Class-action lawsuit proceedings on First Nations housing on-reserve begins in Manitoba court

A Federal Court judge is considering photos depicting houses infested with cockroaches and mould as part of evidence presented this week on behalf of more than 100 First Nations in a class-action lawsuit asserting Ottawa has been negligent in its duties to ensure safe housing on-reserve.The houses in the photos are from St. Theresa Point in Northern Manitoba where First Nations leaders say it’s common for 20 people to live in small homes with two or three people to a room. In some houses, severe overcrowding means more than 30 people living in a four-bedroom house where residents sleep in shifts and share a single bathroom and kitchen, according to court documents.