Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing continues to be a major problem in my home community of Fort Providence. There are people who are in desperate need of housing. For example, I know a few people that live at the winter crossing. I also know of a few people that live with their parents or their family.
I hope all Members will think about that, especially the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. It’s not acceptable to leave families out in the cold when there are alternatives and practical ways to help them. I think that last summer there were five empty houses, housing units in Fort Providence. I believe some are still vacant. They could be allocated to people who need them if some decisions were made to do it.
One of the major barriers is arrears to the Housing Corporation. People become ineligible for programs and assistance if they have previous arrears. I’m not sure of the origin of these arrears, or if past arrears of former housing clients are being reduced in the corporation’s current re-evaluation of arrears. I know that that will help some current tenants, if the reduction of arrears could also be available to former tenants.
I don’t know where some families are going to find the money to clear their housing arrears. There are lots of jobs here in Yellowknife, but none in Fort Providence. With the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge, Fort Providence has lost jobs. There were 13 jobs on the ferry alone, plus some more on the ice crossing. It remains to be seen whether the Deh Cho Bridge will bring any new business and job opportunities.
What I see, Mr. Speaker, is hard times for people who lack health and housing, and few ways that they can escape that predicament entirely on their own. The only solution for now is better management of our housing programs and filling empty units. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
