Paper for soliciting funds from the government GOAL The purpose of this paper is to present reasons why

urban Aboriginal housing issues are unique and require a larger commitment in the funding regimen, in comparison to the funding non Aboriginal housing initiatives receive. To support this bid for more funding dollars, data collected from the !! "ensus will be used, as well as historical data, briefly commenting on the colonial history of "anada and how the policies of the "anadian government, helped to entrench institutionali#ed racism. This in turn has had a tremendous effect on all Aboriginal peoples across "anada. To bring these issues much closer to home, the paper will draw comparisons on how these policies have had an impact on our tenants, and how to this day, still continue to affect our tenants. $%& T%' ()*"O++'"T Government policies developed to aid in alleviating and eliminating the obstacles Aboriginal people face, have always been a hit or miss process. $hile some policies do actually provide much needed help, they often fall victim to lac, of funding, while the ones that do not have as positive an effect, continue to operate regardless of outcome, or are morphed into another implementation scenario, to ,eep the fledging e-isting policy afloat, regardless of criticism. *ocial policy formation for the Aboriginal community, whether it be on reserve or off reserve, has always had problems in understanding what the issue is, and how policy outcomes should be achieved. Government funded pro.ects ma,e these mista,es for various reasons. *ome of these reasons are/ (1) Government funding agencies, working committees, etc. are not aware or understand Aboriginal issues. (2) These levels of government and working committees are not familiar with the history of Aboriginal eo les. (!) There is much unfamiliarity with the cultural as ects of what it means to be Aboriginal. (") #gnorance and #ndifference ($) %unding agencies and working committees make mistakes in assuming that Aboriginal issues are the same as non Aboriginal issues. The following two reasons have to do with institutional and ersonal bias or hate. (&) #nstitutionali'ed racism is nothing new, and it is a constant struggle to combat it. (hile there maybe legislation to revent this, old attitudes have a tendency to die a very long and hard death.

()) (hen it comes to ersonal bias or re*udice, it is a bit more difficult. (hile most eo le will not admit that they have re*udices against certain eo le, because it is ublically frowned u on, it does not mean that those who harbour such re*udice will not try and im ose their bias in the work lace and in their rivate lives. +ow while these issues are very important, this paper is not about trying to come up with the solutions to solve these problems, but as an Aboriginal organi#ation, we in fact deal with these issues on a regular basis. This is especially true when trying to apply for additional funding, and when our organi#ation attempts to collaborate with government departments, agencies, or wor,ing committees, who are not as informed about Aboriginal issues as they should be or claim to be.

0'A*12)+G P2OG2'** )n order to understand some of the effects of the misguided policies forced upon Aboriginal people, the first thin, to do is to reveal some realities on being Aboriginal, by using comparative facts in relation to the non Aboriginal population in "anada. To start, a well being inde- will be e-plored on the ability of Aboriginals to achieve a minimum standard of living and personal well being, in comparison to the non Aboriginal population. The "ommunity $ell 3eing )nde- 4"$35 was created to measure and compare groups of people on their ability to meet basic shelter and living needs, and the relative happiness or satisfaction that produces an emotional by product of this process. %appiness or satisfaction acts as an indicator of the resulting outcome on one6s ability to meet these needs. )n the end these indicators will be used as a comparison to gage the standard of living between Aboriginal people and the general non Aboriginal public. The 4"$35 inde- was developed on the same premise as the %uman (evelopment )nde4%()5, which was initiated by the 1nited +ations to measure socio7economic well being for groups of people in today6s global society. The 4"$35 was formed to measure the well being of 8irst +ations "ommunities. +ow while this inde- focuses mainly on reserve Aboriginals, urban Aboriginals have similar concerns and comparable obstacles as Aboriginals who live on reserve. )n fact later on in this paper, it will become clear that on and off reserve issues are very much ali,e but dealt with in different ways. The indemeasurement began in !!9 and used the information provided by the !!9 "ensus and the Aboriginal Peoples *urvey, which was a part of the :;; "ensus. The information was analy#ed to determine which Aboriginal communities were prosperous, thus using the communities6 methods as a model to help other Aboriginal communities achieve prosperity, and identify Aboriginal communities who are at ris,. 3y doing this the hope is that immediate action would ta,e place to prevent the downward slide of a socio7 economic crises.

8)+()+G* The outcome from the data in the "ommunity $ell 3eing )nde- 4"$35 has some significant conclusions. The disparity in the well being of Aboriginals in comparison to non Aboriginals is quite high. Aboriginal people are at the lower end of the well being scale while non Aboriginals are primarily at the top. One Aboriginal community out of ;; communities ran,ed in this inde-, is at the top end of the inde-. %owever, !: Aboriginal communities are ran,ed in the lower portion of the inde-. According to the Aboriginal People6s *urvey in :;; , nearly <;= of 8irst +ation communities are ran,ed in the lower half of the 4"$35 >The 4"$35 inde- has also revealed that living conditions in a great many 8irst +ation communities are appallingly low ? much lower than the aggregate scores produced by previous studies have ever suggested.@ 40c%ardy A O6*ullivan, :;;B5 $ell being is e-tremely important for an individual and communities as whole. )f you have the means to provide yourself with adequate shelter, and the ability to feed yourself and your family without having to worry about where your ne-t meal is coming from, or whether you are going to be able to ma,e the rental payment, and or pay your bills such as power, phone etc., you are more than li,ely to feel good about yourself. )f however, one has the burden of being unable to meet one of these criteria, it can cause a great amount of stress and self esteem issues, which in turn leads to one6s overall well being, measuring in the lower part of the inde-. According to the data collected from the survey as part of the :;; "ensus, >Aboriginal Peoples *urvey@, it has suggested that Aboriginals have a greater burden in being able to meet basic needs, in particular housing. )f you do not have an address, loo,ing for a .ob is that much more difficult because it would be difficult for an employer to get a hold of you. )f your situation requires you to be on social assistance, you cannot apply because you need an address to even receive help. %aving basic shelter, that meets basic living standards, helps tremendously in ones self esteem and contributes to one having a positive outloo, and allows people to spend more time on improving themselves career wise and so forth, rather than having to spend a ma.ority of their time .ust trying to survive. T%' P2)0A2& "%ALL'+G' HOUSING >One of the most important elements of people6s sense of well being is access to good quality housing.@ 4"anada, !!C5 %ousing is the core need that ma,es everything else fall into place. Life is ne-t to impossible without four walls and a roof over your head. Tawaa, %ousing is a non profit, Aboriginal social housing organi#ation, whose main purpose is to provide urban housing for Aboriginal people, who cannot afford housing in an urban setting. This provision is available for Aboriginals who otherwise would not be able to obtain housing in the non Aboriginal mar,et.

A3O1T O12 O2GA+)DAT)O+ Tawaa, %ousing has a total of B! units staggered over the province of +ova *cotia. The ma.ority of our properties are located in the %alifa- 2egional 0unicipality 4%205 with properties also in Truro, 3ridgewater, Liverpool, *ydney and Antigonish. Tawaa, %ousing is the only off reserve Aboriginal housing organi#ation in all of +ova *cotia. Among our properties in the %20, we also have two supportive housing buildings. One located in %alifa-, the other in (artmouth. The building in %alifa- has a total of four, two bedroom units, and two, one bedroom units, and the building in (artmouth has five two bedroom units and one, one bedroom unit. *tarting in :;; , Tawaa,6s supportive housing offers monitored, emergency housing to the homeless, those with addiction problems, and families in distress. The buildings are secure with a :B hour monitoring system. 3oth buildings are alcohol, drug and tobacco free. Our tenant counselor, )da Eincent, does frequent inspections of all the units, to ma,e sure that the clients are abiding by what is e-pected of them, and to provide support and referrals to various organi#ations and agencies, when required. 'ach unit is fully furnished, including all necessary materials to ensure a semblance of normalcy in apartment style living. (ue to lac, of funding at the moment, Tawaa, %ousing in the future, would li,e to employ onsite live in counselors to provide the necessary outreach to ensure our supportive housing6s continued success. "lients stay within the supportive housing environment from si- months to a year, whereby they are encouraged to see, accommodations within the regular rental scheme, provided by Tawaa,. T%' "%ALL'+G'* $hile intrinsically, all people want the same things, a home, career, healthy family and a sense of security, for some sections of the human population, these needs are more difficult to reali#e than others. 3eing Aboriginal in "anada, and in this case, in +ova *cotia, is not an easy thing. )t is e-tremely difficult to feel pride and confidence in who you are, in the face of sometimes, e-treme and often negative adversity. (ifficult as this maybe, it is not impossible to rise above the mire, especially if there are people and organi#ations who are dedicated in supporting the vision of what it means to be Aboriginal in the : st century. One attribute of being Aboriginal, is the high mobility or migration rates practiced. Traditionally, Aboriginals for the most part, are a migratory people. 3efore and after first contact, Aboriginal people followed the seasonal migratory paths or animals and fish. *ettlements would vary depending upon the season and availability of game, berries and other plants. )f food and materials were ample, summer and winter settlements were sufficient. %owever, if resources were scarce, migration patterns would be more frequent, to search for more adequate surroundings. Today, migration is still a big part of Aboriginal life. $ith the establishment of permanent residence introduced by the colonial "anadian government, in FC9 through the )ndian Act, the reservation was born. 0ost reservations were small acreages, located most times, far from ma.or urban centres, with very little or no agricultural or raw resource value. Today, not much has changed. $ith the e-ception of a handful of reserves who were unwittingly placed on top of vast oil and gas deposits, most reserves have little or inadequate infrastructure, no higher

educational or training centres, no industry, no .obs, and are still located far from ma.or urban centres in "anada. Life in Aboriginal communities has always been challenging in and present conditions across "anada and in +ova *cotia, have proved little has changed.. 0any Aboriginals have to leave their communities to see, higher education and .ob opportunities, to escape sometimes grinding poverty, or to find safe, peaceful surroundings against a bac,drop of severe social problems. Aboriginals who live on reserves, migrate more frequently than non Aboriginals. )n !!F :!= of the Aboriginal registeredG population, lived off reserve. HG2egistered means a status )ndian under the )ndian Act. +on registered is a non status )ndian. The difference being having status ma,es one eligible for programs, housing and health care benefits, associated with being affiliated with an Aboriginal community 4reserve5, on a hereditary basis, that is recogni#ed by the federal government of "anada.I )n !!<, this figure rose to B:.<=. 3etween !! and !!9, 9 = of registered Aboriginals moved to "anadian urban centres. )n :;; : out of J Aboriginals, 9C=, lived off reserve. At the least, 9;= of Tawaa, %ousingKs clientele, has migrated from their communities to move to the %20. (ue to the sensitivity of protecting the information of our clients, this percentage can be said to be a bit conservative. %owever, statistics from the :;; census data states that B<= of the Aboriginal population from 's,asoni, "ape 3reton, migrated out of the community. On average Tawaa, %ousing receives J inquiries a day on how to apply. On a wee,ly basis, Tawaa, %ousing receives on average, B applications. +inety percent of inquiries and applications are from outside the %20 area. $hile there is an ever growing influ- of Aboriginals see,ing housing within Tawaa,, due to the migratory nature of our clients, there can be .ust as many people moving out of Tawaa, as there are people moving in. $hen a client moves out, the units need to be prepared for the ne-t client. "lients leave because they are finished school, changes in employment, or because they wish to move bac, to the reserve. This percentage of return is as high as B =. +ot so surprisingly, Tawaa,Ks turnover rate was B;= last year. This is quite a high rate, and puts a noticeable strain on Tawaa,Ks resources. 3eing a small organi#ation, Tawaa, is unable to negotiate the necessities to operate, li,e larger housing organi#ations such as the %alifa- %ousing Authority. 3eing unable to buy materials and equipment outright, and at a greatly reduced rate, when dealing with economies of scale, leaves Tawaa, i+ a situation of ma,ing tough choices. All this whiles trying to provide acceptable standards in housing. These very challenges ma,e it e-tremely difficult for Tawaa, %ousing to maintain quality, affordable housing. )n +ova *cotia alone, the incident of poor housing conditions among Aboriginals, is one of the highest in "anada, in comparison to non Aboriginals. Again, in +ova *cotia, the incident of severe rent burden is F= for Aboriginals compared to non Aboriginals at <=. 4 see appendi- for charts5 This means that affordability for rent is reached by paying <;= or more of oneKs income for shelter. This affordability gap is the highest for Aboriginals, whose incomes, especially Aboriginal women, are the lowest among all demographics nation wide and in +ova *cotia. $hile Tawaa, does have clients who have been with them for as much as twenty years, a large portion of Tawaa,Ks clientele are highly mobile. $ith this information in mind, it is quite important that Tawaa, %ousing has the ability to provide safe and standardi#ed housing, without sacrificing rent burden. $ith not only given the means to access higher subsidy regimes but also the ability to form new partnerships with governments, the private sector and other housing initiativesL to increase Tawaa,Ks

purchasing power in achieving the economies of scale, that is available to larger social housing initiatives. The Aboriginal population is the largest growing demographic in "anada. $ith < = of the population :< years or younger, by :;:9, the Aboriginal population in "anada will increase by an estimated 9F=, in comparison to the non Aboriginal population, which is e-pected to increase by B:=. This means that by :;:9, C!= of the registered, Aboriginal population, will reside in urban areas across "anada. )n +ova *cotia, the Aboriginal population is e-pected to add on an estimated J , !<; people. "onsidering the Aboriginal population in +ova *cotia comprises of := of the total population, this is a tremendous increase. %owever, this figure does not include the amount of Aboriginals who are not indigenous to +ova *cotia. 'very year the amount of Aboriginals who migrate to +ova *cotia from other parts of "anada increases more and more. 1nfortunately, there are no statistics to support this trend at the moment. These figures also do not include the amount of non registered Aboriginals, who statistically slightly out number the amount of registered Aboriginals. These dramatic increases in the Aboriginal population overall, will put a tremendous burden on the e-isting housing initiatives across "anada, including Tawaa, %ousing. At the moment, Tawaa, %ousing does not have the capacity or the funds to accommodate e-isting demands for Aboriginal housing in +ova *cotia. %opefully in the years to come, the three levels of governments will recogni#e this need and will develop appropriate policies to address the issue before it becomes an e-ercise in crisis management. As mentioned earlier, being Aboriginal.has its unique challenges. This is not an easy thing to convey to the non Aboriginal public, and government departments and agencies. Trying to hold on to one6s culture and identity in an ever changing geological and societal landscape, is enough to put an uneasy strain on anyone. 3eing Aboriginal is not .ust saying you are 0i6,maq, "ree, or %aida, it is about a people6s or individual6s story and how people and individuals fit into those on going stories in perspective to the land, their culture, the communities and the spiritual bond that provides the glue, which ma,es everything wor, as a whole. %owever, 9;; hundred years of institutional and societal racism has done much to dissolve that spiritual bond which has ,ept many nations whole. )t is literally unimaginable to describe what Aboriginals have faced since first contact. $ith few e-ceptions, one can go to any reserve and see clear evidence of this. Alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, physical and se-ual abuse, and suicides, appear more often than not, in this multi generational fall out which has been quite deliberate in trying to unravel the Aboriginal consciousness. 0any of our clients carry the burden of these social problems. The degree and magnitude of such social problems has a profound effect on Tawaa,6s operations, and in our client6s ability to live somewhat normal lives. Often these effects are not only monetary as far as operating costs are concern, but they also have a psychological effect as well. Our client6s can be .obless, poverty stric,en, have addiction issues, mental health issues, or lac, the basic life s,ills to help them ma,e the proper choices to help themselves and improve the lives of those around them. Tawaa, %ousing goes beyond the minimal standards that are e-pected of a landlord. Our clients sometimes come to us with no place to stay, no furniture, or food, and in some cases, with .ust the clothes on their bac,s. $e try to provide our clients with the basic necessities as often as we are financially capable of, and if need be, a much needed hug and a compassionate voice of encouragement. Tawaa,6s main priority is to try and help

,eep our clients housed as long as possible, while at the same time, operating within the finite limits of solvent business practices. "O+"L1*)O+ Tawaa, %ousing has been in the business of providing off reserve housing to Aboriginals for over J! years. The idea of social housing for those who cannot afford the high cost of mar,et valued housing has been a long time coming for everyone, not .ust Aboriginals. )t is Tawaa, %ousing6s hope that in the spirit of the advent of the social housing movement, that it can secure its successful longevity, in providing urban housing for "anada6s and +ova *cotia6s growing Aboriginal population. Tawaa, %ousing6s clients are in a unique position that requires, as the previous facts point to, a more committed approach that requires both fiscal support and political will. )t is hoped that Tawaa, %ousing will be given the opportunity to build new relationships with the organi#ation6s e-isting partners, to provide the necessary outcomes, that will benefit both parties in meeting their goals, .ust as the 0i6,maq did 9;; hundred years ago, when they offered their hands to their brothers and sisters from across the Atlantic, in peace and in friendship.