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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 328

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 10, 2024 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 328 - Jun/10/24
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Jun/10/24 8:34:22 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, indigenous housing remains a critical issue. Too many Inuit, first nations and Métis live in mouldy, overcrowded homes without access to running water. Far too many Inuit, first nations and Métis are compelled to leave their homes. Too many end up homeless on the streets in urban centres. These realities are a direct result of decades of underinvestment, a pattern continued under the Liberal government. I highlight the work by the federal housing advocate. Her report on Inuit housing emphasizes that the right of Inuit to adequate housing is being violated. None of the seven elements of the right to housing have been upheld in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut. In Pangnirtung, the advocate found that 120 families are on the waiting list for public housing. With a population of 1,500, that means that 28% of all families are on a housing waiting list. The true number is likely even higher, as many people see little hope in applying for housing. I have spoken many times about the heartbreaking conditions I see when I travel to Nunavut communities. These are conditions the federal government imposes on Inuit. Families of eight are living in two-bedroom units with no place to sleep. They have to sleep in shifts because of a lack of beds in a single unit. Children have no space to do homework. Mould and tuberculosis are present in so many homes. Addressing the housing crisis should be a top priority. The NDP has used its power in Parliament to fight for indigenous peoples. In budget 2023, the NDP fought for the creation of a $4-billion urban, rural and northern indigenous housing program. The earned housing funding would give money directly to housing providers to help the most vulnerable Inuit, first nations and Métis living away from their home communities. More than a year later, housing providers are still waiting to receive funding from the government. That is not because of a lack of work by first nations, Inuit and Métis, as hundreds of applications have been completed. If funding does not flow soon, we will see another summer building season in the north lost. This will delay the start of projects by another year. Indigenous peoples are dying, while the Liberals continue their delays. Having repeated all of this here once again, I ask this simple question: When will the desperately needed funds for urban, rural and northern indigenous housing be released so that we can begin closing the housing gap?
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