More Than 1,000 New Affordable Homes Coming For Indigenous People

More Indigenous people will soon have new affordable rental homes on and off reserve, through the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund.

“In 2018, we became the first province in Canada to invest in First Nations’ housing on reserve, a federal jurisdiction,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing.

“With this latest call for proposals, we’re proud to be building on that work and partnering with the Indigenous housing sector to ensure Indigenous people everywhere in B.C. have access to the safe and affordable housing they need. This is one of the ways we are moving forward on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in B.C.”

The latest round of proposals are now being accepted through April,  to ensure adequate time for applicants to prepare submissions.

The proposals will be evaluated and projects totaling approximately 1,200 units are expected to be announced by summer 2024. Projects will be prioritized based on several criteria, including residential and regional housing needs.

The IHF provides approximately $1.8 billion to build 3,500 new homes for Indigenous families, individuals, and elders, on and off reserve. To date, more than 1,500 IHF homes are open or underway throughout B.C.

Indigenous non-profit housing providers, First Nations, other Indigenous organizations, and non-profit and for-profit developers wanting to partner with Indigenous organizations and First Nations interested in creating new affordable rental units for Indigenous people are encouraged to submit their housing proposals and apply for funding.

The IHF is part of a $19 billion housing investment by the B.C. government.

Since 2017, the province says it has more than 77,000 homes either delivered or are underway.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.