Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative: Planning for Indigenous Impact
MASS collaborated with Canadian Indigenous leaders in design, construction, finance, and development to create a tool focused on supporting Indigenous housing development in Canada.
Each year, the Government of Canada allocates federal dollars to support Metis, Inuit, and First Nations Housing and Infrastructure through Indigenous Services Canada. Those who receive annual funding for housing then make decisions about how to spend it, including who to contract for services such as trades and inspections.
Indigenous Services Canada partnered with MASS to facilitate instructional seminars and create content for the Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative. These seminars, designed to be interactive workshops and gatherings, assist applicants to draft their applications in a manner suitable for Canada’s Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative and, once selected, carry on to the next steps of the initiative.
MASS worked directly with Indigenous communities and thought leaders to adapt existing toolkits, including MASS’s Purpose Built Series, in order to break down the multidimensional challenges of those working in Indigenous housing development.
Originally developed for The Atlantic Philanthropies and the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Purpose Built is a multi-faceted resource series created by MASS. The series includes toolkits and resources and is the result of a multi-faceted, multi-year research study that found the best results occur when a project is built with purpose, balancing mission, design, and feasibility.
Planning for Indigenous Impact, an expansion of the Purpose Built series, is a prospective tool that serves as a guide for those starting capital projects in Indigenous communities.
Project teams will be able to align their process and discussions with potential funders and partners to attract investments and evaluate their projects with a focus on striking the right balance.
