OTTAWA — Indigenous communities will find themselves with a long-term funding commitment in next week’s federal budget worth hundreds of millions of dollars to address the most acute housing situation in the country, say sources familiar with the measure. The housing shortage in Indigenous communities has meant that homes are often overcrowded and in desperate need of repairs — a combination that also has health consequences. The long-term funding deal would also replace annual funding agreements that have limited the efforts of communities to manage a housing crisis. The situation was most dire among Inuit in the North: Two-fifths of the Inuit population lived in overcrowded homes in 2016, the census found. The housing funding would work in tandem with other measures the Liberals have signalled will be in Tuesday’s budget, including money to address child welfare on reserve and health issues.

Source: National Post February 22, 2018 18:20 UTC