Reports & Publications
Atlantic Policy Congress Resources
Strategic Planning
On October 4-6, 2023, the Atlantic Policy Congress (APC) of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat held the Atlantic First Nations Regional Roundtable on Housing and Infrastructure at the Crowne Plaza located at 1005 Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick. The purpose of this three-day session was to bring First Nations and their government partners together in-person with the objective of learning from one another.
Building a Roadmap for Housing and Infrastructure Service Delivery Transfer in Atlantic First Nations Strategic Planning
The Atlantic First Nations Housing Strategy was tabled on March 5, 2021, by the Chiefs of Atlantic Canada. The strategy is predicated on a holistic framework designed to tackle the housing crisis in Atlantic First Nations. The strategy, comprised of interlocking goals, envisions an Atlantic Canada where all First Nations, both on and off reserve, have access to culturally safe, affordable, accessible, quality, and environmentally resilient housing.
Data and Guiding Documents
- AFN Resolution no. 79/2019: Action Plan for First Nations Homelessness On and Off-Reserve National Housing Strategy
- CMHC Research Insight – Housing Adequacy for Aboriginal Households in First Nations Communities (2016)
- CMHC Research Insight – Housing Suitability for Aboriginal Households in First Nations Communities (2016)
- CMHC Research Insight – Housing Tenure for Aboriginal Households in First Nations Communities (2017)
- CMHC’s Housing Conditions of On-Reserve Aboriginal Households: Socioeconomic Analysis (2019)
- Housing on First Nation Reserves: Challenges and Successes, an Interim Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (2015)
Access to Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities – Indigenous Services Canada
Report 3, Independent Auditor’s Report – 2021
This report presents the results of a performance audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) under the authority of the Auditor General Act.
Why perform the audit:
- Access to safe drinking water is vital to the health and well-being of First Nations communities. Until deficiencies with water systems are addressed and long-term solutions are fully implemented, communities may continue to have challenges accessing safe drinking water.
- If funding to operate and maintain water systems is insufficient, water systems may continue to deteriorate at a faster-than-expected rate. A regulatory regime for safe drinking water in First Nations communities is important to ensure that First Nations people receive protections comparable with other Canadians
The findings:
- ISC did not meet its commitments to eliminate long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations communities and deficiencies for some water systems had not been addressed
- ISC had not amended the operations and maintenance funding formula for First Nations water systems since it was first developed 30 years ago, and a salary gap contributed to problems in retaining qualified water system operators
- No regulatory Regime was in place to help ensure access to safe drinking water in First Nations communities
For the full report, click here.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
UNDRIP is an interaction declaration adopted by the UN on the 13th of September 2007, to enshrine the rights that “constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world”. UNDRIP protects collective rights that may not be addressed in other human rights characters that emphasize individual rights, and it also safeguards the individual rights of Indigenous people.
To read the UN Declaration, click here.