Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2026

AMC WELCOMES SIGNIFICANT HOMELESSNESS INVESTMENT, CALLS FOR FIRST NATIONS LEADERSHIP AND DIRECT FUNDING

TREATY ONE TERRITORY, Winnipeg _ The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) welcomes the significant investment announced today to address homelessness, housing and mental health in Winnipeg. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson says the announcement presents an important opportunity to ensure First Nations citizens and families receive the housing, care and support they urgently need.

“I am relieved that significant investment is coming to Winnipeg to address homelessness, housing and mental health. Our people need housing. Our families need support. Nobody should be left living on the streets when governments have the resources to make a difference,” said Grand Chief Wilson.

“Every person deserves a safe place to call home. We welcome investments that can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. But we must also ask whether First Nations leadership will have a meaningful role in determining how these investments are delivered, particularly when First Nations citizens are among those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.”

The announcement comes shortly after the First Nations First Ministers Meeting, where First Nations leadership brought forward longstanding concerns about housing, infrastructure, jurisdiction and the need for direct relationships with Canada.

For generations, First Nations have understood the circumstances that lead families to leave their Nations in search of safety, housing, employment, health care and support. The housing crisis cannot be separated from the chronic underfunding of First Nations communities, inadequate infrastructure, and the impacts of forced evacuations and displacement.

“Manitoba First Nations have lived through devastating evacuations, including Lake St. Martin, Peguis, Island Lake, Mathias Colomb and Pimicikamak. We have families who were displaced and have struggled for years to return home to safe, adequate housing,” said Grand Chief Wilson.

“We need to understand how many of the people this investment is intended to help are First Nations citizens, including those who were evacuated, displaced or never had the opportunity to return to their homes. Their circumstances must be understood, and their Nations must be part of the response.”

Grand Chief Wilson emphasized that First Nations’ responsibilities to their citizens do not end at the reserve boundary. First Nations families living in Winnipeg and other urban centres remain connected to their Nations, cultures, languages and rights. Addressing homelessness requires coordinated support for First Nations citizens both on and off reserve.

“We cannot continue to separate the housing needs of our people from the responsibility of governments to address the conditions that created this crisis. First Nations must be part of the decisions, and the resources must reach our Nations directly.”

AMC is calling for federal transfer payments and funding intended for First Nations to flow directly to First Nations governments, rather than being administered through provincial intermediaries. First Nations must have the authority and resources to identify their own priorities, support their citizens and exercise their jurisdiction.

Grand Chief Wilson also noted Premier Wab Kinew’s recent comments about getting rid of the Indian Act, emphasizing that meaningful change must extend beyond rhetoric to the structures that continue to govern First Nations funding and decision-making.

“If we are serious about moving beyond the Indian Act, we must be prepared to change the systems that continue to control First Nations’ access to resources and decision-making. Our Nations cannot be expected to carry the responsibility for our people without the authority and funding to do so.”

AMC calls on Canada and Manitoba to work directly with First Nations leadership to ensure this investment addresses the needs of First Nations citizens, supports housing and mental health services, and recognizes the authority of First Nations to determine their own priorities. AMC was not called upon to work with the province on their latest homelessness strategy. 

“Our people deserve more than a place in someone else’s plan. They deserve a safe home, the support their families need, and the ability to shape their own future. Only our First Nations should assume that role otherwise we are just falling under another third party framework ” said Grand Chief Wilson.

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For more information, please contact:

Communications Team, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs

Email: media@manitobachiefs.com

About the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs:

The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in

Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly

affect First Nations in Manitoba.