Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is leading a national initiative to strengthen understanding of housing and shelter realities for Inuit women, gender-diverse Inuit, and their families — both across Inuit Nunangat and in southern urban centres where many Inuit live.

This work aims to close persistent data gaps, inform funding and policy reform, and advance Inuit-led housing solutions that reflect Inuit rights, culture, and knowledge.

The project is grounded in Inuit data sovereignty principles and the National Inuit Strategy on Research.

The project is built around complementary research components, which will inform Pauktuutit’s five-year advocacy strategy, translating research into actionable policy and funding recommendations.

• 52.9% of Inuit across Inuit Nunangat live in overcrowded housing.
• 32.7% of Inuit live in homes requiring major repairs.
• Inuit women are 6× more likely than non-Indigenous women to live in unsuitable housing.
• About 59% of Inuit communities lack emergency shelters. These conditions directly impact the safety, health, and well-being of Inuit women, gender-diverse Inuit and their families, especially for those escaping violence.
• Inuit-led housing solutions have proven effective – when Inuit leadership in housing increased between 1981 and 2021, community well-being scores improved by 21%.

Pauktuutit’s Inuit-Specific GBA+ Framework guides the research and follows trauma-informed, ethical, and Inuit-led research practices.

This work is being conducted in collaboration with Inuit Treaty Organizations, ensuring that the findings are relevant, respectful, and beneficial to those working directly with Inuit communities. The research has received ethics approvals in all four regions of Inuit Nunangat.

Our upcoming Advocacy Strategy will outline concrete actions to:

• Secure long-term, distinctions-based funding for Inuit housing and shelters
• Advance Inuit leadership and governance in housing design, delivery, and policy
• Support Inuit-led research, data, and program development
• Push for culturally appropriate shelters and wraparound supports, including programming with Elders and training for shelter workers

If you are a shelter operator, service provider, or policy advocate, your insights and experiences can help strengthen this work.

To learn more or participate in the project, contact:

Kim Oliver
Acting Manager, Social & Economic Development
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
koliver@pauktuutit.ca

Shelter operators have an opportunity to contribute to our growing database of information on shelter operations across Canada. Participating will help strengthen our evidence-based advocacy to improve support for Inuit women, gender-diverse Inuit, and their families seeking emergency shelter. Those who participate will receive a donation towards shelter supplies.

To participate, please click here.