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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

PM asks what happened to $90M spent on housing at Ontario reserve

By: Stephanie Levitz

Posted: 11/30/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's not happy millions of federal dollars have not alleviated the housing crisis in the northern Ontario native community of Attawapiskat.

"This government has spent some $90 million since coming to office just on Attawapiskat," he told the Commons on Tuesday. "That's over $50,000 for every man, woman and child in the community. Obviously we're not very happy that the results do not seem to have been achieved for that."

He and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said officials are looking into the situation. A 2010 audit of federal funds spent on reserve housing suggests there's a lack of oversight on the part of the federal government into how that money gets spent.

"There remain significant gaps to provide assurance that governance, risk-management and control frameworks are adequate to provide a reasonable expectation that funds for on-reserve housing are used for the intended purpose and that outcomes will be achieved," the audit of the Aboriginal Affairs department said.

It found housing funds were allocated using dated reference levels, raising the risk it doesn't reflect current need.

Meanwhile, the department didn't explicitly track the money it spent, so it couldn't say whether it achieved results. The department also relied on reports from First Nations on the state of housing but did not double-check those reports, the audit said.

"There is a risk that housing-performance information being tracked and reported by the department is not accurate, complete and reliable," the audit found.

The study also found government officials weren't regularly checking on housing projects and when they did, they didn't document what they found.

The federal government spends about $272 million a year on reserve housing and allotted an additional $192 million over five years in the 2005 budget. A further $400 million was allocated through the stimulus program.

A government response to the audit suggested that as of last March 31, some changes had been made. A formal monitoring and oversight program was also scheduled to be developed this year.

This week, the Tories said they'd give the Attawapiskat reserve up to $2 million more to deal with a housing crisis -- if the band produces detailed plans.

The audit said all First Nations should develop more thorough plans.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 30, 2011 A5

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