KEY MESSAGES HOUSING

1
KEY MESSAGES HOUSING

• AFN POLICY FORUM
• APRIL 19-21, 2005
• MONTREAL

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OVERARCHING

• Community must be actively involved in the
  necessary change
• Process must be community driven
• Broad base consultation at the community level
• Local input and support is a must
• Include Elders in the decision making and
  encourage youth to be fully engaged in the
  process
• validation by Chiefs at a national housing forum
  or Chiefs Assembly

3
OVERARCHING

• Any new approach/regime must
• be flexible enough to allow FNs to adhere when
  ready
• respect current arrangements that work
• FNs representative organizations to develop,
  analyze make FNs aware of all possible options
  under a new regime
• FNs must have an on-going choice of different
  options

4
CRISIS INTERVENTION

• Immediate crisis intervention measures
• Find means to erase the housing debt in FNs
  without reducing funds to existing housing
  programs and in a way that treats all FN s
  equitably
• Emergency funds are required for immediate needs
  not accommodated in current funding

5
CRISIS INTERVENTION

• Assistance for third party management recovery
• e.g. Ministerial guarantees should apply to FN
  in 3rd party management
• Assessment and analysis should be available to
  those communities in immediate need

6
CRISIS INTERVENTION

• New options are required to address infirm,
  disabled, unemployable elements in First Nations
• Overcrowding, backlog and sub-standard conditions
  cannot wait

7
Sustainability Co-ordination Sustainable
Financing Funding

• Funding does not satisfy current demands
• Funding is seen to be tied to the unresolved
  issue of the Aboriginal Treaty Right to Shelter
  fulfillment of Federal obligations to address
  the housing crisis

8
Sustainability Co-ordination Sustainable
Financing Funding

• Federal Government budgets must keep pace with
  population growth other needs, including
  repatriation of members
• Funding is conditional on federal programs and
  criteria, not First Nation priorities
• First Nations must move to a more appropriate
  mechanism that is out of the federal bureaucracy
• Community debt burden stifles growth

9
Sustainability Co-ordination Sustainable
Financing Funding

• Business as usual is not good enough
• New way of doing business must accommodate the
  income realities of the community
• How does a cash poor community assume the debt
  burden that accompanies access to capital?

10
Sustainability Co-ordination Sustainable
Financing Funding

• First Nations need more flexible options for
  access to capital,
• e.g. use existing FNs pension funds to invest in
  housing development of FNs banks
• Private industry must put back into FNs a share
  of resource extraction
• FNs must have access to benefits of natural
  resource exploitation

11
Sustainability Co-ordination Reprofiling
Funding-Priorities

• First Nation management and administration
• More accurate assessment of wants and needs
• FNs to develop data bases inventories on which
  to base informed decisions
• Removal of housing from minor capital funding to
  a dedicated stream
• Build capacity, organize, develop, implement
• Develop structures of control and authority

12
Sustainability Co-ordination Reprofiling
Funding-Priorities

• Investment must be at the local level
• Structures for management, training and policy
  development
• Create an independent financial entity with
  reprofiled federal dollars for housing (while
  protecting existing arrangements that work)
• Re-investment in community and ensure value added
  analysis for this investment
• Consider allocation to off reserve concerns

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Sustainability Co-ordination Holistic Framework

• Rebuild our nations from a holistic approach
• Innovate new ways to meet housing needs
• Authority issue needs to be expanded beyond INAC

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Sustainability Co-ordination Infrastructure/Comm
unity Planning

• All FNs define long term vision and strategies
• Current funding insufficient for housing
  infrastructure

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Sustainability Co-ordination Health

• Call for a national lobby strategy for housing
  with federal electoral candidates
• Strategy needs to be built on living standards
  and quality of life measures

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Operational Controls

• Jurisdiction is at the FN community level, not
  with the federal govt
• Ensure greater FNs control as Indian Act is
  phased out
• Choices should be available for private
  ownership, band assets and social housing
• New policies must be equitable for all members

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Operational Controls

• A property development and management approach
  would help in a more professional solution
• Look at a wide variety of business models,
  choices and options
• FN cooperation/investment/ownership
• Sound and realistic business planning
• We must internalize the housing economy

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Governance

• Create/recognize/enhance FNs housing market value
• Decision making must be depoliticized
• Sound policy framework creates stability
• Social housing program must reflect community
  needs (elders, women)

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Governance

• Housing program must be transparent and
  accountable to members for healthy living
• Jurisdiction must include control of money

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Governance

• New Framework-National
• Consolidate information and data while respecting
  FN ownership control of data
• Negotiate and advocate proper resources
• Identify means of support for local levels
• Communication strategy with all FN parties
• Respect the authority having jurisdiction (FN)
• Recognize First Nation diversity and seek to
  resolve the Aboriginal Treaty Right to Shelter
• Forum for sharing knowledge and experience

21
JURISDICTION CONTROL Governance

• New Framework-Regional/Territorial
• Creative group finance mechanisms
• Comprehensive community planning and capital
  planning support
• Technical support and training delivery
• Bulk purchasing and licensing agreements
• Statistical compilation and survey activity
• Network with industry, private sector and
  professional associations
• Advocacy

22
JURISDICTION CONTROL Governance

• New Framework-FN/Community/Local Level
• Site of jurisdiction
• Pass laws, codes, regulations
• New means of accessing capital
• Build local capacity in all housing aspects
• Depoliticize, create demonstrate accountability
• Seek community input through consultation
• Manage and administrate professionally
• Sound, inclusive and enforceable policy
• Skilled and productive workforce
• Linking housing to land use and infrastructure

23
JURISDICTION CONTROL Transitional Frameworks

• A collective approach for housing related
  policies under First Nations controlled
  institutions and authorities
• develop models for more effective and relevant
  delivery
• A clear transition process developing alternative
  regimes
• Interim measures to recognize FN authority in
  areas requiring short term action

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Transitional Frameworks

• PMs signature of AFN proposed FNs Government
  Recognition Protocol
• Should apply to any new housing regime
• Allows consideration of impacts benefits before
  final decisions made
• Provides process for protecting FNs rights and
  interests by returning to Chiefs in Assembly for
  ratification

25
JURISDICTION CONTROL Lands

• Policy development at all levels must incorporate
  north, south and remote considerations
• Return the funding for First Nations who want to
  be under the Lands Management Act
• Pursue action against the federal government in
  the courts for failing their fiduciary
  responsibilities to First Nations

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Lands

• A land base needed to support the people
• fast tracking land claims, negotiations and
  settlements
• Amount of land lacking on which to build
• FNs to have access to their traditional
  territories on which to build to additional
  land

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JURISDICTION CONTROL Institutional
Development

• Transfer housing authorities to individual First
  Nations

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Capacity Development Human Resources

• Negotiate recognition of FNs accrediting
  authority
• Greater use of FNs trained personnel
• Better use of existing programs and funds
• Address inequity of isolation wage allowance
  applicable only to workers from south working in
  north

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Capacity Development Human Resources

• FNs communications strategies to share/learn from
  each other, including promotion of best practices
  
• Promote programs and apprenticeships
• Firm commitment to increase funding to First
  Nations for capacity development including
  training and education

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Capacity DevelopmentPartnerships

• First Nations must develop partnerships with one
  another with others as part of a strategic
  planning process
• Development of mutual agreements specialized
  services (i.e. engineering services)
• Develop means to instill respect of FNs languages
  cultures within Federal bureaucracy, private
  businesses unions

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Capacity Development SPECIAL NEEDS

• First Nations are aware of special needs
• FNs are at different stages of ability to plan
  and deliver for special needs
• Youth have lodging needs outside reserve to learn
  traditional culture on the land

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Linkages

• Education and PSE
• Land Claims, Negotiations and Settlement
• Social Development Policies, Funding
• Economic Development Aboriginal Business Canada
• Health