"I'm scared... They make me feel like my family is just another number, and we're like one millionth in line to potentially to maybe (get help)," said Shadae Johnson, a mom with four young children.
"We just don't feel like there's any importance in sheltering my family."
Johnson is currently living in a hotel suite in Richmond with her children, who range in age from seven weeks to 12 years old, thanks to Jordan's Principle funding for First Nations children.
But Johnson and her children are still facing the constant threat of displacement.
The funding, coordinated by Indigenous Services Canada, was initially approved for three months. It was then addressed on a month-by-month basis — until this week.
Due to the extended period of time for using the funding, Johnson will now have to apply for it on a weekly basis.
Staying close to one's culture while dealing with grief
Johnson moved to the U.S. for a few years but returned to B.C. with her two children during COVID-19 after her husband passed away.
"We wanted to come back up here with our family because we are Coast Salish and we wanted to be close to our cultural practices while we're healing and grieving from his passing," she told the Richmond News.
Johnson submitted an application to BC Housing in 2019 following her husband's passing and was able to stay with family for two years while they processed their grief.
But the struggle to find more permanent housing was exacerbated when, two years later, she felt strong enough to move forward in life with a salaried job at the Vancouver Art Gallery and a new partner who is currently out of the country.
With more children on the way, Johnson needed a bigger home than the "spare room and a half" she was staying in.
"So we end up leaving, and we end up in a homeless shelter," she said.
The family stayed in a shelter in Surrey until Johnson learned about the Jordan's Principle funding during a "desperate" search for resources.
She told the News she is "extremely grateful" for the Jordan's Principle coverage.
"All the other programs for housing and families and community support — like none of them have really followed through or done the... amount of help that Jordan's Principle has helped us," said Johnson.
"If it wasn't for them, I'm pretty sure I would be in a homeless shelter still, and... this isn't how I want life to be."
Empty promises of reconciliation
Four and a half years into the BC Housing waiting list, Johnson has yet to find a more permanent solution to her situation despite successfully escalating her file's urgency in August 2023.
"Even with that, nothing has happened. Nobody's called us. It's always me calling into BC Housing. It's always me checking on files," she said, adding that she is told she is not the only one waiting for housing.
"It feels hopeless when I call them."
In a statement to the News, BC Housing said it is unable to comment on the specific housing application but it is working with Johnson to discuss her housing option.
Although Johnson tried reaching out to other organizations such as the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society and Chimo Community Services, they could only offer other types of assistance such as providing supplies for her children.
"Nobody actually really offers, like, 'Here's a place. There's a unit there, we'll get you in,'" she said.
And her requests to local politicians have only yielded responses from assistants or contact information for local organizations rather than attempts to advocate for her family.
"It's frustrating because I hear organizations and politicians talk about reconciliation and making things right with the Indigenous community. ... We do a lot for the community, to be involved with the community... And I just feel like it's a puppet show... to present it that way," said Johnson.
"But they're not doing what they say they're going to do."
The complexity of the system has also placed constant stress on Johnson, who is still recovering from the birth of her baby.
She told the News trying to find housing was a "difficult" experience despite her college degrees, experience working in non-profits and background in advocacy.
"I can't imagine how difficult this is for somebody who's not educated with a Western background, with accolades and degrees, how difficult this is for people that have a hard time with these forms of communication to try to make something for themselves," said Johnson.
"It's not fair to them."
For now, Johnson is hoping to find a long-term home in Richmond or South Vancouver, where she can take care of a sick family member and stay close to her culture.
Housing based on 'need' not time on waitlist: BC Housing
According to the 2023 Homeless Count report by the Homelessness Services Association of BC, 33 per cent of respondents identified as Indigenous with 64 per cent reported having lived or had generational experience with residential school.
The report found Indigenous people remain over-represented in populations experiencing homelessness - the percentage of those identifying as Indigenous was 33 per cent, same as in 2020, despite an overall increase in the number of respondents.
Statistics Canada data from 2021 also showed more than one in six Indigenous people lived in crowded housing that was not suitable for the number of people living there, which was almost twice as likely as non-Indigenous people.
In a report published in 2022, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association identified several gaps in the federal government's national housing strategy that launched in 2017. For example, the report noted there was not enough money allocated to Indigenous housing and there is a lack of Indigenous-specific programs.
It also pinpointed the "cumbersome application and delivery processes" as part of the barriers against Indigenous housing providers who don't have the expertise for development.
BC Housing told the News subsidized housing in the province is "based on housing need, not length of time on a waitlist" and depends on criteria including need, age and vulnerability.
The wait time depends on the needs of other applicants on the waitlist and housing availability in the region, it added, advising applicants to check in with BC housing every six months to keep their files updated.
"When assessing the needs of applicants, priority is often given to seniors (age 55+), persons in receipt of disability pension, families with children, and current housing status, such as whether a person is experiencing or at-risk of homelessness," said BC Housing.
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