Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. John’s, NL, April 20, 2026 – The National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI) is pleased to announce its 2026 Membership Engagement Session taking place on April 23, 2026, at the First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity in St. John’s.

NICHI invited its 110+ members as well as other Indigenous housing and service providers to participate in this full-day session focused on strengthening relationships, sharing knowledge, and shaping the future of Indigenous housing across Canada.

This engagement session will provide attendees with the opportunity to:

• Receive a national update on NICHI work since the memberships’ March Webinar including an update on potential government funding.
• Learn more about NICHI’s efforts to expand its membership and how they can support new member recruitment.
• Contribute directly to the work commenced in the March Webinar to develop a national Urban, Rural, and Northern (URN) Indigenous Housing Strategy that will be created For Indigenous Housing Providers, By Indigenous Housing Providers.
• Learn the results of the national survey, conducted in March, on what is needed in an Indigenous URN Housing Strategy followed by working groups on target questions to build consensus, develop next steps and ensure the strategy is complete.

Participants will play a critical role in ensuring that this strategy reflects the lived realities, priorities, and expertise of Indigenous housing and service providers from coast to coast to coast.

“This session is about ensuring Indigenous housing and service providers are heard, recognized, and supported in continuing to deliver stable, community-driven housing solutions across the country,” says John Gordon, CEO, NICHI.

“Bringing Indigenous housing and service providers together in St. John’s is about more than engagement, it is about building a strategy grounded in real experience and community knowledge. At NICHI, we are committed to ensuring that operational supports, partnerships, and funding reflect what providers are telling us they need to succeed and grow,” says Danielle Cognigni, Director, Business Operations, NICHI.

NICHI emphasizes the importance of For Indigenous, By Indigenous in shaping housing systems that are responsive, culturally grounded, and sustainable. The St. John’s session is part of a broader national effort to engage directly with providers and partners working on the front lines of housing delivery.

Event Details:
Date: April 23, 2026 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity 42 Bannerman St., St. John’s, NL A1C 3M6

Media Contact:
Kelly Patrick, Manager, Communications and Public Relations National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. (NICHI)
media@nichihousing.com
(416) 262-4981