Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to continue my crusade for better services from this government for residents struggling with homelessness and inadequate housing. In September, during the election and the campaign, there was a lot of talk around the issue. Candidates expressed support for an Anti-Poverty Strategy, for more housing and better housing programs. Now that the rubber has hit the road, so to speak, now that this new Assembly is in place, the new Executive is up and running, I have to ask this question: What will the 17th Assembly do to live up to the comments and commitments around homelessness made a few months ago during the election?
It is not like there are no options. Members of the 16th Assembly spoke many times about housing and homelessness. Those Members made suggestions and recommendations for change, for improvement of the situation in the NWT in their statements.
As recently as last May, a report written by Nick Falvo was tabled in this House, which made five specific recommendations to improve homelessness in Yellowknife and across the NWT, many of which echo previous recommendations and fit nicely into the government’s own document called “Framework to Respond to Homelessness.” In my four years here, I have seen little change, little response to any recommendations and certainly no focus on the issue of homelessness.
The Framework to Respond to Homelessness is dated January 2007 and badly needs review and updating, especially in light of the recommendations from the Falvo report. The framework is based on the principle of a continuum of housing, and that is great, it should be, but have we ensured that all parts of the continuum are funded and available to our residents? I don’t think so. The framework has identified four next steps, but only one of those four has been accomplished in the last five years. Mr. Falvo’s homelessness report has five recommendations, four of which are directed to the GNWT and none of those four have been acted on.
I recognize and accept that an election and transition period from the 16th Assembly to the 17th has occurred and that does slow things down, but I have to repeat the question I asked earlier: What will this Assembly do to live up to, one, its commitments from 2007, two, the recommendations from Mr. Falvo’s report, and three, all that election talk? How will homelessness be handled by this new government in 2012-13 and beyond?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
We cannot continue with our current practice of dealing with homelessness off the corner of someone’s desk. Change is essential and I and the residents of the NWT expect to see some action and improvement from this government on the homelessness front. It’s a job that all of government must tackle together. Let’s get on with this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
