homelessness

The Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George (AHSPG) reports that subsidized housing and housing subsidies it provides through a partnership with BC Housing are set to expire on March 31, 2028, with no confirmation on whether the agreements will be renewed.

The project has several players: the City of Castlegar provided the land, BC Housing is providing funding, and the Lu’ma Native Housing Society will be the owner/operator.

“On Hornby Island, the shortage of affordable and secure year-round rental housing has created real challenges for the workers, families, seniors and other individuals who are essential to the fabric of a healthy community. These safe, affordable homes will provide greater housing stability for people with low-to-moderate incomes, including members of K’ómoks First Nation, while…

Observed annually, May 5th is National Day of Awareness and Remembrance, honouring lives lost and raising awareness of the disproportionate violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people across Canada. AHMA’s Indigenous Gender-Based Violence Housing Strategy emphasizes that safe, affordable, and culturally appropriate housing is a critical and often overlooked part of the solution.

The Chief Leonard George building reflects what Indigenous housing can look like when culture, sustainability and community are built together from the beginning. This development creates safe, affordable homes, while honouring Indigenous design and creating space for families to remain connected to culture, community and one another.

This one-time BC Housing grant supports non-profit housing providers responding to the urgent needs of survivors of gender-based violence. It aligns with AHMA’s anti-gender-based violence housing strategy by strengthening the capacity to provide culturally responsive, survivor-centred housing approaches. 

What does it take to ensure Indigenous communities have access to homes that are healthy, energy-efficient, and resilient to a changing climate?

The Community and Indigenous Housing Funds are essential – they were established to keep people housed, safe, and healthy. AHMA members alone have lost 24 projects, almost 2,000 units of affordable homes that will not be built. This is unfathomable as families struggle to survive.

“These supports are often the difference between stability and displacement for low-income renters, seniors, people with disabilities, and Indigenous people. When rent supports disappear faster than new housing is built, vulnerable people fall through the cracks, and pressure shifts to shelters, emergency services and health-care systems.”

AHMA argues that investing in housing solutions also provides measurable economic benefits, citing research suggesting every dollar spent on supportive housing can generate nearly $7 in social return and up to $3 dollars in government savings through reduced demand on emergency and social services.

“It is encouraging to see both tenant and worker wellness prioritized within supportive housing. AHMA housing and service providers apply a trauma-informed lens, which we want to see reflected in decisions that will meaningfully respond to the realities and distinct context of Indigenous tenants and workers.” – Margaret Pfoh, CEO, Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) 

The latest intake of the BC Community Housing Fund would have poured more than $775 million into the province’s non-market housing sector. Despite homelessness rising in 60 per cent of BC communities surveyed, advocates also pointed to a shift in government funding that prioritizes “near-market” affordability over those that have a deep, chronic need for…

The Housing Central partners acknowledge that today’s provincial budget reflects the challenging fiscal environment we live in. At the same time, it’s disappointing that BC Budget 2026 scales back investments into community housing when the need for affordable housing is more critical than ever. 

“I definitely am proud,” Pfoh said. “Receiving this Reconciliation Award is an affirmation of the work that our people have been taking up all across, not just in the not-for-profit housing and supportive services, but in First Nations, in Métis Nations, in the Inuit communities.”

Thank you to all of our current sponsors! Sponsorship opportunities are available until April 28, 2026. Read more about our current sponsors through the link.

Backed by provincial funding, the Rental Protection Fund was created as a partnership between the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Co-operative Housing Federation BC, and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association.

AHMA’s Op-Ed, “Housing is reconciliation: why Canada must prioritize Indigenous housing,” was featured in The Hill Times, highlighting the need for action on Indigenous housing.

The British Columbia Reconciliation Award recognizes individuals, groups and organizations who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity, respect and commitment to furthering reconciliation or inspired others to continue reconciliation efforts. 

The Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) and Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that affirms a shared commitment to advancing affordable, safe, and culturally appropriate housing for Métis people across British Columbia, while strengthening pathways to improved health and well-being.

A $600,000 three-year grant to the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), an umbrella organization that supports 48 Indigenous housing and service providers across B.C. The grant will support AHMA members in managing their building portfolios and identifying retrofit opportunities across their housing stock, including projects that cut emissions and upgrade homes for climate resilience.

In 2025, AHMA contributed to research, reports, and engagement to further Urban Indigenous housing rights. A full list of 2025 highlights is available here.

 Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society (FNAFS) and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) are pleased to share news of an important project that will benefit the Fort Nelson community and reflect our shared commitment to safe, sustainable, and culturally respectful housing.

AqantⱠanam Housing Society (AHS) and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) are pleased to share news of an important project that will benefit the Cranbrook community and reflect our shared commitment to safe, sustainable, and culturally respectful housing.

Investing in Healthy Energy Homes is cost-effective. Every dollar invested in Indigenous housing can provide a social return on investment of around $6.79, including an estimated $3.12 in government savings, according to the (B.C.) Aboriginal Housing Management Association.

“BC Indigenous Housing Society is honored to be part of this historic project on Expo Boulevard. A 29-storey, 299-unit building dedicated to Indigenous families and individuals represents more than new housing, it represents justice, belonging, and a future where Indigenous people can thrive in the heart of their own homelands. This development reflects what is…

HART’s assessment tools have already saved municipalities an estimated $6 million over the last year. A new Indigenous-led Housing Needs Assessment Tool, co-developed with the Aboriginal Housing Management Association and the First Nations Health Authority, could save smaller communities thousands more while improving local housing data. 

“This report reinforces the principle that housing is healthcare and advocates for holistic, culturally grounded solutions. It reinforces AHMA’s mission to provide a ‘For Indigenous, by Indigenous’ approach to housing. The report provides evidence that long-term, flexible investments in energy-efficient, climate-resilient homes deliver health, social, and economic co-benefits. By framing housing as a determinant of…

The Committee considered a report on a proposed resolution from the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), which is seeking to create an Indigenous-led multi-sector alliance to address Indigenous housing and homelessness. 

In British Columbia, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association has identified 11 shovel-ready projects, totalling 764 units that can proceed immediately with federal investment, and has demonstrated a social return on investment of approximately $6.79 for every dollar invested in Indigenous housing, underscoring the high social and economic value of Indigenous-led delivery models.

“We welcome the Government of Canada’s renewed commitment to Indigenous housing in Budget 2025. At the same time, we must note that many of these commitments reflect longstanding obligations announced in Budget 2023 that remain undelivered. This work must be advanced now to achieve timely, credible progress on affordability, supply, and reconciliation.”

As new human-rights reports on gendered homelessness are delivered to federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson on how Canada is not meeting its obligations on the right to housing for women, Two-Spirit, trans and gender-diverse people, lived experts and advocates from BC and across Canada are calling on him to meaningfully commit to ending the housing…

Behind every statistic is a story of a woman or child forced to choose between violence and homelessness. To confront this crisis, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association has launched its Gender-Based Violence Housing Strategy, an Indigenous-led initiative to ensure survivors have safe, culturally grounded, and permanent housing.

Indigenous people in Cranbrook and Fort Nelson will soon have access to 45 affordable homes as two Indigenous-led housing redevelopments move forward. The projects, led by ʔAqantⱠanam Housing Society in Cranbrook and Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society in Fort Nelson, are expected to break ground in spring 2026. Demolitions will start in January 2026. These redevelopments…

“The housing crisis we continue to face on the front lines demands a united response from every level of government and across the entire housing sector,” said AHMA CEO Margaret Pfoh. “At the 2025 Housing Central Conference, we look forward to engaging with experts, partners, and industry leaders to advance solutions and strengthen advocacy for…

The $2.8B in URN funding promised in 2022, and reconfirmed in this budget, was designated for urban Indigenous housing and service providers. We are relying on the federal government to recognize the tireless work and expertise of AHMA members, who can deliver solutions at the speed, scope, and scale this housing crisis demands.

Upon seeing the specifics provided in yesterday’s budget, we know there are further resources needed to truly catalyse affordable housing in a way that addresses the scale and urgency of the need.  In addition, we are disappointed that the URN Indigenous-led organizations that are serving Indigenous people living in urban areas (more than 80% of the Indigenous population) are not yet…

For generations, people built strong, healthy homes from wood. Think of log and timber-frame houses that still feel solid a century later. Wood helps hold a steady temperature and balances indoor moisture, and many people say wood interiors simply feel better to live with. This long track record created deep trust in wood as a…

“We raise our hands to the incredible work of AHMA member Citaapi Mahtii for forming their Indigenous-led housing society and building culturally grounded urban housing, mainly for Ahousaht First Nation members who need to live closer to health care and community services. We look to support more exceptional accomplishments like this across B.C.”

“This would provide real opportunity for our communities to thrive,” said Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association.

After another season of record heat, wildfires and some wild weather, the BC Retrofit Accelerator (BCRA) is seeing strong uptake, with climate and energy upgrades in hundreds of large residential and commercial buildings across the province.

Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, said government-led, non-Indigenous approaches have consistently failed to reduce Indigenous overrepresentation in homelessness. As a result, involving Indigenous communities to take the lead in designing and delivering housing supports that are culturally appropriate is key. “This would provide real opportunity for our communities to thrive,” she…

The Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) are proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Partnership, strengthening their shared commitment to advancing the rights, wellbeing, and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia.

On Monday, September 29, 2025, BCREA and several coalition partners hosted a press conference to make an urgent call for a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable. 

Nuutsumuut Lelum, a Passive House-certified townhouse complex in Nanaimo owned and operated by the Island Urban Indigenous Wellness Society (IUIWS), where heat pumps were installed in the amenity room and two housing units, providing essential cooling during the spring and summer.

The Indigenous Youth Housing Strategy presents a suite of For Indigenous Youth, By Indigenous Youth (FIYBIY) housing models. “We need to create culturally safe, supportive options for YIPs to live their best lives,” said Bailey Waukey. “The way to do this is by empowering young Indigenous people to be part of the process.” 

In the face of a very unstable economic and environmental outlook, it is critically important to ensure public wellness, safety and stability —all of which are improved through housing. AHMA would like to ensure that the housing needs of Indigenous people living off reserve are considered in the 2025 federal budget. 

“AHMA members – who operate the majority of dedicated urban Indigenous housing in B.C. – are facing increasing funding shortfalls that threaten their ability to meet the growing needs of their communities”

The FHA’s Annual Report urges the federal government to take proactive interventions that prioritize affordability, stability, and human rights in housing and homelessness policies. The Advocate continues to focus on encampments, Indigenous housing, housing for youth, and accessible housing for seniors and people with disabilities.

With the support of our partners, AHMA has submitted this three part, evidence-based request to address the urgent and rising housing and service needs of Urban Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia. 

In partnership with the First Nations Health Authority and the University of British Columbia, AHMA was successful in a national funding bid and will now take a lead role in building an Indigenous-led Housing Needs Assessment Tool for BC.

Housing Central Partners state that “safe, affordable housing provides the foundation for physical, mental, economic and community well-being, and requires spending by and collaboration among all levels of government to protect what we have and to make more of it.”

The upcoming federal election presents a crucial opportunity to push for real solutions to Canada’s housing crisis. CHRA, in partnership with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, Habitat for Humanity Canada, and the Canadian Real Estate Association, have launched a joint campaign to make community housing a top election issue.

Margaret Pfoh, part of the Indigenous Caucus of the non-profit Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, is among housing advocates urging the federal government to start delivering $2.8 billion in funding promised to Indigenous housing providers as part of the Urban, Rural and Northern (URN) Indigenous Housing Strategy. The yet-to-be-formed National Indigenous Housing Centre is supposed…

“This report reinforces the principle that housing is healthcare and advocates for holistic, culturally-grounded solutions. It reinforces AHMA’s mission to provide a ‘For Indigenous, by Indigenous’ approach to housing. The report provides evidence that long-term, flexible investments in energy-efficient, climate-resilient homes deliver health, social, and economic co-benefits. By framing housing as a determinant of health…

“Combining culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care with safe, secure housing is essential in helping Indigenous women heal and rebuild their lives,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “These new complex-care housing units offer the supports needed to help people stabilize and improve their well-being, all under one roof and for as long as they need.”

We hope to see an equitable portion of the HEART and HEARTH dollars in BC Budget 2025 designated for Indigenous-led housing societies, that successfully work on the frontline of preventing homelessness with trauma-informed solutions.

To date, the government has made a series of first step investments into an Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, but they fall far short of their own National Housing Council’s recommendations to meet the true need. To make matters worse, not one single dollar of the $2.8 billion committed in the 2023 federal…

Housing Central is a formal partnership between BC Non-Profit Housing Association and the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC. Together, we support and advocate for the community housing sector so that all British Columbians have a safe, secure home they can afford. We are co-located in our Vancouver office, sharing resources and knowledge to better serve each…