Two-stage housing initiative helps build safer lives

This new program being delivered in partnership by CMHC and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will help Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people find refuge from violence and rebuild safer lives.

The Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative is a violence-prevention program that expands supports for Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people escaping gender-based violence.

The program will back the construction and operation of at least 38 shelters and 50 transitional homes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people across the country.

Shelters provide a safe space and vital refuge for people escaping violence. A shelter is often a first step in rebuilding their lives and protecting them from further violence.

Transitional—or second-stage housing—provides longer-term housing, safety and security. Clients usually have access to a range of supports and services in transitional housing. These are key to helping them get their lives back on track, secure and maintain permanent housing, and thrive.

Indigenous women’s experiences of violence are closely linked to poverty, discrimination and exclusion within their wider communities. These factors mean that they may not benefit to the same extent as non-Indigenous women from services to protect them from violence. Often, shelters and transitional housing serving the larger community do not provide the culturally sensitive environment and support services that are essential to healing.

The Initiative is a step toward the Government of Canada’s Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. CMHC and ISC will work with Indigenous Peoples and organizations, provincial and territorial governments and other partners to develop effective and culturally appropriate solutions.

The Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative, with its $724.1-million budget, builds on the work that started with the 2020 Shelter Initiative for Indigenous Women and Children. Coupled with this earlier program, these investments will yield 100 new housing projects—projects that will improve the safety and life outcomes of Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Learn more about our accomplishments in our 2021 annual report