Thank you, Mr.
Chair. Today,
regarding the housing up in Nunakput and in the Beaufort–Delta regions…. We have a lot of problems with professional housing for our staff, or teacher housing, and the nursing staff. We need to really help them: help BDEC, help the hospital in regard to housing and staffing problems in Nunakput.
The Minister and I and the president of the Housing Corporation went on a tour of Nunakput, which they seemed to really need. Teachers and nursing staff shouldn’t have to worry about the problem of housing. I think they should be able to just go in there and do their work and be able to go a place at the end of the day that they call home. I really think the Beaufort–Delta Education Council needs help in regard to finding teacher housing. Some teachers are not coming back just because of the housing issues we have in my riding.
Another issue I have is people who are hard to house, clients being evicted. They have to really rely on family once they’re evicted. I really think we should look at that at an LHO level, as well, to help them to be able to provide for themselves and give them a roof over their heads.
Another big issue goes right back to the homeless in our communities. I think they’re coming from the communities to the southern part, to Yellowknife. It’s a big problem down here, with all the homelessness issues that we could try to fix if we work together in our communities. I wish NWT Housing would look into one unit in each community as a homeless shelter and give it to the community to run.
We really need to look at our elder situation due to the high cost of fossil fuels and of home ownership for elders, even for regular elders living in the facilities. Everything’s going up in price. Old-age pension cheques are not going to go so far. Elders are facing a high cost of living. I really worry about it this coming year. Also the Housing Corp should look into more subsidy programs at ECE in regard to that as well.
In my riding there are a lot of safety issues, such as black mould. Elders can’t open doors or windows in Paulatuk in the winter with an east wind because of blowing snow coming in. We need to do more in regard to that issue of having a safe home and broader issues that we could deal with.
The biggest thing, I think, is that we all say we like working together to help our people. This is the place to do it, and I know it could be done.
Again, I’d like to thank the Minister for travelling up with me into my riding. He knows my problems, and I’m here to work with you to get these problems fixed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.