Mr. Speaker, the government must do everything it can to ensure the protection of those among us who have disabilities, by way of mobility, wheelchair bound, from accessing public facilities to accessing public housing. The government must do everything it can to improve the quality of life of these individuals, as they are the ones that we are here to protect.
Mr. Speaker, I watched a young man struggling to push his wheelchair down the street in Fort McPherson by way of the mud and the gravel, thinking “That’s a challenge.” After talking to his dad, I found out this individual had nowhere to live, so he had to access public housing. The housing authority had to build a ramp for this individual to get into the unit. Yet after talking to his dad, I learned that this young man had to struggle and pull himself in and out of his wheelchair to get into the washroom because his wheelchair was too wide and he couldn’t get through the door. He had to get out of his wheelchair, crawl into the washroom, crawl back out, get into his wheelchair, wheelchair his way down the hallway, go to his bedroom, crawl off his wheelchair, crawl into his bedroom and vice versa.
Mr. Speaker, in this day and age individuals with disabilities should not have to struggle to go to a washroom or have to struggle to get in and out of a public housing unit in our communities. This government and the Housing Corporation must develop a policy that allows for disabled housing in our communities, and also by way of seniors’ housing in regard to our aging population. I think it’s critical to have to hear these stories from parents in regard to their struggling children who are in wheelchairs. Also, by way of access to public housing, the individuals have to wait three months before they are allowed into public housing because they have to move to another community.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
Again, Mr. Speaker, the individual had to move to Inuvik with his dad, because his dad got a job in Inuvik. Now he wants to move back to Fort McPherson, because his dad’s job will expire June 31. Yet it’s been less than a year since his dad left Fort McPherson, and now he’s being told by the housing authorities, “Sorry; you cannot get into a public housing unit, because you are not a resident of Fort McPherson.” If anything, a person with a disability should be our top priority and go to the front of the list for housing.
With that, I will be asking the Minister of housing questions on this matter, because I think it does need some urgent attention. These people struggle enough as it is to get through life without us as government putting barriers in their way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
