About

Ready for Change, Ready to Lead

NICHI brings the housing, homelessness, and housing-related organisations representing Indigenous Peoples not living on First Nation reserve lands “into one conversation”. And, ultimately, will help provide enhanced services to Indigenous People in need across the country.

Since 2013, Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous organizations, including the Canada Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) Indigenous Caucus and others, have committed decades of working with and for Indigenous peoples in the area of housing and wrap-around services. On November 25, 2022 the group agreed to participate in a For Indigenous By Indigenous Housing Coalition to transparently uphold and advance Housing as a human right for all Indigenous peoples living in urban, rural and northern communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast. On that day, they created an URN Declaration and the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated (NICHI) was created.

It determined a “For Indigenous, By Indigenous” (FIBI) Strategy is required over and above the National Housing Strategy already announced in November 2017 and includes the following key actions:

Incorporate a national URN Indigenous housing entity to achieve collective goals, manage and control allocated funds that will be used towards providing housing and housing supports for Indigenous peoples;
Collaborate with one another through the national organizational structure to provide Housing for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous peoples;
Work together to compile research, develop communications strategies with respect to advancing the urban, rural, and northern housing strategy;
Jointly identify, develop and advocate priority initiatives that the coalition signatories mutually agree upon;
Acknowledge the need for partnerships with governments, municipalities and Indigenous governments and other parties to benefit the provision of Housing for urban, rural, and northern Indigenous peoples; and
Make decisions jointly with partner organizations where collectively agreed upon.

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Vision, Mission & Values

VISION

All Indigenous people across Canada will have access to supports and services that provide safe, affordable, secure and dignified housing.

MISSION

Provide lasting solutions that increase access to affordable housing and end homelessness for Indigenous people living in urban, rural and northern areas through research, advocacy, partnerships and supporting housing providers in the building of homes.

VALUES

Relationships: We acknowledge that every community and every project is unique. We seek to collaborate and support each community from a place of trust, transparency and respect.

Partnership: We build the community & achieve success through partnerships founded on integrity, trust and reciprocity, establishing relationships that are transformative, believing that knowledge is relational and connected to all creation.

Respect: We respect & celebrate diverse Indigenous communities by recognising their knowledge, traditions, teachings, worldview and way of being thereby ensuring all Indigenous voices are heard including Elders, women, children, LGBTQ2S+ and Persons with Disabilities.

Inclusivity: We affirm the worth of all Indigenous peoples and capitalise on the richness inherent in our differences seeking to develop and sustain relationships rooted in respect, trust and dignity.

Accountability: We act with integrity, holding one another responsible for achieving our Vision and adhering to our guiding principles.

Leadership: We lead by example, finding new ways to serve the interests of Indigenous housing and housing support providers.

Collaboration: We work together through this coalition to ensure the well being of Indigenous peoples and our lands.

Service: We serve the Indigenous housing & support service providers, working with them in achieving their goals and sharing knowledge in a respectful way.