Photo credit: CBC
A new report by Amnesty International warns that overcrowded and unsafe housing in an Atikamekw community north of Montreal reflects a broader crisis putting Indigenous people’s health, safety and rights at risk across Canada.
The Canadian Press reports that in Manawan, about 250 kilometres north of Montreal, community leaders say families are regularly reaching out for emergency housing support as homes become increasingly overcrowded and conditions deteriorate.
The report is based on a two-year investigation into housing conditions in the remote Lanaudiere community – pressures local leaders say have pushed the system beyond its limits.
According to Amnesty International, the housing shortage goes far beyond a lack of physical structures, with widespread consequences of fundamental human rights.
“In Indigenous communities, not only the right to housing, but also the rights to education, health, privacy, safety and life are being violated,” said France-Isabelle Langlois, director general of Amnesty International’s francophone section in Canada.
She added that many families are forced to live in unsafe and overcrowded homes, often plagued by mould and poor conditions that contribute to illness and stress.
“The cycle of violence against women, girls, children and elders continues. Also, the lack of housing often leads homelessness,” Langlois said.
Although the report focuses on Manawan, similar conditions exist in many of the country’s more than 600 Indigenous communities.
Data cited by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador suggests that $139 billion is needed to address housing needs in Indigenous communities across Canada, including roughly $8 billion in Quebec alone.
For Amnesty International, the crisis reflects deeper systemic issues that require urgent action from all levels of government.
