2023-24 Reporting on the Calls for Justice: 18.1 - 18.32: 2SLGBTQI+ Specific Calls

This initiative responds to Calls for Justice 18.4, as it funds Indigenous-led data projects to improve the data landscape on Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people by developing quantitative distinctions-based indicators, addressing methodological gaps, or working to define safety through Indigenous ways of understanding.

In 2021-22, the MMIWG Secretariat held a Call for Proposals for the Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects Program, and subsequently provided funding for 17 multi-year projects, some going until 2026-27. In 2023-24, the MMIWG Secretariat is funding 19 projects from the 2021-22 Call for Proposals. The total funding contribution to this important work totaled 1.880 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Lead Department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Funding Amount: $8.5 million over 6 years
Funding Source: Budget 2021
Partners: Funding recipients
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 5.24, 16.44, 17.2, 18.4

Building shelters and housing to address homelessness and providing dedicated spaces and services for trans and non-binary individuals falls within the parameters and goals of Métis Partners' program delivery of Métis Housing funding.

Lead Department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Funding Amount: $190.2 million/7 years
Funding Source: Budget 2022
Partners: First Nations on reserve; Inuit; Métis; Self-Governing and Modern Treaty communities; Federal departments; Canada-Métis Nation Permanent Bilateral Mechanism; Métis National Council; Manitoba Métis Federation
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 4.1, 4.6, 4.7

Funding provided through Budget 2022 housing investments are administered directly by Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations. All funding for this fiscal year has been transferred to Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations who are empowered through their agreements with Canada to deliver housing programming to their citizens in ways that meet their objectives under self-determination. This may include building shelters and housing to address homelessness, as well as dedicated spaces and services for trans and non-binary individuals.

To support Self-Government and Modern Treaty First Nations, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada has delivered all funding from the Budget 2022 Housing Investment for Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations for the 2023-24 fiscal year through transfers in their fiscal arrangements.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada does not have direct control or oversight over the expenditures of Self-Government and Modern Treaty First Nations. Self-Government and Modern Treaty First Nations may expend funds on shelters and housing to address homelessness, as well as on dedicated spaces and services for trans and non-binary individuals to respond to Call for Justice 18.25.

Lead Department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Funding Amount: $565 million/5 years
Funding Source: Budget 2022
Partners: Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: N/A
Related Calls for Justice: 4.1, 4.6, 4.7

Action Research on Chronic Homelessness projects are not primarily investigating the risks and realities of 2SLGBTQI+ individuals experiencing homelessness; however, several the projects will feature interviews with 2SLGBTQI+ people with lived experience of homelessness. The results of these interviews may result in changes to the projects to incorporate specific needs of this community.

Lead Department: Infrastructure Canada
Funding Amount: $18.1 million/3 years, beginning in 2022-23
Funding Source: Budget 2022
Partners: Select Reaching Home funding recipients receiving funding under the Designated Communities, Territorial Homelessness, and/or Indigenous Homelessness streams; Local Indigenous partners in communities where there is not currently an Indigenous-led organization delivering Reaching Home funding; Select provinces/territories; Infrastructure Canada representatives; National Indigenous Homelessness Council; and Local community partners
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 18, 23, 25, 26
Related Calls for Justice: 4.1, 4.7, 12.4, 18.25

The work of the Reaching Home program in part responds to Call for Justice 18.25 through dedicated funding to support culturally appropriate services that seek to prevent and reduce Indigenous homelessness. In addition, this program supports Calls for Miskotahâ 8, 18, 23, 25 and 26 by providing distinctions-based funding to Métis partners to address homelessness.

This program follows a community-based approach, with direct financial support to communities allowing flexibility to respond to local challenges and priorities by investing in a range of interventions, including programming designed to meet the needs of vulnerable populations (e.g. women experiencing violence, people fleeing family violence, Indigenous people, the 2SLGBTQI+ communities, etc.). Capital investments are intended to increase the capacity or improve the quality of facilities that address the needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, including those that support culturally appropriate programming for Indigenous individuals and families.

Lead Department: Infrastructure Canada
Funding Amount: $4 billion over 9 years (beginning in 2019-20)
Funding Source: $2.1 billion from 2019-2020 to 2027-2028 (Budget 2017); $409.2 million in 2019-20 and 2020-21 (COVID-19 emergency funding); $299.4 million in 2021-22 (Fall Economic Statement 2020); $567.2 million in 2022-23 and 2023-24 (Budget 2021); $562.2 million in 2024-25 and 2025-26 (Budget 2022); and, approximately $100 million in 2023-24 (departmental reallocation for unsheltered homelessness)
Partners: Provincial and territorial governments; National Indigenous Homelessness Council; National Indigenous Organizations (Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, Manitoba Métis Federation, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) and their affiliated organizations; and, Reaching Home Community Entities and Community Advisory Boards (includes 37 communities and regions across Canada under the Indigenous Homelessness stream); Modern Treaty Holders with provisions in their treaties related to the delivery of social services; Other partners within the housing and homelessness sectors
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 8, 18, 23, 25, 26
Related Calls for Justice: 4.1, 4.7, 12.4, 16.1, 16.18, 16.19, 18.25

The National Housing Strategy is currently a 10-year, $82+ billion plan to give more people in Canada a place to call home. Launched in 2017, the Strategy includes a range of complementary programs and initiatives that address diverse needs across the entire housing continuum. This includes initiatives to build new and repair shelter spaces, transitional housing units and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness and 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

On November 30, 2020, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $724.1 million to support the construction and operations of 38 new shelters and 50 transitional homes for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQI+ people facing gender-based violence through the Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will allocate $420 million of this investment over 5 years to support the construction of new shelters and transitional housing through the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, which is also considered a part of the National Housing Strategy. As of December 31, 2023, the Indigenous-led Steering committees have selected 47 projects for funding (25 Shelters & 22 Transitional Housing), which is $207 million in capital funding and 786 spaces/units. 33 projects in total have advanced to the point of receiving an agreement and $26 million has been advanced. Of the 47 projects selected for funding one is 2S+ led.

The Rapid Housing Initiative Rounds 1 to 3 committed $3.87 billion to support the creation of 15,742 new affordable units, of which 5,532 units are built, 4,865 are currently under construction and 187 units are financially committed. Among the 15,742 new affordable units, 109 are targeted towards 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

Lead Department: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Funding Amount: $82 billion over 10 years, starting in 2017-18
Funding Source: Various
Partners: Provincial and territorial governments; National Indigenous Organizations, and their affiliated organizations; Indigenous governments and organizations; non-profit organizations; municipal governments
Related Calls for Miskotahâ: 25 and 26
Related Calls for Justice: 4.6, 4.7, 12.4 and 16.18