IQALUIT, NU February 22, 2022– Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is pleased to share that four applications for Inuit-Specific Shelters have been approved for federal funding as part of the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Inititatve. Three shelters, one each for Sanikiluaq, Nunavut; Ottawa, Ontario; and Puvirnituq, Nunavik; along with one transitional home for Puvirnituq, Nunavik, have officially been given the go-ahead.
“We are very proud of Pauktuutit’s advancement in shelters and transitional housing. This has been achieved through 37 years of advocacy by Pauktuutit and is one of our biggest accomplishments,” says President Gerri Sharpe. “The approval of these applications is a concrete step towards the safety of Inuit women and children.”
As a result of Pauktuutit’s tireless advocacy, the federal government made a commitment to fund Inuit-specific shelters and transitional housing. In January 2021, the Government of Canada committed to funding the construction and ongoing operation of new Inuit-specific shelters for women, gender-diverse people and their children located across Inuit Nunangat and in urban centres.
We are working towards a goal of 13 emergency shelters – four in urban centres, eight in Inuit Nunangat and one specifically for gender-diverse Inuit. We are also planning for 15 transitional shelters – eight targeted to be in Inuit Nunangat and seven in urban areas.
The Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing initiative is a joint project by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), offering construction and operational funding for shelters and transitional housing supporting Indigenous peoples escaping gender-based violence, including women, gender-diverse individuals and their children.
Construction funding is provided by CMHC. They will provide a maximum of $3.48 million per shelter in Provinces across the country, and a maximum of $7.2 million per shelter in Territories and Inuit Nunangat. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will provide an average annual allocation of $800,000 to operate shelters in Provinces across the country and an average annual allocation of $1 million to operate shelters in Territories and Inuit Nunangat. The operational funding allocation for transitional housing is $500,000 for both Inuit Nunangat and urban areas.
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Media contact: Catherine Whittaker, 343-804-0881, or communications@pauktuutit.ca.
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is the national non-profit organization representing all Inuit women in Canada. Its mission is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural, and economic development.