together to take care of our people.” – Glen McCallum, President of Metis Nation–Saskatchewan
  • “I am proud to stand behind the work we have done to uphold the right to housing for Métis in the province. There is no doubt that a Métis informed approach to housing plays an important role in providing the stability, security and support people need, as well as connecting them to their community. As highlighted throughout this report, while we are making inroads, we know the need for adequate housing is great and there is much more investment and work to do.” – Loretta King, Infrastructure and Housing Minister, Metis Nation – Saskatchewan
  • “The complex issues faced by the Métis are not simply the result of historic displacement, but also current systemic gaps that have compounded these issues. The gross underfunding and neglect make it difficult, if not impossible, to meet the increasing need for adequate housing. The recommendations co-created with MN–S contained in this report force us to ask ourselves how we, as a nation, want to take care of the most disadvantaged people in our society and whether we truly live up to the standards we set for ourselves. I ask that all levels of government carefully consider and urgently implement the recommendations found in this report.” – Marie-Josée Houle, Federal Housing Advocate

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