INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE REPORT

The report identifies systemic barriers to climate-resilient Indigenous housing in Canada, rooted in colonial policies and exacerbated by funding gaps and capacity constraints. It highlights the disproportionate risk First Nations face from flooding, wildfire, and permafrost thaw, while recommending a shift toward prevention-focused funding, modernized building codes, and the integration of Indigenous Knowledge.

• Colonial policies, including the Indian Act and forced relocations, have left First Nations reserves disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards, often situated on subpar lands that are highly vulnerable to flooding and wildfire.
• First Nation reserve lands face a significantly higher risk of flooding than other Canadian communities, with 91.4% of reserves exposed to flooding over a 100-year return period.
• First Nation on-reserve communities are at a much higher risk of wildfire (18.9%) compared to the non-reserve population (2.9%), with remote Nations facing additional challenges in monitoring and response.
• In Northern Canada, melting permafrost causes buildings to shift and settle, with estimated damage costs potentially reaching $30 to $38 million per year by mid-century if adaptation measures are not taken.
• A severe housing gap exists for First Nations, with the estimated cost to close it tripling to $135 billion to account for climate change adaptation, energy efficiency, and maintenance.
• Federal funding for Indigenous housing is often reactive and inflexible, with the Auditor General reporting that the government spends 3.5 times more on emergency response and recovery than on prevention and preparedness.
• Capacity barriers, including high staff turnover and a lack of internal expertise, force many First Nations to rely on external contractors, which reduces community self-reliance and agency.
• There is a significant gap in knowledge mobilization, where technical research and climate-resilient building tools exist but are often inaccessible or not shared with the people working on the ground in First Nations.
• Successful resilience strategies include 'train-the-trainer' programs to build internal capacity and the use of cultural burns to manage landscapes and reduce wildfire fuel loads.
• The report recommends modernizing the National Building Code of Canada to integrate physical climate-resilience measures and shifting toward direct-transfer funding to support Indigenous self-determination.

APA

Shute, J., Gamble, A., & Dieleman, A. (2024). INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE REPORT. Canadian Climate Institute. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CCI_IndigenousHousingAndClimateResilience.pdf

Chicago

Shute, Jeremy, Alison Gamble, and Andrew Dieleman. INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE REPORT. Canadian Climate Institute, 2024. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CCI_IndigenousHousingAndClimateResilience.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shute |first1=Jeremy |last2=Gamble |first2=Alison |last3=Dieleman |first3=Andrew |title=INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE REPORT |publisher=Canadian Climate Institute |date=15 January 2024 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CCI_IndigenousHousingAndClimateResilience.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shute2024indigenous, author = {Shute, Jeremy and Gamble, Alison and Dieleman, Andrew}, title = {{INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE REPORT}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CCI_IndigenousHousingAndClimateResilience.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }