Aboriginal Housing Initiative

The Province is working in partnership with Aboriginal people and organizations such as the Aboriginal Housing Management Association to build and manage housing.

More than $50 million has been committed through the Aboriginal Housing Initiative to create safe, secure and culturally appropriate housing for youth, women, elders and those struggling with addictions. Working in partnership with Aboriginal organizations, the Province has completed ten units and more than 200 are under construction or in development.

Aboriginal Homeless Outreach Program

The Homeless Outreach Program has successfully connected homeless people with housing, income assistance and other supports. With $500,000 in funding, the Province created an Aboriginal component to the outreach program. Outreach workers in eight communities work directly with homeless Aboriginal people to help them break the cycle of homelessness and connect with culturally appropriate housing and services.

First Nations Housing MOU

The Province reaffirmed its commitment to closing the Aboriginal housing gap with the signing of an historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the federal government and the First Nations Leadership Council in May 2008. The MOU commits the parties to work together to develop a comprehensive approach to improve housing for First Nations communities, individuals and families both on and off reserve.

Planning For the Future

Under the Transformative Change Accord and the Métis Nation Relationship Accord, the Province committed to closing the housing gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in British Columbia. As part of this commitment, the Province has undertaken an extensive engagement process with Aboriginal groups. The information gathered through this process will be used to guide future work in developing ways to provide safe, affordable and culturally appropriate housing to British Columbia's Aboriginal people living off-reserve.