Mr. Speaker, the reality of housing in the North is dire. NWT housing problems are well above the national average while funding for housing has decreased both federally and territorally. We have heard multiple times as GNWT cannot solve the NWT's housing problem alone and that the key to northern housing success is partnership. To foster these partnerships, our government needs to first create space for them.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT's policies and regulations need to harmonize to support the priorities of the people of the Northwest Territories. But instead we have multiple policies that work against improving housing for Northerners. Education, Culture, and Employment's income assistance polices play a key role in addressing the housing challenges faced by NWT communities. The income assistance accommodation allowance is the territory wide benefit used to access housing. If this benefit could easily be used to support key strategic partnerships with Indigenous governments and non-government organizations, it would offer long-term solutions to northern housing.

As it currently stands, this policy creates persistent barriers that require people to add their names to the public housing wait list to receive the rental allowance and restricts people from accessing other forms of housing as an end goal.

Today the end goal seems to be reliance on public housing. There is not enough public housing to serve the 900-person wait list, and the housing corporation lacks the strategic plan to transition people from public housing or to address its quantity and quality housing stock. This policy also excludes potential partners, like the private sector, nonprofit, or Indigenous housing providers to help house Northerners with permanent solutions to end homelessness.

This income assistance policy requires clients to pay for housing and utility arrears, creating another barrier to accessing the housing allowance. These arrears can take years to pay, and the policies that drive them do not reflect property damages caused by an abusive partner or arrears from rent increases caused by family members sleeping on the couch because they cannot pay their own arrears or rent.

Housing is a human right, Mr. Speaker. Partnerships with Indigenous governments and non-government organizations play a pivotal role in our future housing success but rely on this government to create space for solutions to our housing crisis with forward-thinking policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.