Regional Tripartite Housing Committee Minutes Meeting of February 13 2013

Regional Tripartite Housing Committee Minutes Meeting of February 13 2013 In Attendance: Diane McGregor. AFNQL Madeleine Paul, AFNQL Guy Latouche, AFNQL Rémy Bastien, AFNQL Bruce Labrador, AANDC André Dansereau, AANDC Steven Bonspile, CMHC Pierre Bélanger, CMHC Jean Rattelle, CMHC Absent: Jacques Giroux, AANDC Facilitator Guy Latouche Summary of Actions Action 1 ( ref. action plan the issue of health and safety) Radon file: AANDC will send out awareness messages to the First Nations (reminder of Health Canada and National Building Code s campaign). Action 2 ( ref. action plan the issue of management) The option of loan refinancing for the renovation of housing units under section 95 will bring CMHC and AANDC to jointly assess the effects of such a measure. Action 3 ( ref. action plan the issue of funding allocation) The allocation model will be updated in accordance with the most recent housing needs data (2012) as they become available. Action 4 ( ref. action plan the issue of capacity building) It was decided to entrust the FNHRDCQ with a complementary mandate which will allow them to meet with the organizations that provide training services to the First Nations. The aim is to assess their interest in delivering the two proposed programs (an AEC in operation techniques and an AEC in management). CMHC will prepare the terms of reference which will be submitted for review to the Capacity Building Working Group. Action 5 ( ref. action plan the issue of research and development) The R & D Working Group will be holding a conference call and will propose a follow-up to the feasibility study about a HTRG. CMHC has received a proposal for a training seminar on the legal aspects of housing rentals. The document will be shared with the Working Group which in turn, will bring it up at its next conference call. At its next conference call, the Working Group will identify the projects that could be submitted to the Special Initiatives Fund (SIF), a program administered by AANDC s head office. Action 6 ( ref. action plan of previous years) It was decided to integrate the action plans of the previous years into the page of the RTHC on the AFNQL Website. Page 1 sur 6

Action 7 ( ref. 2013-2014 action plan) Each manager responsible for the issues will prepare a preliminary outline of the RTHC action plan for 2013-2014, in both languages. The plan will then be consolidated by André Dansereau, for approval by the 3 organizations. 1. Word of Welcome and Introduction After the welcoming greetings and the introduction of the attendees, the agenda of the Regional Tripartite Housing Committee (RTHC) is approved. 2. Follow-up on the actions of the last meeting The head office of the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) annulled the request for information on the presence of mould in First Nation housing. Instead, it will be Health Canada that will monitor the situation through the National Strategy to Address Mould in First Nation communities. The presence of the Health and Safety Working Group booth at the last regional meeting was much appreciated by the participants. The Management Working Group held several meetings or conference calls over the past months. The delay to submit the study on needs by the AFNQL was accepted by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). The Funding Allocation Working Group held 2 orientation sessions since the fall. The Research and Development Working Group transmitted its comments on the draft of the final report (study on a Housing Technical Resource Group) to the Mamuitun Tribal Council. The "My Home is my Tipi" teaching kits are not available in sufficient quantity for immediate dissemination. French Version English Version General Access The First Nations Education Council (FNEC) has shown a keen interest for this product and has secured from AANDC the necessary support to go ahead with the French translation and the adaptation of the kit. It is proposed that FNEC be supported in its efforts for the reproduction of the English version. Dissemination of this information will be discussed with FNEC, while bearing in mind that the other organizations must be contacted (ex. Institut Tshakapesh, Cree School Board), along with the members of the First Nations who attend the schools of the provincial network. 3. The National and Regional Levels CMHC From now on, considerable emphasis will be placed on the management of the housing portfolio under the program of section 95, effective at the beginning of the next fiscal year. The goal is to make sure the agreements between the First Nations and CMHC are respected. CMHC will apply the compliance criteria consistently throughout the country. Up until now, each region had its own approach. The First Nations will be assessed, and Page 2 sur 6

this will help determine the managerial aspects on which the improvement efforts must be focused. A level of risk will be assessed in this way. CMHC will support the First Nations in the production of the action plans designed to meet the compliance criteria with regard to management. CMHC has issued a press release on January 29 th announcing that, from now on, it will be possible for a First Nation to get a loan refinancing to carry out repair or renovation works which would likely prolong the useful life of a house under the program of section 95. The advantage is most certainly the access to a low interest rate (the rate of a direct loan) for the financing of the works. The risk, must in turn, be assessed on a case-by-case basis, because it entails a new ministerial loan, but also and especially a loan repayment without any CMHC contribution during 5, 10 or 15 years. AANDC The Deputy-Minister of AANDC will be visiting the Quebec Regional Office (QRO), on February 28 th. The QRO will take this opportunity to show him that Quebec s First Nations have increasingly relied on loans to finance their housing program. Quebec is one of the regions that rely the most on ministerial loans. This translates into an increased indebtedness of the First Nations to develop the housing program. Effective April 1 st 2013, Marie-Josée Boucher will replace Carole Sioui in the administration of AANDC s ministerial loan guarantees. She will be responsible to implement the newly-revised regulations. From now on, the First Nations will be responsible to validate and determine the solvency of an individual. This is an important responsibility. AANDC is looking into the possibility of offering the First Nation housing officers a training course on the changes affecting ministerial loan guarantees. In the winter of 2012, AANDC provided financial assistance to the community of Wendake by allocating an amount of aid that was placed in trust allowing for bond issue to finance a housing development in Wendake. This loan guarantee mechanism, developed by the Native Commercial Credit Corporation, might be an approach that could be exportable in other communities. A day-long seminar, under the theme "Rethinking access to housing in Aboriginal settlements and remote territories" will take place in April 2013. Organized by Concordia University, the activity is designed to rethink the access to housing in such a way as to make it a driving force for the economic and social development, one that is respectful of the environment and the nature. AANDC informs the Committee that the First Nations Firefighters Association (Quebec Region) carried out an assessment of the risk level for the First Nation brigades. It indicates that a lack of training is the main deficiency. AANDC already supports the training of firefighters. Steps have been taken with le Centre de développement de la formation et de la main-d'oeuvre (CDFM) of Wendake to provide training at the level of "Firefighter 1", at the rate of one individual per First Nation. A refresher course would then allow this individual to get the title of trainer and thus provide the training locally to his colleagues. AFNQL The head office of AANDC proposed to the National Housing Liaison Committee (AFN AANDC CMHC Health Canada) to submit project ideas that could be financed by the Special Initiative Fund (SIF). SIF explores a variety of ways to improve housing in First Nation communities. The projects must be of interest to the First Nations as a whole. The representative of AFNQL proposed the production of a compendium of good practices in housing across the country (management, rent collection, maintenance, etc.). You will recall that a few years ago, the RTHC had identified the production of such a compendium as an innovative project. Keeping in line with the National Housing Liaison Committee, one of the objectives of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is to bring the representatives of AANDC and other Page 3 sur 6

partners to work on a common strategic framework with a view to address the housing backlog in First Nation communities. This work should be undertaken at the beginning of the new fiscal year. The evaluation reports of the First Nations Market Housing Fund (FNMHF) produced by AANDC and CMHC illustrate the lack of activity in construction and renovation in relation to this loan guarantee mechanism (1 loan for a new construction and1 loan for renovation since 2008). Given these facts, the member Chiefs of the AFN Chiefs Committee on Housing and Infrastructure are of the opinion that there is a real threat that the Canadian government will recuperate the sum of 300 M $ invested in the Fund, and in the end, the First Nations would not have been able to benefit from it. AFN is monitoring this file very closely. The administrators of the FNMHF have relaxed their acceptance criteria for the First Nations in the capacity building activities. It is a prospective source of funds for the First Nations who wish to invest in the training of their housing staff. Bill C-400 is currently before Parliament. It is intended to tackle the crisis of homelessness and inadequate housing in Canada. The bill reaffirms that the access to adequate housing is a fundamental human right. It commits Canada to a strategy that will lead to the realization of this right. The Opposition Parties support the project. One thing alone is lacking, the support of a few Conservative M.P.s. 4. Follow-up on the action plan of the RTHC Following is an outline of the progress achieved regarding the eight (8) issues of the RTHC 2012-2013 action plan. #1) Health and Safety Mould file : actions have been taken; maintain the continuous follow-up of cooperation with the National Strategy. Radon file : a meeting of the partners was held in December; AANDC will be sending out awareness messages to the First Nations (reminder of Health Canada, National Building Code s campaign); CMHC has relevant information regarding the matter; This file is to be considered closed. Emergency measures file: the only thing left is the creation of a flow chart for the communication channel to be used in case of an event; this file should be closed afterwards. #2) Portfolio Management Discussions between AANDC and CMHC for the harmonization of their approaches took place, and will continue in the spring of 2013. The improvement of operational practices in the communities is the objective pursued. Measures that have been set out, have virtually all been implemented. An evaluation of the results of these concerted actions will be required in 1 year or 2. The option of loan refinancing for the renovation of housing units under section 95 will bring CMHC and AANDC to jointly assess the effects of such a measure. #3) Housing Needs The update of the AFNQL study on the First Nations housing needs is in progress. All the First Nations have been contacted. The data collection will continue during the months of February and March. A preliminary report is expected in May, and the final report will be submitted in September. #4) Punctual Housing Initiatives AANDC is preparing an updated version of the Regional On-Reserve Housing Approach (RORHA). The project charter was presented to the partners of the RTHC Page 4 sur 6

for recommendations. The revised charter will be presented in a near future to the management team of the Quebec Regional Office, and possibly to the AANDC head office, with the objective of receiving additional appropriations for housing projects in 2013-2014. Three issues are being targeted: 1- conversion of rental housing units into individual housing (private); 2- renovations; 3- expansions. #5) Funding Allocation Process The Funding Allocation Working Group held exchange meetings to examine the way funding, under section 95, is allocated. CMHC maintains its objective to maximize the number of units and to respond to the practical needs in social housing. The funding allocation model will be updated in accordance with the most recent data on housing needs (2012), as they become available. Residential Thickening is most certainly an avenue to explore in order to optimize the effects of the program, especially within the context where the regional budget decreases at the same time as the needs and construction costs increase. This topic will be considered further in 2013-2014. The large number of First Nations in financial difficulties, the enhancement of the overall performance, the First Nations which have no access to the program under the current formula and the renovation component included in the program of section 95, are other elements to be considered in the examination of allocations. The target date for a revised allocation model is April 1 st 2014. #6) Delivery of Commitments Announced at the Socioeconomic Forum The issue is at an end. #7) Capacity Building The First Nations Human Resource Development Commission of Quebec (FNHRDCQ) has included an appendix to its report on the development of a regional training strategy for its personnel working in the area of housing in First Nation communities. This appendix refers to the consultation process held at the last regional meeting on housing. It is decided to entrust the FNHRDCQ with a complementary mandate which will allow them to meet with the organizations that deliver training to First Nation communities. The aim is to assess their interest in delivering the two proposed programs (an AEC in operation techniques and an AEC in management). CMHC will draft the terms of reference which will be submitted to the Capacity Building Working Group for review. An interesting practice is to be disseminated in First Nation communities. Uashat mak Mani-Utenam has used the CMHC Internship Initiative Program to visit several houses. The visit helped determine if there was mould, and inform the occupants on the good practices of maintenance. The objective is to encourage the occupants to better take care of the dwelling. The "Aboriginal Housing Connection " newsletter, the AFNQL Website and the regional meeting on housing are all good means to disseminate this experience. #8) Research and Development The Mamuitun Tribal Council has tabled its final report on a feasible study about a Housing Technical Resource Group (HTRG), including the conclusions on the consultation conducted at the last regional housing meeting. The English version is expected prior to March 31. The Research and Development Working Group will be holding a conference call and will propose a follow-up to this study. Considering the preference of the First Nations for the decentralized option, it would seem appropriate, before going any further with the HTRG, to put the emphasis on the training strategy for housing personnel working in communities, and to disseminate the best practices (refer to issue #7). Page 5 sur 6

CMHC received a proposal for a training seminar on the legal aspects of housing rentals. The document will be shared with the Working Group which will bring it up at its next conference call. At its next conference call, the Working Group will identify the projects that could be submitted to the Special Initiatives Fund (SIF) which is administered by the AANDC s head office. It is decided to integrate the action plans of the previous years into the page of the RTHC on the AFNQL Website. 5. RTHC 2013-2014 Action Plan Each manager responsible for the issues will prepare a preliminary outline of the RTHC 2013-2014 action plan in both languages. The plan will then be consolidated by André Dansereau for approval by the 3 organizations. 6. "Aboriginal Housing Connection " Newsletter It would appear that only one issue a year would be sufficient (in September) to disseminate the information on the proceedings of the RTHC, the data on CMHC program allocations, the best practices in housing, and to announce the holding of the regional meeting organized by the AFNQL. 7. Next meeting The next meeting of the RTHC will be organized by CMHC. The agreed dates are Wednesday, May 22 (Operational Committee) and Thursday, May 23 2013 (RTHC). Guy Latouche March 4 2013 Page 6 sur 6