Jason Nichols
The 2025 Canadian federal election is over, and the Liberal Party of Canada has received a new mandate from Canadians. A significant aspect of the Liberals’ election platform involved a commitment to “get back into building homes,” with a pledge to construct over 500,000 new homes annually over the next ten years. There is a critical shortage of affordable housing throughout Canada, and this is particularly evident in many First Nations communities. Housing on reserves has faced chronic underfunding since the establishment of the first reserve communities in Canada, and this neglect persists, negatively impacting health and well-being in First Nations communities.
A 2023 report titled Closing the Infrastructure Gap by 2030, published by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), indicates that to satisfy the housing demands of First Nations communities, an additional 108,803 housing units must be constructed by 2030. The Indigenous and Northern Housing plan within Canada’s current National Housing Strategy is a good start, but it does not go nearly far enough to meet the long-standing housing needs of First Nations communities. With the new Liberal platform prioritizing the rapid development of affordable and sustainable homes, Prime Minister Mark Carney has a chance to begin remedying some of the historical and ongoing injustices that First Nations peoples encounter regarding housing on reserves. This can be accomplished by integrating the AFN’s proposal into the National Housing Strategy, providing a streamlined process for First Nations to benefit, and working directly with First Nations to meet the specific needs of each community, steering clear of the paternalistic dynamics that have largely fueled the housing crisis experienced by First Nations communities throughout Canada.
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