Indigenous

The information and resources here are intended to support your efforts to understand and respond to Indigenous homelessness.

Indigenous homelessness Resources

See below for links to information, Indigenous program approaches, community plans, and Indigenous specific homelessness response program examples.  Remember, you can also always search on the Homeless Hub and the Homelessness Learning Hub for further information.

Keep checking back here as we will be regularly updating materials and adding further resources.

information

• Indigenous Definition of Homelessness (COH)
• Considerations for Engagement with Indigenous People (AWH) – From the Youth Homelessness Planning Toolkit
• Aboriginal Homelessness – Point in Time Count Toolkit (COH, 2017)
• Fostering Aboriginal Partnerships and Cultural Competency During Your Point-in-Time Count (COH, 2018)
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
• Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice
• Jesse Thistle:
  • Video – Jesse Thistle – Culture Has the Power to Heal (33 min)
  • Back Into the Circle: Q&A With Jess Thistle Blog (CAEH, 2019)
  • From the Ashes – Book

Indigenous program approaches

• Revisioning Coordinated Access: Fostering Indigenous Best Practices Towards a Wholistic Systems Approach to Homelessness (SPRC Hamilton & COH, 2020)
• Pekiwewin (Coming Home): Advancing Good Relations with Indigenous People Experiencing Homelessness (CMSH, 2020) – 2 page journal article with eight key points including four protocols to be followed by health and social service providers: 1) situating one’s self, 2) keeoukaywin (visiting), 3) hospitality, and 4) treat
  people as you would treat your own relative.
• Indigenous Case Management Model: Adapting Housing First for Youth for Indigenous Youth (HF4Y) – video (10 min)
• Localized Approaches To Ending Homelessness: Indigenizing Housing First (Institute of Urban Studies University of Winnipeg, 2019)
• Localizing Housing First as a Culturally Responsive Approach to Understanding and Addressing Urban Indigenous Homelessness (Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network, 2018)
• Indigenous Harm Reduction: Reducing the Harms of Colonialism Policy Brief (Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development, 2019)
• A Summary of Indigenous Housing and Case Management Engagement Sessions (Calgary, 2019)
• Trauma-Informed Practice with Indigenous People Across the Life Span – 1 hour webinar (VAW Learning Network, Thompson River University, May 2017))

community plans

• Giwetashkad Indigenous Homelessness Strategic Plan (Atlohsa, 2020) – a three year plan to to reduce Indigenous homelessness in London, ON
• Meeting in the Middle: Engagement Strategy and Action Plan (Toronto, 2018) – Co-developed by the City of Toronto Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (SSHA) Division and the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC)
• Finding Safe Spaces and Services: A Community Action Plan to Address Indigenous Homelessness in Halton (Halton Community Legal Services, 2018)
• Plan to End Aboriginal Homelessness in Calgary (2012)

CAEH National conference on ending homelessness INDIgenous stream presentations

• Building Community & Indigenous Governance (2018)
• The healing journey process: learning from the life stories of Indigenous women having experienced homelessness in Montreal (2018)
• The Right to Housing For First Nations Communities On Reserve (2018)
• Indigenous Independent Housing (2018)
• Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (2018)
• Victoria Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness (2017)

Examples of community programs

Edmonton:

• Nikihk Aboriginal Housing First – Bent Arrow Housing Society
• Housing First Program – Native Counselling Services of Alberta
• Oskapewis/Indigenous Cultural Helper Program
  • Educational Helper at Homeward Trust Edmonton – contact karmstrong@homewardtrust.ca 
  • The Indigenous Cultural Helper Program: Report of Research Findings (2018) 
• Housing First in Edmonton Nikihk Housing/Homeward Trust (COH, 2013) – Chapter from Housing First in Canada book
• Perspectives on the Housing First Program with Indigenous Participants (Homeward Trust, 2011)

 

Hamilton:

• Homeward Bound: De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre – see also July 2018 Hamilton Spectator article
• Endaayaang Youth Housing First: Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (Nov 2017) and an update article (Jan 2019) – one of 12 “A Way Home-Making the Shift “demonstration projects over 2017-2019) – Endaayaang Navigator – amasters@hric.ca 

 

North Bay:

• Suswin Housing First Program – North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (CAEH18 presentation)

 

Ottawa: 

• Wabano Housing First Program Ottawa

 

Winnipeg:

• A Place to Call Home: Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre
• Localizing Housing First as a Culturally Responsive Approach to Understanding and Addressing Urban Indigenous Homelessness (Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network, 2018)
• Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY) – Incorporating Indigenous Teachings Helps Youth Succeed (Parity, 2019)

 

Vancouver – RainCity Housing:

• Cultural Safety Working Group
• Indigenous Cultural Services