AMC urges feds, province to work with First Nations leaders to address homelessness

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is calling on the federal and provincial governments to address homelessness in Canada.

In a statement Tuesday, the AMC says says the work from both levels of government needs to be done alongside First Nations Leadership.

“Governments continue to adhere to an inherently racist and broken colonial system which fails to serve the best interests of First Nations people. A just solution to the housing crisis cannot be found within the very system that created and continues to perpetuate these issues,” said AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.

“This disparity underscores the interconnectedness of housing and health within the First Nations worldview, a perspective that is not adequately reflected in Canada’s systems and institutions.”

The AMC pointed to a 2022 Winnipeg Street Census, which indicated that 51 per cent of respondents identified as status First Nations.

According to the AMC, the census also indicated a common pathway into homelessness is through involvement with the child welfare system, as 50 per cent of respondants were previously in the child welfare system and became homeless within a year of leaving it.

“The complexity of these issues requires collaborative efforts with First Nations Leadership to pinpoint solutions driven by First Nations themselves, addressing an issue that our people did not create, yet are disproportionately affected by,” concluded Grand Chief Merrick.