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MNO Spotlights Métis-led Solutions to Homelessness at National Housing Conference

Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) staff joined housing professionals, policymakers, and advocates from across the country at the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) Congress in Ottawa to highlight Métis-specific housing challenges and solutions. The national conference focused on housing and homelessness issues, creating space for dialogue and innovation from diverse communities and sectors.
 
In a session titled Intervention and Prevention of Métis Homelessness along the Housing Continuum, Cindi Rye, MNO Director of Housing & Infrastructure, and Lori Maluga, MNO Manager of Housing Programs, emphasized the unique and often overlooked housing needs of Métis people. They shared how the MNO is responding with targeted, community-driven programming. The session took place during the CHRA Congress, held April 29 to May 1.
 
Indigenous homelessness in Canada is at crisis levels, but Métis-specific solutions are often missing from national conversations. Guided by citizen priorities, the MNO is addressing this gap with a range of programs across the housing continuum.
 
Two significant housing initiatives were the focus of the MNO presentation:
 
  1. Housing Stabilization Program (HSP): Funded through Reaching Home, this program helps Métis citizens who are unhoused at risk of losing housing, or in unstable situations. Supports include financial aid, one on one case management and tenant education.
  2. Emergency Repair Program (ERP): provides a one-time forgivable loan to Métis homeowners for critical home repairs, including structural fixes or accessibility upgrades. Clients receive one-on-one support throughout the process.
During the session, Rye and Maluga emphasized the MNO’s focus on housing research, which guides program evaluation to ensure services meet the changing needs of Métis communities.
 
Through sessions like this, the MNO continues to push for stronger Métis representation in national housing strategies, while building partnerships and sharing best practices that lead to real change.