Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing was identified as a priority for this government, and more importantly, it is a basic need that has a significant impact on one's quality of life and one's future. This government, with all its good intentions, has made minimal progress over the last several decades on meeting the housing needs of Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. This failure has contributed to disadvantaging Indigenous Peoples in areas such as education, employment, and health. The lack of a home contributes to this while taking away one's ability to make choices, such as children being prepared for school in the morning, parents participating in the workforce, and the dream of starting or raising a family.
What we take for granted when it comes to housing, there are many in the Northwest Territories who would welcome our support to just find basic housing for them. With those seeking public housing because there are no other options, it troubles me when I have to tell them that there is no housing available and that this government has no plans to substantially increase public housing units in the Northwest Territories. The department talks about suitability, adequacy, and affordability; nowhere do they talk about the actual of number units required to house those on long waiting lists throughout the NWT and how they plan to rectify the situation.
The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation exists for a reason. Their responsibilities include the provision to provide, develop, maintain, and manage housing for senior citizens, families, individuals, disabled persons, and the homeless. I have noticed that inaction in all those areas has become an escalating problem when it comes to the NWT Housing Corporation meeting those provisions. With all the money received from the federal government, we still cannot get it right.
Mr. Speaker, I can go on and say what we all know when it comes to the failure of this government in addressing the housing crisis in the Northwest Territories. The Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and her senior bureaucrats do not seem to grasp that a housing crisis exists, and I am not sure why that is. If the Minister is the problem, then I would ask the Premier for a Cabinet shuffle. If it is the senior bureaucrats who are the problem, then I would ask the Premier to make a change at that level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.