Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is regarding the housing problems that we see in the Northwest Territories, especially in our small communities. Mr. Speaker, in this day and age we have overcrowding and people living in poor social conditions, lacking clean drinking water. Mr. Speaker, regarding social requirements in our communities, there was a year 2000 housing study done, a needs survey. It found that in the community of Aklavik, 33 percent of all households were in core need. In the case of Fort McPherson, it was 36 percent.
The most remarkable statistic was from the community of Tsiigehtchic, which has 62 percent of its households described as being in core need. Mr. Speaker, 62 percent is alarming. I think as a government, we have a responsibility, especially in the NWT Housing Corporation, to provide social housing in our communities.
Mr. Speaker, with 62 percent and the problems that have come out of Tsiigehtchic, the band council has made this an issue. It has raised the issue with the department. It has identified the problem because it has affected the ability of the community to provide housing to its residents. The band has gone out of its way to purchase two trailers to try to deal with some of this problem, but the problem is not going to go away.
I think this government has to take a better look at where we are going. This government seems to be striving for something else with harmonization and other areas. I think we should concentrate on the problems at hand without generating more problems that we are not sure of.
I think that as a government, we have a responsibility for small communities such as Tsiigehtchic, to ensure the health and well-being of the community is looked at when it comes to overcrowding and the lack of houses in our communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation on this matter later. Thank you.
-- Applause