VICTORIA - More Indigenous people will soon have new affordable rental homes on and off reserve as the Province is inviting Indigenous housing providers, First Nations and other Indigenous organizations to submit proposals for the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF).

"In 2018, we became the first province in Canada to invest in First Nations' housing on reserve, a federal jurisdiction," said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. "With this latest call for proposals, we're proud to be building on that work and partnering with the Indigenous housing sector to ensure Indigenous people everywhere in B.C. have access to the safe and affordable housing they need. This is one of the ways we are moving forward on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in B.C."

The IHF provides approximately $1.8 billion to build 3,500 new homes for Indigenous families, individuals and Elders, on and off reserve. To date, more than 1,500 IHF homes are open or underway throughout B.C.

BC Housing will accept proposals for the IHF until April 30, 2024, to ensure adequate time for applicants to prepare submissions. The proposals will be evaluated and projects totalling approximately 1,200 units are expected to be announced by summer 2024. Projects will be prioritized based on several criteria, including residential and regional housing needs.

"The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) welcomes and fully appreciates the announcement from the Province that new affordable homes will soon be available for First Nations," said Grand Chief Stewart Philip, UBCIC. "There remains much work to do and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs is committed to working with the Ministry of Housing, as they carry out their Declaration Act Action Plan commitments in ensuring that all First Nations have a safe and affordable place to call home."

Indigenous non-profit housing providers, First Nations, other Indigenous organizations, and non-profit and for-profit developers wanting to partner with Indigenous organizations and First Nations interested in creating new affordable rental units for Indigenous people are encouraged to submit their housing proposals and apply for funding.

To assist with housing proposals, a new application form and process is available for non-profit societies, housing co-ops, municipal housing providers, First Nations and Indigenous governments to apply for early access to project-development funding. This funding is for organizations that need additional financial or operational support to advance their affordable housing project such as hiring an architect or design consultant to create a more fully formed and competitive proposal. The IHF is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has more than 77,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway.

Quick Facts:

• This is the second request for proposals (RFP) for the Indigenous Housing Fund. The first RFP was announced in November 2018.
• In June 2018, the Province announced an investment of approximately $550 million over 10 years to build and operate 1,750 units of social housing for Indigenous people, both on and off reserve.
• The Province invested an additional $1.3 billion through Budget 2023 to double the number of IHF spaces, bringing the total to 3,500.
• In addition to the Indigenous Housing Fund, Indigenous housing providers are encouraged to submit proposals to all Building BC funding programs.

Learn More:

To learn about Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/projects-partners/Building-BC/IHF

For information about IHF Request for Proposals, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/IHF-RFP

To learn about about Project Development Fund, visit: https://www.bchousing.org/projects- partners/funding-opportunities/project-development-fund

To learn about government's new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/