Reaching Home yet Missing the Mark: The Shortcomings of Canada’s National Homelessness Strategy

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On May 28 2021, the remains of 215 indigenous children were found at the site of a previous residential school in Kamloops, BC. The news came as a shock to non-indigenous Canadians, but the indigenous community was not surprised. For them, it only served as another reminder of the cultural genocide inflicted on them by the Canadian Government. The effects of the residential school system have lingered in Canadian society; indigenous people are still poorer, unhealthier, and less educated than the general population. Nowhere is this inequality more pronounced than on the streets of Canadian cities: in Montreal, in Toronto, 15-16 percent of the homeless population are indigenous, in a city where they make up just 0.5 percent of the total population. In Montreal, an indigenous person is 27 times more likely to be homeless than a member of the general population. The high prevalence of Indigenous Canadians in the homeless population leads to a vicious cycle: homeless people face barriers to securing housing and if they cannot find a home they remain homeless. 

But what has specifically led to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the homeless population? A research article from 2014 found that most homeless individuals are addicted to substances such as drugs and/or alcohol – as high as 100% in some areas. Indigenous people are considerably more likely to have previous substance abuse problems: binge drinking is twice as prevalent in indigenous youth than non-Aboriginals. Since these are some of the most common reasons for housing insecurity and loss, the overrepresentation of homeless Aboriginals can be partially attributed to this. Low levels of educational achievement compared to the general population also increase the risk of homelessness. It is estimated that 63-90% of the homeless population in Canada did not complete secondary school, a worrying statistic when coupled with the fact that low educational achievement is correlated with factors that impede housing security. The indigenous gap in substance use and educational achievement is further exacerbated by unique cultural factors. Conceptions of homelessness are different among Aboriginals than within the public. Indigenous people are more mobile and less tied down than the general population; the need to return to reserves for prolonged periods of time have resulted in a loss of urban housing. Moreover, indigenous renters often encounter covert and even outright discrimination when attempting to obtain leases. A CBC article in 2016 found Montreal landlords rejecting potential renters due to their aboriginal ethnicity. Any policy attempting to reduce homelessness must address at least one, if not all, of these factors.

In 2019, the federal government introduced a long-term homelessness strategy called Reaching Home. The policy is ambitiously attempting to reduce homelessness by 50% nationally by 2028. The policy emphasizes a community-based approach. By giving $2.2 billion in funding to projects administered by local groups, the government hopes to decentralize project planning and increase effectiveness. However, like every policy, Reaching Home is not without its shortfalls. While the policy targets reducing visible homelessness by focusing on emergency shelters and transitional housing, it does not attempt to address long-term housing issues faced by homeless individuals. Securing a lease or buying a home is not possible without stable employment and homeless individuals face barriers that are not addressed in the government’s policy. Furthermore, the policy addresses general homelessness instead of specifically aiding indigenous individuals; while specific funding is allocated to local indigenous organizations, the government has stopped financing new indigenous-specific projects. Finally, barriers to long-term housing would be better addressed by directly coordinating with the provinces due to housing and zoning laws being within provincial jurisdiction.

Targeting indigenous homelessness specifically may be more effective than a catch-all policy such as Reaching Home. An affirmative-action type of homelessness policy would be more effective due to the unique factors that lead to homelessness among the indigenous population. Addressing factors such as addiction, improved educational achievement, and reduced discrimination would help to heal the inter-generational trauma passed down by years of residential schooling. . Economist Moshe Lander believes that coordinating with indigenous groups on a local level is the best way to implement a coherent long-term strategy to solve issues. “Improving educational achievement can be done by setting extra funding incentives,” he says, an example being that if 70% of the graduating class passes a standardized test, extra grants are released to those schools. 

On a federal level, the government should first address addiction by providing better mental health services to alumni of residential schools and their children. Not only that, but psychologists should be made more accessible as on-and-off reserves to prevent indigenous youth from resorting to substance abuse in their formative years. Educational achievement issues can be solved through increasing funding and allocating more resources to indigenous students. The gap has already been declining over the years; an additional 10% of aboriginals in the 35-44 age group have completed high school compared to their counterparts aged 55-64. A 10% increase may not seem very high, but when 4.9 million Canadians identify as indigenous, that adds up to tens of thousands of people less likely to end up without a home. Finally, better educating the public on these issues through the media for those out of school and reforming school curriculums to better inform young Canadians could help reduce prejudice and thus discrimination. 

Nonetheless, reforms involving increasing access to healthcare and reforming education fall under provincial jurisdiction. If inequality between provinces is to be avoided, the federal government must coordinate with provinces and convince them to follow its national strategy, whatever that may be. Convincing all provinces to agree on a collective framework has proved a daunting task; Quebec still has not ratified the Canadian Constitution some 40 years after its passage. Reducing indigenous homelessness will not just improve the lives of those who live without a home; it is a test of national values, demonstrating that the government and Canadian society can atone for our horrific actions towards Aboriginals since this country’s founding.