Bill C-398: An Act to amend the National Housing Strategy Act

2019, c. 29, s. 313 National Housing Strategy Act 1 Section 2 of the National Housing Strategy Act is replaced by the following: Definitions 2 The following definitions apply in this Act. federal land  means land that belongs to His Majesty in right of Canada, or that His Majesty in right of Canada has the power to dispose of, and all waters on and airspace above that land. ( territoire domanial ) homeless encampment  means an outdoor settlement of one or more temporary structures, such as tents, vehicles or other structures that are not designed or intended for permanent human habitation but that one or more persons experiencing homelessness use as their residence. ( campement d’itinérants ) Indigenous peoples  has the meaning assigned by the definition aboriginal peoples of Canada in subsection 35(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 . ( peuples autochtones ) Minister  means the Minister designated under section 3. ( ministre ) 2 Section 4 of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (c), by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (d) and by adding the following after paragraph (d): (e) further its commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in relation to the active involvement of Indigenous peoples in determining and developing housing programs that affect them. 3 Subsection 5(2) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (c) and by replacing paragraph (d) with the following: (d) provide for participatory processes, including terms of reference for those processes , to ensure the ongoing inclusion and engagement of civil society, stakeholders, vulnerable groups, Indigenous peoples , persons with lived experience of housing need and persons with lived experience of homelessness; (e) establish measures to prevent the removal of homeless encampments on federal land and to identify alternatives to homeless encampments following meaningful engagement with their residents; and (f) provide for processes to ensure that Indigenous peoples are actively involved and supported in determining and developing culturally appropriate housing-related programs and that responses to homeless encampments respect their rights. Consultation (3) For the purposes of establishing the measures referred to in paragraph (2)(e) and providing for the processes referred to in paragraph (2)(f), the Minister must consult with representatives of the provincial governments responsible for matters related to housing and must consult and collaborate with a variety of organizations that represent the interests of Indigenous peoples. 4 Subsection 8(3) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (a): (a.1) Indigenous peoples; 5 Paragraph 13(a) of the Act is replaced by the following: (a) monitor the implementation of the housing policy and assess its impact on persons who are members of vulnerable groups, Indigenous peoples , persons with lived experience of housing need and persons with lived experience of homelessness; 6 Subsection 16.2(2) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (a): (a.1) Indigenous peoples; 7 Section 18 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1): Effectiveness measures and data (1.1) The report must include (a) success metrics that are developed in consultation and collaboration with a variety of organizations that represent the interests of Indigenous peoples; and (b) longitudinal data, disaggregated to the extent possible by groups, including each of the groups referred to in paragraph 13(a).