Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Federal Housing Advocate Report Response

February 2025 – The Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities shared his response to the Federal Housing Advocate's report Claiming the right to housing: The Federal Housing Advocate’s review of Métis housing conditions, in partnership with the government of Métis Nation – Saskatchewan on February 20, 2025.

Marie-Josée Houle
Federal Housing Advocate
Canadian Human Rights Commission
344 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 1E1

Dear Marie-Josée Houle:

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank you for your report titled Claiming the right to housing: The Federal Housing Advocate’s review of Métis housing conditions, in partnership with the government of Métis Nation – Saskatchewan. Pursuant to subsection 17.1 of the National Housing Strategy Act, I am pleased to respond to the report.

I would like to start by acknowledging the importance of your role in holding the Government of Canada accountable as we work towards the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing as recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Your work as the Federal Housing Advocate is an important element of Canada’s human rights-based approach to housing and helps to amplify a holistic response to the complex and intersecting challenges related to housing.

I would also like to thank Métis Nation – Saskatchewan for its contributions to this report and its ongoing commitment to meet the housing needs of Métis in Saskatchewan. As the report highlights, Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, in partnership with the Government of Canada, is making a difference for its communities through its ongoing leadership, including delivery of a distinctions-based housing strategy for Métis.

The impacts of colonialism in Canada have left a legacy of inequities for Métis, including high rates of poverty, core housing need, and homelessness, relative to non-Indigenous Canadians. Many of the insights in the report underscore the connections between housing, well-being, historic displacement, and persistent socio-economic systemic gaps. As the report’s findings make clear, there is more work to be done.

The report contains recommendations, co-developed with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, that serve as calls to action for the Government of Canada, the provincial government and municipalities. In particular, the report makes recommendations for the federal government along four themes: 1) jurisdiction; 2) economic reconciliation; 3) history grievances; and 4) mechanisms to sustain progress. In addition, there are joint recommendation themes of trans, non-binary, women and children, as well as co-development and partnership.

In the pages that follow, I will take the opportunity to highlight recent progress in Canada’s approach to improving housing and homelessness outcomes, as well as the related efforts taken by my colleagues across the federal portfolio in response to your recommendations. In particular, I would like to highlight the leadership of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, in advancing a strong relationship with Métis partners.

The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership to support self-determined‑ approaches to ensure safe, adequate, and affordable housing, including for all Saskatchewan Métis communities. This includes working closely across federal departments, with provinces and territories, Métis organizations and community entities to implement recommendations and further reconciliation.

Improving Housing and Homelessness Outcomes

The Government of Canada is working to make housing more affordable and attainable, because everyone deserves a place to call home. This commitment is reflected in the National Housing Strategy Act, which recognizes the right to adequate housing as a fundamental human right affirmed in international law. It is backed by investments through the National Housing Strategyand Canada’s Housing Plan, aimed at improving housing supply and affordability.

These housing investments complement the distinctions-based Métis Housing Strategy, which is supported by an initial investment of $125 million over 10 years to Métis Nation – Saskatchewan and bolstered under Budget 2024. These are further supplemented by the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy (U.R.N.), that is to fill gaps in existing approaches. The majority of U.R.N. funding will be delivered through an Indigenous-led National Housing Centre, while the remainder is being provided directly to distinctions-based partners, including $45.8 million to Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, starting in 2024–2025. To strengthen pathfinding and access to federal programs providing housing and infrastructure solutions, the Government of Canada has dedicated professionals who provide advisory services to Indigenous communities and organizations.

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategymaintains a particular focus on Indigenous homelessness. Recognizing that homelessness remains a disproportionate challenge for many Métis, the Government of Canada is making efforts to advance self-‑determined approaches. Reaching Home is actively working with Métis organizations across Canada through the Canada-Métis Nation Homelessness Accord and has funding agreements with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, including $13.1 million under the distinction-based stream, as well as funding through the regional streams. While Reaching Home has funding streams specifically for the delivery of culturally appropriate homelessness services, Métis communities can access services under all Reaching Home streams.

Recognizing that housing is important for safety, and consistent with the Calls for Justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ (MMIWG2S+) Inquiry, the Government of Canada is working with partners to implement the Indigenous Shelters and Transitional Housing Initiative. One such project is to build Aggie’s House in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which will be delivered by the Central Urban Métis Federation Incorporated by Fall 2025. Once completed, it will provide transitional housing for families and children experiencing abuse, neglect, or personal crises.

Theme 1: Jurisdiction

Supporting self-government and self-determination

The Government of Canada recognizes that all relations with Indigenous peoples need to be based on the recognition and implementation of their right to self-determination, including the inherent right of self-government. Work with Métis partners continues to evolve, building on Métis Nation – Saskatchewan’s long history of self-governance and representation of their citizens. In April 2017, the Canada-Métis Nation Accord was established to identify and advance policy priorities for Métis communities and uphold the inherent right to self-government. This led to the signing of the Métis Nation Housing Sub‑Accord in July 2018, to specifically focus on meeting housing needs, with an initial allocation of $125 million over 10 years to Métis Nation – Saskatchewan.

The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement, signed in February 2023, committed Canada and the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan to continue negotiations towards the conclusion of a constitutionally protected core governance Treaty. This agreement, in conjunction with the dedicated supports provided through the Housing Sub-Accord, form a strong foundation for Métis Nation – Saskatchewan to lead self-determined work in their communities that reflects the identity, culture, and values of their citizens.

Advancing integrated solutions to mental health and substance use

Recommendations relating to mental health and substance use are closely tied to self-‑determination. The Government of Canada works with provinces, territories, and others to address local needs, including with respect to mental health and substance use. On an annual basis, the federal government provides significant federal transfers to provinces and territories to support the provision of health services. To help ensure that Indigenous communities benefit from this federal funding, the Government of Canada asks all provinces and territories to commit to advance reconciliation and convene trilateral engagements with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leadership to discuss their unique health priorities.

Additionally, the Government of Canada is providing $2 billion over 10 years through the Indigenous Health Equity Fund to address the unique challenges Indigenous Peoples, including Métis, face to fair and equitable access to culturally-safe health services, including mental health and addictions programming. As part of this fund, the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan will receive more than $4.7 million annually in support of their self-‑identified health priorities, which includes funding for health staff, medical travel, public health nurses, patient support workers, health surveillance, research, and data management.

Since 2021, the Government of Canada has also been supporting Indigenous peoples’ access to mental health services. The Métis Nation – Saskatchewan is receiving renewed funding of $4.8 million over two years to support the continuation and enhancement of mental health and wellness programs.

These health and wellness services supported by the Government of Canada and grounded in Métis culture are part of an integrated approach to sustainably addressing Métis priorities through a self-determined approach.

Theme 2: Economic Reconciliation

Economic reconciliation is key to increasing housing supply and maintaining home affordability, including through sustainable energy security.

The Government of Canada recognizes that reconciliation and self-government require a renewed fiscal relationship, developed in collaboration with Indigenous nations, that promotes a mutually supportive climate for economic partnership and resource development. Given that economic reconciliation is an active, evolving and long-term commitment, the Government of Canada acknowledges that Métis are the experts in understanding the nature of the challenges they face, the opportunities they wish to pursue, and the approaches that work best for them. That is why, in 2023, the Government of Canada committed to co-developing the Economic Reconciliation Framework, including with Métis, to advance economic reconciliation rooted in and responsive to Indigenous visions.

Closing the infrastructure gap

In addition to housing and homelessness efforts detailed above, the Government of Canada is working with Métis communities to close the infrastructure gap and address housing challenges through the co-development of long-term, distinctions-based infrastructure plans. This has been directly supported by investments through the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund, in addition to support for public infrastructure through the Investing in Canada Plan and related funding programs.

The recently launched Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund is providing $6 billion to accelerate the construction and upgrading of housing-enabling water, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure, supporting the creation of new homes and increasing densification. To ensure that funding reaches communities of all sizes and needs, provinces and territories will be required to dedicate at least 20 per cent of their agreement-based funding for Northern, rural, and Indigenous communities. The continuous intake process is open under the direct delivery stream until May 19, 2025, for all Indigenous applicants.

Recognizing that access to capital and preferential lending rates are necessary to increase the supply of affordable housing through self-determined approaches, the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative provides low-cost loans for Indigenous community projects, including housing-enabling infrastructure such as water and wastewater infrastructure. Additionally, the Indigenous Equity Initiative provides Indigenous partners with access to capital to purchase equity stakes in infrastructure projects.

Supporting labour and workforce development

As skilled labour is critical to delivering housing supply programs, the Government of Canada is making investments in skills training and job creation, including in partnership with Métis organizations.

The Government of Canada collaborates closely with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan, including the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI), to enhance and expand skills training opportunities for Métis individuals through the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program. Since 2019, GDI has served over 11,000 people, of which over 3,200 found employment and over 4,150 returned to school. The Skills and Partnership Fund complements these investments and enables strategic partnerships between Indigenous organizations, industry associations, and other training providers.

Similarly, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy provides employment supports, skills training, and work experience to successfully transition youth facing barriers to employment into the labour market. This includes the Housing Internship for Indigenous Youth, which welcomed Métis Nation – Saskatchewan participation in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, providing work experience and training for Métis youth in the housing sector.

Enabling affordable energy

The Government of Canada is investing in several initiatives to help maintain affordable and climate friendly energy sources, that could include retrofitting existing homes, building new energy-efficient homes, and community-level energy systems. These may be particularly useful for Métis communities and households facing high energy costs.

The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program will support low to median-income Canadians to upgrade their homes to reduce their monthly energy bills. The Government of Canada is working together with Métis Nation – Saskatchewan to deliver the program, providing home energy retrofits at no charge, which improve homes’ energy efficiency and decrease carbon footprints. Similarly, the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program supports retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing community buildings and the construction of new community buildings for underserved and high-needs communities, with up to 100 per cent federal stacking for Indigenous-led projects.

Furthermore, to help facilitate community-level transitions to clean energy, the Indigenous‑Led Clean Energy stream of the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program supports Indigenous-led clean energy projects and fosters meaningful participation in the clean energy transition.

Theme 3: Historic Grievances

Canada has embarked on a journey of reconciliation between Métis and non-Métis to address the long history of colonialism and its lasting impacts. The Government of Canada is committed to renewing its relationship with Métis based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. Demonstrated through the United Nations Declaration Act (UNDA), and the UNDA Action Plan, Canada is working with Métis partners to advance reconciliation in a tangible way.

Theme 4: Mechanisms to Sustain Progress

The Government of Canada remains committed to working in cooperation with Saskatchewan Métis to advance community priorities. This includes addressing housing and homelessness challenges with distinctions-based solutions that are consistent with Métis self-determination and Crown-Métis reconciliation. My hope is that this work will address critical housing needs and strengthen the relationship between Canada and Métis Nation – Saskatchewan.

The Government of Canada is working closely with Indigenous governments as well as provinces and territories, municipalities and community organizations to find areas of common ground and support communities to adopt effective approaches to addressing self-determined priorities. Continuing in partnership to advance distinctions-based priorities and Métis self-government in Saskatchewan will facilitate progress towards the priorities outlined in the report.

I thank you once again for the report and its recommendations. The Government of Canada remains committed to addressing the complex and evolving housing challenges facing the country, with a particular focus on reconciliation. Accountability mechanisms, including your role as Federal Housing Advocate, will help us continue to move in the right direction, to make housing adequate, affordable, and appropriate for all.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

c.c.      The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, P.C., M.P.
            Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

            Glen McCallum, President
            Métis Nation – Saskatchewan