My name, of course, is Chief Sidney Peters. I'm from the Glooscap First Nation. I'm also the co-chair for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs. I also sit on the chiefs' committee on housing and infrastructure, representing the Atlantic through the Atlantic Policy Congress.
I just wanted to say it's nice to be here and to listen to my colleagues. Some of the stuff I have to say might be the same as what everybody else has said, but I think it's important that we understand this.
As we know, on March 19, 2024, the Auditor General of Canada released the second report of 2024 for the Parliament of Canada on housing in first nations communities. Many people living in our first nations communities do not have access to housing that is safe and in good condition, which is a fundamental right. Improving housing in first nations is vital for the physical, mental and economic well-being of all our first nations people in Canada.
This is the fourth time since 2003 that the Auditor General has raised concerns about the housing in first nations communities. However, despite the findings of each of these audits and the recommendations made, Indigenous Services Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have failed to make significant progress in supporting first nations in improving housing conditions in their communities.
The Government of Canada has made extensive commitments to first nations communities to provide funding for critical infrastructure to improve living conditions. In the Prime Minister's mandate letter to the Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, the government committed to making “immediate and long-term investments to support ongoing work to close the infrastructure gap by 2030”.
The Assembly of First Nations, in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada, has co-developed a comprehensive cost report quantifying the capital and operation costs required to close the infrastructure gap in first nations communities by 2030. The investment needed to close the infrastructure gap by 2030 is $349.2 billion. As a result of the decades of underfunding, a failure of fiduciary duties and the unfair distribution of wealth in Canada, this includes $135.1 billion for housing, $59.5 billion for infrastructure and $55.4 billion in direct asks from first nations.
Given the scale, geographic range, national construction constraints and lack of recent and meaningful government investments, the mandate to close the infrastructure gap by 2030 may not be achievable until the year 2040, which increases the estimated total investment required to $527.9 billion.
The total capital investment required to close the gap in Atlantic Canada is $12.4 billion, with a total operations and maintenance investment of $2.6 billion, for a total investment of $15 billion required to close the gap by 2030 for Atlantic first nations. If no action is taken, the total investment to close the infrastructure gap by 2040 in Atlantic Canada will increase to $24.9 billion.
The housing needs survey was sent out to the housing staff in Atlantic Canada, and 16 of 34 first nations in Atlantic Canada responded to it. The total reported population of the 16 first nations that responded to the survey is 75% of the total registered population of our first nations members in Atlantic Canada. Therefore, this indicates that the data collected during the survey is reflective of what is happening in the entire region.
Atlantic first nations need an estimated 12,799 units to address the backlog in the immediate needs of community members. This number of units will require an investment of $3.4 billion. An additional $158 million is required to make the necessary repairs and renovations in our existing units.
Based on this information, the first nations in Atlantic Canada agree with the Auditor General's report. Without any meaningful investment in housing and infrastructure, particularly with respect to building the capacity of first nations at the grassroots level, the infrastructure gap will only continue to grow. The way the federal government currently does business only benefits those with own-source revenues or with the capacity to apply to programs.
The way government does business only perpetuates the cycle of inequity that continues to make the gap grow rather than shrink. The only way forward is to work together, holding each other accountable and coming up with innovative solutions. The status quo is no longer a viable policy option.
I want to say wela'lin.