Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was about housing conditions in the Northwest Territories, especially the community of Paulatuk. What are the plans for dealing with families who are evicted and at risk of eviction in Nunakput communities? What can the Minister tell me that we can tell these people, where they have nowhere to go?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to hear that we’ve been through this -- myself and you, Mr. Minister -- in regard to this issue in regard to the payback for the community. I know there are some good, outstanding communities that aren’t paying their rent, but most of those communities are doing good jobs.

We’re talking about a community of probably about 300 people, 276 people. Minimal jobs – government – that’s the only thing they’re relying on. Can the Minister turn over the funding and responsibility to the local hamlet so they can run it?

The people that are being evicted are the ones that entered the repayment program and half of them have no jobs. So how can they repay? You’re either buying food for your kids, trying to feed them, clothe them, or pay your rent. Or pay your power bill. All these bills that I’m talking about are all too high in the smaller communities. Can the community government, can the Hamlet of Paulatuk approach the Housing Corporation to take over the Paulatuk housing under the Hamlet of Paulatuk and run it themselves? Is that possible?

It’s good to see $2 million being spent in Paulatuk. But Sachs Harbour has been waiting for a unit since I started my term here three and a half years ago, almost four years ago. Is the Minister going to put in his transition document to the 17th Legislative Assembly a four-plex or something for Sachs Harbour? I hope to be here to push that through, but is the Minister going to do that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just like the Premier said, it’s not too often we get people from our home communities. I’d like to welcome Molly Nogasak from my home of Tuktoyaktuk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories is at the boiling point with housing in my riding. Four years of procrastinating with the decisions, four years of mismanagement, and four years of poor policy changes. This government must provide basics firsts, such as roads, health care, schools, and housing. Housing is the most important across the territory. People are being evicted, such as in Paulatuk where they are being evicted. Why they are being evicted is the best example. How is the huge equality between the larger centres and the small communities? Where are these people going to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m really happy to hear that. The Minister says the Housing Corporation has a heart. I’m asking the Housing Corporation to stop all the evictions as of today. To try to rework and get re-agreements put back through the person that’s in that predicament and put it into workable agreements where they’re able to pay something. Is the Minister willing to do that?

The second part of my Member’s statement is the evictions in the communities I represent, Paulatuk. Mr. Speaker, we’ve been trying to work with the government with regard to the open-handed approach on how people can pay back. There are no jobs in the community like they have here in Yellowknife. There’s not any way of finding that kind of money. I always look back to the way ECE had it. I’m not pointing fingers at ECE. There’s got to be an open-handed approach to working with the community and the people, instead of evicting people from their houses when it’s coming fall time. Winter’s coming...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was regarding the housing situation in Nunakput. Mr. Speaker, is the government allocating necessary resources for Nunakput to get our fair share in housing resource dollars with regard to the upkeep and the units in the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

People across the territory and in Nunakput are fed up. We have enough educated people in our community coming to their senses and tired of being overcharged for houses that are 40 years old.

I’d like to read part of an e-mail from a person in my region:

I caution our leaders in the future. Our local members are consulted prior to making changes to policy. It should be based on community needs, allowing the board of directors to give direction to the LHO, rather than running the other way around. And then you have to forward them to the Yellowknife hierarchy. No cause, no confidence bears much...