Homelessness, Urban Aboriginal People, and the Need for a National Enumeration

Abstract

Abstract:The growing rate of urban Aboriginal homelessness is a concern in Canada, yet, to date, no

Examining the Urban Aboriginal Policy Gap: Impacts on Service Delivery for Mobile Urban Aboriginal Peoples in Winnipeg, Canada

“…Although mobility may at times challenge service provision (Clatworthy and Norris 2007), adequate service programming and delivery are also hampered by factors beyond mobility-specifically, by a policy environment that is still rooted in colonial structures that, despite the growth of successful urban self-governing Aboriginal community organizations and networks, treats Aboriginal peoples as outsiders in cities (Peters 2005). In this way, government programming is not sustainable, as it disregards the call for Aboriginal self-determination and seldom recognizes Aboriginal peoples as co-creators at the policy table (Belanger, Awosoga, and Weasal Head 2013;Walker 2005). Federal, provincial, and municipal governments rarely agree upon financial responsibility for care, resulting in a "policy patchwork" rife with jurisdictional ambiguities and a lack of Aboriginal-specific policy (Lavoie et al 2011).…”

“…Although urbanization is by no means a recent phenomenon, adequate transitional supports, including housing, remain a key issue for recent Aboriginal migrants and movers. Housing is of particular significance, as housing distress may drive higher rates of mobility (Belanger, Awosoga, and Weasal Head 2013), and yet the federal government has for decades neglected the housing needs of the Aboriginal population seeking to establish itself in the city, and has focused rather on reserve-based housing (Belanger, Weasal Head, and Awosoga 2012). Internationally, it has been argued that urban service providers have difficulties meeting the transitional needs of mobile Indigenous populations, largely due to complications in providing continuous and adequate care to non-stationary populations (Clatworthy and Norris 2007;CMHC 2002;Prout and Yap 2010;Taylor 1998).…”

Domicide and Indigenous Homelessness1 in Canada

“…The AFN and researchers have called for an enumeration of Indigenous people who are homeless but no action has been taken (Belanger,Awosoga,& Weasel Head, 2013). The federal government has not been readily supporting the collection of the data that will empirically prove the visible evidence behind the dire narratives of the housing crises in Indigenous communities.…”

“…Authors of the most comprehensive analysis published at the time of writing this paper calculated that on any one night, about 6.97% of urban Indigenous people are considered to be homeless; or 1-in-15 urban Indigenous people. This is compared with 0.78% or one of 128 settler Canadians (Belanger, Awosoga, & Weasel Head, 2013). Belanger et al made these calculations based on a series of educated estimates, and they make a strong case that a comprehensive enumeration of Indigenous homelessness is urgently required.…”

Being Homeless and Becoming Housed: The Interplay of Fateful Moments and Social Support in Neo-liberal Context

“…Although there is considerable diversity among persons who are homeless, Aboriginal peoples and queer youth are disproportionately represented (Belanger, Awosoga & Head, 2013; City of Toronto, 2013). In some cities and regions such as the Greater Toronto Area and Peel Region, the number of persons absolutely homeless continues to grow (City of Toronto, 2013;Daiski, Halifax, Mitchell & Lyn, 2012).…”