Ten questions concerning First Nations on-reserve housing in Canada

Abstract

Indigenous Peoples are the original inhabitants of Canada and are made up of three distinct groups: First Nations, Métis and Inuit. About 40% of First Nations people with Registered or Treaty Indian status live on-reserve. Relative to the general Canadian population, First Nations living on-reserve are more likely to live in inadequate housing conditions that include significantly higher rates of mold growth and overcrowding, as well as a significant amount of existing housing stock in need of major repairs. Efforts to improve on-reserve housing conditions must be understood in the context of colonial policies, which have systematically prevented First Nations from obtaining safe, secure, and sustainable housing. This paper aims to evaluate the range of challenges, concerns, and innovative solutions for First Nations on-reserve housing. Ten questions and answers have been presented to characterize the current state of First Nations on-reserve housing in relation to the rest of the Canadian housing stock, including an in-depth comparison of the differences between on-reserve and off-reserve housing. Various known causes of challenges resulting in adequate on-reserve housing are discussed, as well as a review of various operational and construction-related challenges facing on-reserve housing, such as community remoteness, a lack of available skilled trades, and mold and moisture issues. Human health and wellbeing are also discussed as a key outcome of poor housing quality, looking at both physical and mental health in communities, with special attention to IAQ problems as a result of overcrowding and mold accumulation.

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