Huu-ay-aht and B.C. leaders form housing working group

Huu-ay-aht First Nations and the B.C. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing agreed to establish a housing working group to implement the 14 recommendations from the Huu-ay-aht Independent Housing Panel’s Final Report.
 
Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. and Executive Councillor Charlie Clappis met with B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Selina Robinson last week to discuss the critical housing needs on Huu-ay-aht’s ḥahuułi (traditional territory of the Huu-ay-aht ḥaw̓iiḥ).
 
“Last week’s meeting went quite well as Minister Robinson committed to supporting the formation of a housing report implementation working group,” said Chief Councillor Robert J. Dennis Sr. “The establishment of the housing working group is really critical in terms of ensuring all 14 recommendations are actioned and have the support required to get them done.”
 
In January 2019, Huu-ay-aht First Nations established an Independent Housing Panel to develop recommendations to make the ḥahuułi a safe, healthy, thriving community with a strong economy where half of Huu-ay-aht people choose to live. The Panel’s work was guided by Huu-ay-aht’s three sacred principles of ʔiisaak (utmost respect), ʔuuʔałuk (taking care of) and Hišuk ma c̕awak (everything is one), and recommendations were based on citizen feedback and input and expertise from the Panel.

Huu-ay-aht Executive Council received the Panel’s Final Report in December 2019 and unanimously adopted its 14 recommendations on February 6, 2020.
 
“When you have a government-to-government meeting, you want to come out with a commitment to continue to work together, and that is what we left with,” said Chief Dennis. “Together we will be able to focus on what needs to get done in the next few months to ensure immediate implementation of the Panel’s recommendations. We thank the B.C. government and Minister Robinson for their strong reconciliation commitment to First Nations housing and infrastructure.”
 
The Final Report of the Huu-ay-aht Independent Housing Panel can be found at: huuayaht.org/independent-housing-panel

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For more information:
Heather Thomson
Communications Manager – Huu-ay-aht First Nations
250-720-7776 or heather.t@huuayaht.org

About Huu-ay-aht First Nations
Huu-ay-aht First Nations is an indigenous community located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is a part of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, formerly called the Nootka. Huu-ay-aht is a party to the Maa-nulth Final Agreement, a modern treaty that grants its five member-nations constitutionally-protected, self-government as well as ownership, control, and law-making authority over their lands and resources. For more information, visit huuayaht.org.