Housing and Aboriginal People in Urban Centres: A Quantitative Evaluation

• Published in: aboriginal policy studies
• Main Authors: Yale D. Belanger, Gabrielle Weasel Head, Olu Awosoga
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; French
• Published: University of Alberta 2012
• Subjects: Anthropology; GN1-890; Communities. Classes. Races; HT51-1595; Canada; inuit
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5663/aps.v2i1.17705; https://doaj.org/article/4a72ae91ffc94051800f58e23963e59b

This paper explores the current state of urban Aboriginal housing in Canada, by providing an up-to-date mapping of national urban Aboriginal housing conditions. This paper demonstrates that home ownership helps to reduce the gap between mainstream and Aboriginal rates of core housing need, for Aboriginal renters are substantially worse off than their non-Aboriginal counterparts in terms of core housing need and overcrowding. Métis and Non-Status Indians are also more likely to become homeowners than Status Indians and Inuit. A cyclical process is identified that hinders urban Aboriginal homeownership, and home rental advancement is also discussed. Existing federal housing programs are inadequate to address the housing and homeless issues identified. We highlight the need to establish proactive policies, the goal being to facilitate individual transition into urban centres, thereby helping to ameliorate existing housing disparities.