Plan for Long-Term Sustainability by factoring in inflation, climate change impacts, and your nation’s growth when budgeting for housing projects
Strengthening Housing Financial Management
Work with Key Organizations: Advocate for funding models that consider community needs beyond just population size, including remoteness, climate adaptation, and infrastructure demands.
Secure Core Funding for Housing Staff: Ensure stable funding to hire essential personnel such as Housing Managers, Administrative Support, Maintenance Workers, and Tenant Relations Coordinators.
Offer Financial Literacy Programs:
- Tool: Prosper Canada – Provides financial literacy training and resources.
Succession Planning:
- Example: The First Nation can create a leadership training program featuring workshops by senior staff, shadowing opportunities, and mentorship pairings. Workshops would address conflict resolution, budgeting, and team management, while mentorship sessions provide practical advice on real-world scenarios. This initiative would prepare staff for leadership roles and preserve essential housing knowledge as senior staff retire or resign.
Certification Programs
such as:
- Indigenous Leadership Program – Provided by Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (ILP)
- Indigenous Public Works and Housing Management Program – Offered by the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology (SIIT).
- First Nations Housing Professionals Program – Provided by the First Nations Housing Professionals Association (FNHPA).
- First Nations Housing Manager (Online Certificate Program) – Available through Vancouver Island University (VIU),
- Indigenous Skills Training Program – A specialized program for Indigenous housing professionals, supported by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).