Just one month after five people died in a house fire on a Vancouver Island First Nations reserve, the federal government has committed $50 million for housing on B.C. reserves.
The fire in the crowded home on the Chemainus First Nation reserve set off calls to improve housing conditions on reserves across Canada.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl announced the funding today as part of a $400 million federal government commitment.
Strahl says too many residents who live in First Nations communities are living in substandard communities.
The minister says the money can be used for new housing, to repair homes or to upgrade homes.
Premier Gordon Campbell says the cash, coupled with other funding incentives, could be used to build thousands of residences.
