Aboriginal Self-determination and Social Housing in Urban Canada: A Story of Convergence and Divergence

Abstract

The right to adequate and affordable housing was pursued in Canadian policy during the 1970s and 1980s. The right of self-determination has been re-asserted by Aboriginal peoples since the 1970s, including in urban communities. The trajectories of social housing and Aboriginal self-determination were institutionalised together during the 1970s and 1980s. Such has not been the case since 1993. Self-determination in urban housing initiatives will not on its own rectify Aboriginal housing need, but must be paired with a common pursuit of adequate and affordable housing for all Canadians.