(Ottawa) The Assembly of First Nations says decades of underfunding and fiduciary breaches have created a $349 billion infrastructure deficit.
The AFN believes that the gap absolutely must be closed and calls on the federal government to help it do so.
The report published on Tuesday calls for 135 billion for housing, 5 billion for digital connectivity and another 209 billion for other infrastructure.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to close the infrastructure deficit by 2030, but the federal Auditor General concluded earlier this year that the deficit was only growing.
And the AFN, which advocates on behalf of more than 600 First Nations chiefs, says costs will explode if action is not taken now.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, whose department helped write the report, says Canada remains committed to closing infrastructure gaps in First Nations communities.
The AFN says investing in First Nations infrastructure will help communities improve their self-determination and socio-economic outcomes, and reduce gaps between First Nations and Canadians.