Indigenous-Led Housing Needs Assessment Tool

About IHNAT

The Indigenous-led Housing Needs Assessment Tool (IHNAT) is an interactive data tool that helps users explore housing needs, gaps, and solutions for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people living in urban, rural, and northern communities across British Columbia.

Indigenous communities continually demonstrate strength and resilience in responding to the ongoing impacts of colonization, intergenerational trauma, and systemic barriers. These lived realities shape distinct housing needs that are often excluded from mainstream plans, research, and policy decisions. Developed by AHMA, in partnership with First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC), and UBC HART the Indigenous-led Housing Needs Assessment Tool (IHNAT) helps to tell a story about these systemic gaps and housing solutions through the available data.

IHNAT is grounded in the recognition that Indigenous people have inherent rights to housing, land, and self-determination. At the heart of this work is a recognition of our collective responsibility to create housing systems that reflect care, dignity, and belonging for all Indigenous people. IHNAT is offered as part of this shared journey by creating a space to learn, reflect, and move forward together.

IHNAT includes information related to Indigenous homelessness and other sensitive topics. Please use your own discretion and take good care of yourself as you navigate this data.  

View IHNAT here!

How we created IHNAT

How to navigate IHNAT

  • Select your geography. Use the map tool to search for and select the community, municipality, or region you want to explore. Once you select a geography, IHNAT will show information connected to that area, including First Nations whose territories intersect with the selected boundary, Métis Chartered Communities, and Indigenous housing and service organizations. 
  • Move through the tabs. Click through each tab to explore different parts of the housing story, including population, households, income, dwellings, rental market conditions, housing need, homelessness, service access, growth, and housing targets.
  • Read the context. Each section includes short explanations to help you understand what the data shows, why it matters, and what limitations to keep in mind.
  • Use the toggle options. Where available, use the toggle to compare Indigenous and non-Indigenous data. Some tables also allow distinctions-based views for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit data.
  • Export the data. Use the export function to download data for your selected geography. This can support local planning, reports, advocacy, funding applications, and community discussions.
  • Interpret with care. IHNAT uses available data, but it does not capture the full picture of Indigenous housing need. Hidden homelessness, mobility between communities, cultural safety, overcrowding, and local priorities may not be fully reflected. Use the data alongside community knowledge, Indigenous-led engagement, and relationships with local First Nations, Métis Chartered Communities, Inuit communities, and Indigenous organizations.
  • Use the tool as a starting point for action. IHNAT can help identify housing gaps, compare local conditions, and support conversations about what types of housing, services, and investments are needed.

Before you begin

Before exploring IHNAT, please take a moment to review the information below:

  • IHNAT is designed as a starting point to support informed decisions and is intended to complement community knowledge. This tool brings together key data points to better understand housing needs for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people living in urban, rural, and northern communities. Meaningful collaboration with local First Nations and Indigenous-led organizations is crucial to truly understanding and addressing the needs in your region, and analyzing the data with a culturally appropriate lens. 
  • The data presented here draws from sources such as the Census and administrative datasets, and we recognize these sources do not fully reflect Indigenous realities. Many experiences are not fully captured, including hidden homelessness, mobility between communities, and culturally grounded housing needs.
  • The absence of data is not absence of need. Where data is missing, suppressed, unavailable, or based on small numbers, this should not be interpreted as an absence of need. Many Indigenous housing experiences are not fully captured in the available datasets.
  • Territory and geography should be interpreted with care. The geographic boundaries used in IHNAT, such as municipalities, census subdivisions, and regions, are colonial administrative boundaries. These boundaries do not reflect Indigenous jurisdiction, territorial governance, or community relationships. Territorial and organizational information is provided as a starting point for reflection and should be interpreted alongside direct engagement and local protocols.
View IHNAT here!

For any questions or comments, please reach out to ahmapolicy@ahma-bc.org. This dashboard was created in collaboration with Licker Geospatial, who can be reached for further questions regarding dashboard functionality and design.

IHNAT was led by AHMA and received funding from CMHC under the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund. The views, analysis, interpretations, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CMHC.