Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise in support of my honourable friend, the Member for Deh Cho's motion. I think what's significant about this is it's not just an affirmation to declare housing a priority or housing important but housing as a fundamental right of Northerners. And this is very significant because taking a rights-based approach to the issue of housing would give new clarity to how fundamental it is to our citizens and, in particular, to Indigenous peoples who have struggled with a lack of affordable, suitable, and adequate housing for a very long time. And this is a perennial issue that led to the creation of the housing forum and increased collaboration, not just with this government but with the federal government as well. And I hope that we will be able to use this motion as the springboard to look into how all of our policies as the Government of the Northwest Territories address housing and whether or not they're addressing it adequately because taking a rights-based approach is very different than a -- you know, a privileged-based approach, let's say; an approach that says, you know, if you meet the criteria you can afford this program, we'll subsidize your housing or social housing or a rental supplement or whatever it happens to be. But instead to say we need to give everyone a home, we need to ensure everyone is housed, and we cannot -- we cannot bear to see people who are unhoused, and I think this motion's very important to start our journey as the 20th Assembly towards meeting that priority that we've all set collectively and achieving a more equitable and prosperous future because housing, of course, is not just for individuals. It's also for industry. It touches every aspect of what we -- of our communities, of our economy, and of our social fabric. So I'm very pleased to support this. And I thank my honourable friend for bringing it toward, and I will be voting to support this motion. Thank you.
Kieron Testart on Motion 20-20(1): Affirming Housing as a Human Right, Carried
In the Legislative Assembly on February 28th, 2024. See this statement in context.
Motion 20-20(1): Affirming Housing as a Human Right, Carried
Motions
February 28th, 2024
Page 354
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