A local First Nation community will now be able to house six more families on-reserve. This comes just days after the province of BC provides multi-million dollar funding for on- and off-reserve housing for Indigenous communities.
Kwakiutl First Nation, located at what is called Tsakis village along the North Island, was granted $1.2 million in funding to go towards six new houses on-reserve.
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| Kwakiutl First Nation’s Facebook post announcing the provincial funding. |
The six anticipated houses came after the nation broke ground on a housing duplex project. On Oct. 1, “we broke ground and started the new construction for the Elder’s housing duplex; the first new houses built in over 20 years here at Fort Rupert,” the nation’s release stated.
“We look forward to the completion of the project and working on more housing projects.”
The band administration may have plans to build more homes as these six houses are completed. The second call for proposals will take place in 2020.
RELATED: B.C invests in 1,100 new homes for Indigenous residents
Over the next 10 years, the province expects 1,750 new homes built to address social and housing needs for Indigenous communities. The projects were part of the province’s 30-point housing plan, which was first launched in this year’s provincial budget.
$76 million will go toward 367 on-reserve units and $155 million for 776 off-reserve housing. The projects were selected through a request for proposals, continued the online BC news release, which recently closed on Oct. 5.
“The first set of homes selected through the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund includes nearly 780 off-reserve homes and close to 370 homes on-reserve,” stated the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Nov. 24 press release.
A total of 30 projects and 1,143 new homes are underway as BC provides millions in funding to nearly 30 First Nations, among those are two local Indigenous communities, including Gwa’sala-‘Nakwa’xada’xw Nation – which received $4.8 million for 24 new homes.
The Gazette has reached out to Kwakiutl First Nation’s band administration for comment and waits on a response, but will include more details as they are made available.
