This presentation explores the policy impact on Aboriginal housing in Toronto. Michael Shapcott, Director of Housing and Innovation www.wellesleyinstitute.com Follow us on twitter @wellesleyWI

1. Policy impact on Aboriginal
housing in Toronto
Social Policy SWF 327
July 4, 2012
Michael Shapcott
The Wellesley Institute

4. Minority Parliament of 2005
New housing
funding, including
off-reserve
Aboriginal

5. Minority Parliament of 2006
New housing
funding, including
off-reserve
Aboriginal

6. Policy challenge:
Allocate $20
million in 2005
housing funding
to Aboriginal
housing in TO

7. Research findings:
• Hard-working – trapped in poverty: Aboriginal people work hard and
many are highly educated, yet one-in-three households have annual
incomes below the poverty line; and less than one-in-five Aboriginal
households have annual incomes that would qualify for a conventional
mortgage to purchase a low-end-of-market condominium.
• Strong values – excluded from culture: Aboriginal people value their
culture and understand it has practical and important value in all aspects of
their lives, but Aboriginal people often have little or no access to
Aboriginal-controlled and Aboriginal-delivered housing and services.
• Big dollars spent on housing – poor housing delivered: Aboriginal
people contribute tens of millions of dollars annually to the GTA economy
in rent, mortgage payments and utility costs, even though almost half of all
households report that they pay 50% or more of their income on housing
(well above the accepted threshold of 30%). Many Aboriginal households
report their housing is over-crowded, unsafe, substandard – or a
combination of all three.

8. • Poor housing has a big cost: One-half of Aboriginal households report
that poor housing has led to mental health concerns, and almost the
same number say that they cannot afford decent food; one-in-three
Aboriginal households cannot afford a telephone; one-in-three
households report that inadequate housing has led to violence and
breakdowns in marriage; children are doing poorly in school and adults
report that they have significant troubles getting and keeping jobs.
• Successful Aboriginal organizations often neglected or excluded:
Aboriginal housing and service providers in the GTA have a long and
successful history of delivering good housing, services and programs in
an effective and cost-efficient way, but Aboriginal organizations are often
excluded from funding programs or left to compete with non-Aboriginal
groups for a small amount of financial and program resources. There are
practical and effective models for efficiently delivering Aboriginal housing
and services.

10. Policy option:
...the consultation confirmed that there is a support for an
Aboriginal-controlled institution that is representative of the
community, open and transparent. There is an effective and
efficient mechanism in the Aboriginal community in the GTA –
MiziweBiik Development Corporation (MBDC) – that can deliver the
off-reserve housing trust funding. MBDC is an organization that:
∗ respects Aboriginal culture and values
∗ operates under MiziweBiik Aboriginal Employment and Training,
which has a strong history of financial accountability to the
community and all levels of government
∗ strengthens the capacity of the Aboriginal community in the GTA
∗ provides a solid foundation for future investment, and
∗ offers an excellent platform for linking and leveraging housing with
a variety of non-housing support and services.

11. One of 20 vacant homes
acquired by Wigwamen

13. Complex thinking to
tackle complex issues

14. quality
Ine

15. Toronto - 1970
Below middle
Middle income
Upper income
The Three Cities - David Hulchanski, U of T

16. Toronto - 2005
Below middle
Middle income
Upper income
The Three Cities - David Hulchanski, U of T

17. Sleepwalking to
segregation

18. Inequality / precarious housing
is driving poor health
Toronto Health Profiles

19. “After 20 years of
continuous decline,
both inequality and
poverty rates have
increased rapidly in
the past 10 years,
now reaching levels
above the OECD
average.”
“In the last 10 years, the rich have been
getting richer leaving both middle and
poorer income classes behind. The rich in
Canada are particularly rich compared to their
counterparts in other countries.”
OECD (2008), Growing Unequal? : Income Distribution and
Poverty in OECD Countries

21. www.wellesleyinstitute.com
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