MONTRÉAL - A new report by Amnesty International warns that overcrowded and unsafe housing in an Atikamekw community north of Montreal reflects a broader crisis putting Indigenous people's health, safety and rights at risk across Canada.

In Manawan, about 250 kilometres north of Montreal, community leaders say families are regularly reaching out for emergency housing support as homes become increasingly overcrowded and conditions deteriorate.

“Every week, elected officials and community leaders receive calls, messages and urgent requests from families in search of housing who are often motivated by critical situations where the safety of women and children is at stake,” said Sipi Flamand, chief of the Atikamekw Council of Manawan, at the release of the report in Montreal.

The report is based on a two-year investigation into housing conditions in the remote Lanaudière community. It found severe overcrowding, aging infrastructure and long delays in building new homes — pressures local leaders say have pushed the system beyond its limits.

The Texas Medical Board is proposing tighter regulations around ketamine, a popular fast-acting sedative used to treat mental illness, including more physician oversight during administration of the drug and banning in-home use of it.

The revised rules are expected to publish May 8, and the Texas Medical Board is scheduled to vote on the changes in June.

Supporters of ketamine regulations in Texas say the drug, which can cause comas and even death, has grown in popularity because it is easy to access. One of the most common ways people access ketamine is through telehealth prescriptions, which allows them to take it at home while a medical professional monitors them online.

Medical spas, which often do not have the stringent regulations of a medical clinic, also administer the highly addictive sedative, and night clubs promote it as a social drug instead of a potentially dangerous medication.