Aboriginal Housing Management Association

The Aboriginal Housing Management Association is:

• A quasi-government entity that manages subsidized housing for Aboriginal housing providers; and,
• A self-management housing organization that serves urban and rural Aboriginal people in BC.

Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Providers

There are several Aboriginal housing providers in British Columbia that provide a range of housing programs and services to Aboriginal people living off-reserve.

The following provides a comprehensive list of off-reserve Aboriginal housing providers in British Columbia (and web links where applicable) based on their geographical location. Please note that organizations have their own specific set of intake policies and criteria.

Lower Mainland

• Helping Spirit Lodge Society (Vancouver)
• Kekinow Native Housing Society (Surrey)
• Lu'ma Native Housing Society (Vancouver)
• Mission Native Housing Society (Mission)
• Vancouver Native Housing Society (Vancouver)

Vancouver Island

• M'Akola Housing Society (Victoria)
• Kackaamin Family Development Centre (Port Alberni)

Interior

• Aqanttanam Housing Society (Cranbrook)
• Conayt Friendship Society (Merritt)*
• Kamloops Native Housing Society (Kamloops)*
• Okanagan Métis & Aboriginal Housing Society (Kelowna)
• Vernon Native Housing Society (Vernon)*

Northern

• Cariboo Friendship Society (Williams Lake)
• Dawson Creek Native Housing Society (Dawson Creek)*
• Fort St. John Native Housing Society (Fort St. John)
• Muks-Kum-Ol Housing Society (Terrace)
• Prince George Native Friendship Centre (Prince George)
• Prince George Métis Housing Society (Prince George)*
• United Aboriginal Housing Society (Quesnel) *

*Refer to the housing section of the Guide to Aboriginal Organizations and Services in British Columbia for detailed contact information.

All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO) - Individual Consumer Mortgages
All Nations Trust Company operates as an Aboriginal financial intermediary and provides the following services: development lending; trust and agent agreements; management/technical/financial advisory services. In particular, ANTCO offers Conventional and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) insured residential mortgages both on and off-reserve that are available for the construction/purchase of your new home or refinancing or renovations of your existing mortgage. On reserve mortgage financing requires Ministerial Loan Guarantee under Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) section 10 on reserve housing program.

BC Housing

The British Columbia Housing Management Commission (BC Housing) is a Provincial Crown agency under the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. It was created in 1967 to fulfill the government's commitment to the development, management and administration of subsidized housing, as set out in the Shareholder’s Letter of Expectations. BC Housing’s vision is to ensure housing solutions for healthier futures and its mission is to create the best system of housing and support for vulnerable British Columbians.

Programs for the Homeless

• Aboriginal Homelessness Outreach Program

  The Aboriginal Homeless Outreach Program directly engages homeless Aboriginal people living on the streets and provides access to housing, income assistance, and community based support services to help break the cycle of homelessness.

• Emergency Shelter Program

  The Emergency Shelter Program provides funding to homeless shelters and drop-in centres that help reconnect people who are homeless to housing and support services in addition to offering temporary shelter, food and other services.

• Homeless Outreach Program

  Through the Homeless Outreach Program, BC Housing works in consultation with community-based agencies to reach out to individuals who find themselves homeless. This program is client-centred as it connects homeless people to housing, income assistance, and community-based social and health services in over 49 communities across British Columbia.

• Provincial Homelessness Initiative

  Through the Provincial Homelessness Initiative, the Province allocates funding to developments that integrate subsidized housing with support services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, people with mental illnesses and physical disabilities, those with drug and alcohol addictions, Aboriginal peoples, youth, and women with children fleeing abusive relationships.

Transitional Housing

• Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Hotels

  SRO hotels provide short-term or long-term accommodation in single rooms, typically without private bathrooms or kitchens.

• Women’s Transition Houses

  BC Housing is responsible for Transition Houses, Safe Homes and Second Stage Housing and related support services for women and their dependent children fleeing violence.

Supportive Housing

• Supportive Housing Registration Service

  The Supportive Housing Registration service offers a single point of access for applicants seeking low barrier supportive housing in the Province’s 24 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels.

Housing for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

• Independent Living BC

  Created in 2002, Independent Living BC (ILBC) serves seniors and people with disabilities who require some support, but do not need 24-hour institutional care. ILBC offers a middle option to bridge the gap between home care and residential care.

• Seniors’ Rental Housing

  Through the Seniors' Rental Housing initiative, the Province is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to increase affordable housing and stimulate local economies by developing new affordable rental housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities in smaller communities across British Columbia.

• Seniors’ Supportive Housing

  The Seniors’ Supportive Housing program provides specially modified rental units, in selected subsidized housing developments, primarily to low-income seniors who need some assistance in order to continue to live independently.

• Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER)

  The SAFER program helps make rents affordable for BC seniors with low to moderate incomes. SAFER provides monthly cash payments to subsidize rents for eligible BC residents who are age 60 or over and who pay rent for their homes.

Subsidized / Social Housing

• Aboriginal Housing Initiative

  Aboriginal Housing Initiative provides funding to develop new, affordable housing for Aboriginal people living off-reserve, meeting the long-term Aboriginal housing need.

• Subsidized Housing

  Subsidized housing in British Columbia provides a range of housing options for people with low to moderate incomes, including seniors, people with mental or physical disabilities, individuals who are homeless or homeless at risk, women and children fleeing abuse, Aboriginal people, and low-income families.

Rental in the Private Market

• Rental Assistance Program

  The Rental Assistance Program was launched in October 2006 as part of Housing Matters BC. The program provides eligible low-income, working families with cash assistance to help with their monthly rent payments.

Homeowner Protection Office

The mandate of the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) is to help bring about improvements in the quality of residential construction and increase consumer protection for new home buyers. The HPO is responsible for: licensing residential builders and building envelope renovators province-wide; administering owner builder authorizations; monitoring the performance of the third-party home warranty insurance system underwritten by the private sector; and carrying out research and education which benefits the residential construction industry and consumers.

Residential Tenancy Branch

The Residential Tenancy Branch provides landlords and tenants with information and dispute resolution services. The Residential Tenancy Branch is part of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, providing information on: (1) knowing your rights and responsibilities as a tenant; (2) how to resolve tenancy issues; (3) how to apply for dispute resolution; (4) completing the dispute resolution process.

Canada Mortgage And Housing Corporation (CMHC)

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is Canada’s national housing agency. CMHC provides mortgage loan insurance, mortgage-backed securities, housing policy and programs, and housing research.

Off-Reserve Programs and Financial Assistance
CMHC offers programs, financing techniques and information to meet the housing needs of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people off-reserve. Click here to access this information.

Financial assistance takes the form of forgivable loans or non-repayable contributions, and can be used to fund repairs, renovations, accessibility modifications, the creation of low-income rental units, and home adaptations. These programs are available for low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

On-Reserve Programs:
CMHC offers programs, innovative financing techniques, training tools and information to increase building capacity and address housing needs in First Nations communities.

Department Of Human Resources And Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) is a department of the Government of Canada. The mandate of HRSDC includes:

• policy development;
• programs and support initiatives that help Canadians move through life’s transitions;
• providing service to Canadians through Service Canada and other partners; and
• creating employee engagement and building leadership capacity.

Homeless Partnering Strategy - Aboriginal Communities
The Homelessness Partnering Strategy partners with Aboriginal groups to ensure that services meet the precise and unique needs of “off-reserve” homeless Aboriginal people in cities and rural areas.

Aboriginal communities are also eligible to apply for funding under the Designated and Outreach Communities Funding Streams.

Indian And Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) – On-Reserve Housing Only

INAC is one of the federal government departments responsible for meeting the Government of Canada's obligations and commitments to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and for fulfilling the federal government's constitutional responsibilities in the North. INAC's responsibilities are largely determined by numerous statutes, negotiated agreements and relevant legal decisions. Most of the Department's programs, representing a majority of its spending - are delivered through partnerships with Aboriginal communities and federal-provincial or federal-territorial agreements.

On-Reserve Programs

• Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program (CFM)
• Estate Management
• First Nation Infrastructure Fund
• First Nations Market Housing Fund
• First Nations On-Reserve Housing Program

Non-Governmental Organizational

British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA)
The BC Non-Profit Housing Association’s (BCNPHA) programs and services are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of non-profit housing providers. BCNPHA offers several educational programs and services including an annual conference, courses, workshops, special topic seminars and other educational services. BCNPHA also provides an array of resources including financial information, bulk purchasing programs, bulk insurance programs, templates and guides and many other resources. BCNPHA also conducts research and is involved in strategic planning and development of the non-profit housing sector in BC. BCNPHA creates strategic partnerships between the three levels of government, the private and the non-profit sectors to facilitate and increase the housing availability within BC.

Refer to the housing section of the Guide to Aboriginal Organizations and Services in British Columbia for more information regarding Aboriginal organizations in BC.

Aboriginal Political & Umbrella Organizations

• Guide to Aboriginal Organizations and Services in BC
• Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA)
• All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO)
• British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN)
• BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC)
• First Nations Summit (FNS)
• Métis Nation British Columbia
• National Aboriginal Housing Association (NAHA)
• Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC)

Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Providers (With Websites)

• Cariboo Friendship Society
• Helping Spirit Lodge Society
• Kackaamin Family Development Centre
• Kekinow Native Housing Society
• Lu'ma Native Housing Society
• M’akola Group of Societies
• Vancouver Native Housing Society

Other Aboriginal organizations involved in Housing

• First Nations National Housing Managers Association (FNNHMA)

Provincial organizations involved in Housing

• BC Housing
• Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

What Other Provinces Are Doing

Alberta

• Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Program

Saskatchewan

• Affordable Housing Rentals
• Social Housing Rental Program (SHRP)

Manitoba

• Manitoba Tipi Mitawa Program

Ontario

• Miziwe Biik Development Corporation and the Province of Ontario

Quebec

• Katavik Homeownership Program

Nova Scotia

• Off-Reserve Housing Trust Programs

New Brunswick

• Off-Reserve Housing Ownership Program

Prince Edward Island

• Off-Reserve Affordable Housing Trust

Newfoundland/Labrador

• Off-Reserve Housing Repair Program

Federal organizations involved in Housing and/or working with urban Aboriginal people

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
• Office of the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians (OFI)

  The Minister for Indian and Northern Affairs also serves as the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. The Federal Interlocutor helps to find practical ways to improve federal programs and services for Métis, Non-Status Indians and urban Aboriginal people.

  Urban Aboriginal Strategy
  The Government of Canada established the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) to work with partners to better address the serious socio-economic needs of Canada's urban Aboriginal population. The intent of the UAS is to reduce the level of disparity that urban Aboriginal people currently face by better tailoring government programs to the local needs and priorities of Aboriginal people living in cities.

• Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC)

Non-governmental organizations involved in Housing

• British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Corporation
• Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA)
• Canadian Real Estate Association

Aboriginal

• Housing Policy for Aboriginal Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (APHA)

Provincial

• Aboriginal Housing Engagement Summary Report
• Aboriginal Housing Needs and Capacity Assessment Report
• Housing Matters BC
• Assisted Living and Residential Care – Fire and Life Safety
• Local Government in British Columbia

Federal / National

• Aboriginal Homeownership
• Aboriginal Housing in Canada: Building on Promising Practices