Ten questions concerning First Nations on-reserve housing in Canada

Abstract

Indigenous Peoples are the original inhabitants of Turtle Island. In Canada, three distinct groups of Indigenous Peoples are formally recognized: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Roughly 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, with a higher proportion of existing on-reserve 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 describe the range of challenges, concerns, and innovative solutions associated with 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. Known factors that result in inadequate on-reserve housing are discussed, as well as a review of various operational and construction-related challenges faced on-reserve, such as community remoteness, a lack of available skilled trades, and mold and moisture issues. Human health and well-being are also discussed as a key outcome of poor housing quality, looking at both physical and mental health in communities, with special attention to the indoor air quality impacts of overcrowding and the presence of mold.