BC Housing works in partnership with the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA). We work together to provide safe, affordable housing for Indigenous Peoples.
This includes our common goal of:
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self-management
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self-reliance, and
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self-sufficiency
History of Aboriginal Housing Management Association
AHMA was formed in 1995 and is a province-wide social housing management agency. This Indigenous management model for social housing is the first of its kind in Canada.
Management of Indigenous social housing - 2004
In 2004, B.C. became the first province in Canada to transfer the management of Indigenous social housing to the Indigenous community. The Province transferred 189 units of social housing to AHMA.
Canada-BC Social Housing Agreement - 2006
In 2006, the Government of Canada and the BC Government announced the Social Housing Agreement. More than 51,000 federally-funded social housing units were transferred to the Province. The agreement includes about 2,500 off-reserve Indigenous social housing units.
Rural Native Housing Program - 2007
The Rural Native Housing Program was established in 1974. In 2007, the federal government transferred the Rural Native Housing Program to BC Housing. It included more than 500 houses in more than 100 rural communities around B.C.
In 2013, ownership of these properties was transferred to the non-profit Indigenous housing sector. AHMA handles the administration of subsidies and operating agreements.
B.C. Aboriginal Social Housing Management Agreement - 2013
The first Aboriginal Social Housing Management Agreement (ASHMA) was signed in 2012.
In 2013 the B.C. government transferred all Indigenous programs and services to AHMA. This included:
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all Indigenous social housing programs
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emergency shelters, and
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the Aboriginal Homeless Outreach Program
In 2019, BC Housing renewed the Indigenous Social Housing Management Agreement (ISHMA) with AHMA.
- The ISHMA represents the joint commitment from AHMA and the Government of British Columbia to continue to improve and prioritize housing conditions through culturally sensitive practices for Indigenous peoples in British Columbia in urban, rural and northern regions. The ISHMA is the second version of the first Aboriginal Social Housing Management Agreement (ASHMA) signed in 2012.
- AHMA is responsible for more that 5,300 subsidized Indigenous homes across the province through subsidy payments and operating agreements with Indigenous housing providers.