The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Sipekne’katik gets $2.73M housing boost
Chief Mike Sack says it’s disappointing to continually deliver bad housing news to Sipekne’katik First Nation members seeking affordable accommodations.
“Every day I get emails for requests for housing in our community,” Sack said Thursday. “It’s very frustrating. I hate giving them the same answer but at this point there is not much more I can do. There is a very urgent need and, unfortunately, we need a lot of them (housing units). We’re working toward that and hopefully we get there.”
That hope got a boost Thursday when Ahmed Hussen, federal minister of families, children and social development, joined Sack and Kings-hants MP Kody Blois for a nearly $2.73-million federal funding announcement for an affordable housing project in Indian Brook.
“We are committed to ensuring that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home,” Hussen said in prefacing the announcement that will mean 20 new dwelling units in the community of Indian Brook in Hants County, home to half the Sipekne’katik band members.
“We know that everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home but far too many are forced to make the impossible choice between paying rent and buying groceries,” the minister said.
Hussen said the pandemic has highlighted and worsened the existing housing challenges.
“The reality is that people who are most at risk during this pandemic are also more likely to find themselves in precarious housing situations,” the minister said. “These populations include women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors and racialized Canadians, including Indigenous people and Black communities.”
The housing units are to be built on Burma Road, near Tower Road, just northwest of the LSK school and the Sipekne’katik community centre.
“Housing is a tangible stepping stone to a better life and a better neighbourhood and a better Canada.”
Sack said the housing project is “crucial” to the community.
“We are a community that needs nearly 400 homes for everybody to have a roof over their heads,” Sack said. “It’s not good. It’s sad times. But for this 20, we’re very grateful.”
Sack said Sipekne’katik, the second largest First Nation in the province with the population of Indian Brook, listed at more than 1,200, completed a housing needs assessment two years ago.
“The houses that we do have, we needed $10 million in improvements to bring them up to standards and also there is a need for 395 homes on a housing list,” Sack said.
“For me, getting new homes should be a celebration,” the chief said. “Unfortunately, it’s always a hard time to do so. Through the programs that we do have, we build three or four houses a year for our community. I always kind of clinch up when it’s time to meet on that. There are a lot of people who need the homes, they are very desperate and we make those number of people very happy but we have the majority of people who didn’t get one (new home) and they are very unhappy, so it’s a very mixed-feelings kind of day. It’s definitely a good start, we are very grateful for the program. We just need to keep finding better ways forward to provide more.”
The federal funding comes through the Rapid Housing Initiative and Hussen said an additional investment of $1.5 billion for the initiative is included in the 2021-22 federal budget.
“We are expanding this program because it works,” Hussen said, adding that the initial ambitious goal to rapidly construct 3,000 affordable units across the country has already been surpassed.
“This new funding in budget 2021 will more than triple our total target to more than 9,200 units built,” Hussen said. “That means more than 9,200 families will soon have a safe and affordable place to call home. At least 25 per cent of this funding will go toward women-focused housing projects.”
The Indian Brook funding will provide “homes for people who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness, with a focus on Indigenous peoples,” Hussen said.
“We know women in particular are facing additional challenges as a result of this pandemic and we need to ensure that they have the resources that they need to get through this difficult time. I’m pleased to say that today’s (announced) project will see half of the units targeted to women and children because at the end of the day we know that when women succeed, we all succeed.”
Hussen said the federal government recognizes “the very real issue of systemic racism in Canada and around the world,” and is committed to addressing the everyday barriers faced by Indigenous people.
Blois called the housing funding an important investment.
“We know that this is not going to solve all housing issues in Sipekne’katik, the chief has been very clear on that, but we have to start somewhere,” Blois said. “This is the first iteration of the rapid housing initiative. There is $1.5 billion in additional funding because there are a lot of very good projects that couldn’t get funded. There will be an opportunity to build upon this success, whether that’s in Sipekne’katik or other communities.”
Blois said there are severe challenges for Sack in Indian Brook but there are other needs across the country as well.
“This is a good start, we will keep working on it,” Blois said.
The project received a contribution of $681,340 from Sipekne’katik, of which $100,000 are funds provided to the band by Indigenous Services Canada.
Sack said part of the band’s contribution to the project is putting its equipment to work preparing a place for a new subdivision.
“That work is underway now and we’re just back and forth trying to finalize contracts,” Sack said.