A recently released report on Indigenous-led housing innovation demonstrates the opportunities to improve housing in the North by supporting more Inuit architects and builders, reports Nunatsiaq News. The report for CMHC, written by University of Waterloo Professor and Red River Métis architect David T Fortin, explored the landscape of Indigenous-led housing innovation in Canada and emphasized the importance of community-driven housing solutions for Indigenous communities. Among the report’s recommendations, Fortin called for building local capacity through training programs that could expand the technical skill base within local Indigenous communities while also generating local economic opportunities. “It is crucial to have more Indigenous architects with lived experience,” said Fortin. “Our schools need to be better at recruiting and retaining northern students and I think the future is hybrid education…. It will come, but we’re in the very early stages.”
