Dear editor,
I expect this letter will have an effect similar to kicking a hornet’s nest, but as our provincial government is preparing to spend $550 million of our tax dollars, we should be permitted to have a civil discourse over the issue of Indigenous housing.
Let me start out by stating, that in principle I support social housing initiatives; in a country like Canada, our homelessness rate should leave us all feeling ashamed. Canada, under various provincial and federal programs, has attempted the construction of housing on First Nations land with varying levels of success. Watch the documentary, The People of the Kattawapiskak River, for a good look at what failure looks like.
First Nations land in British Columbia does not fall under the jurisdiction of the BC Building Code regulations. Will the housing being proposed be built to B.C. standards? Will Indigenous trades training and use of the local workforce be part of this spend, creating a lasting impact, or will outside contractors be temporarily brought in to “fix” the problem, ultimately exacerbating the Indigenous reliance on public coffers?
If this program is to succeed, ownership needs to be placed in the hands of our First Nations, and we need to help with whatever tools are necessary to make it work; but with that responsibility needs to come strict oversight to ensure public accountability. Too often blank checks have been written to try and put a Band-Aid on broken First Nations communities, and too often the project ends with no marked change in outcome for those in need of help.
If we can work with our First Nations partners to engage their local communities and create pride of ownership in the end product, this could be a win-win, but let’s ensure we aren’t setting ourselves up for failure and a repeat program 20 years down the road at a further cost to the taxpayers.
Let’s make sure if we are investing in First Nations projects, that they are invested themselves.
Jeffrey Hudson
Cumberland