NAN Calls on Canada to Act on Report Linking Health Issues to Poor Housing Conditions

THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Derek Fox is calling on the Government of Canada to take action following the release today of a report linking health issues to poor housing conditions in First Nations communities.

“This study confirms what our leaders have been saying for years – that deplorable housing is directly linked to the poor health of so many of our people. We have known for years that the quality of health and housing are linked, and we now have solid data to support this,” said Grand Chief Derek Fox. “We have been advocating for years for substantial improvements to housing, but the government keeps asking for proof that the moldy, drafty houses many of our members are forced to live in are connected to their poor health. This dedicated team has confirmed this link, and we thank everyone who has contributed to this important study. We now look to our federal Treaty partner to work with us on these recommendations.”

Published today by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the study Respiratory Morbidity in Indigenous Children in Relation to Housing Conditions in Remote Communities in Northwestern Ontario, documented indoor air quality and housing characteristics in four remote First Nations communities. Among its findings:

• 25% of the children were medically evacuated for respiratory illness.
• 21% the children in the study were admitted to hospital during the first two years of life.
• 85% of houses lacked controlled ventilation, over half had damaged windows, 44% showed water penetration in exterior walls, 6% had immediate safety issues.

The study was co-authored by Pediatric Respirologist Dr. Tom Kovesi, Research Investigator at the CHEO Research Institute, and Michael McKay, NAN’s Director of Infrastructure and Housing. Among its recommendations to the federal government:

• Improve housing and infrastructure in communities to benefit the overall health of First Nations peoples.
• Create economic opportunity, eliminate food insecurity, and access potable water to allow communities to apply more resources to the upkeep of existing houses.
• Increase housing stock appropriate for local geographic, climatic, and cultural needs matched to solutions that are First Nations led and governed.

The study was conducted in partnership with the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority.

Link to study: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/194/3/E80