Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak about the importance of our younger generation caring for the elders. I’ve heard from a number of constituents on this subject. One man gave an example of a young person who could not stay with his grandparents or they would have to start paying rent. As well, he said that he had to quit his job to care for his mother when she was on her deathbed and because when he moved into her home her rent increased based on his income. He asked the departments to work together, rather than work against each other, to develop policies that accommodate more than just one generation of families sharing one house.
Until elders enter extended care facilities, if they do, they will continue to live in their present home. It may be a home that they own or rent. In many cases they will live alone and, rightly so, rent free. Those who own their own home find it difficult to maintain a house on one pension. In the Sahtu where the elders could share their houses with children or grandchildren, they are discouraged from doing so. The household would have to pay rent geared to the children’s income.
I would like to suggest that an incentive in the form of a reduced rental rate from the NWT Housing Corporation or a subsidy or payment for provisions of care from Health and Social Services should be considered. I think that some adults, singles or small families would choose to live with their parents or grandparents. There are many advantages to such arrangements.
Family contact is very important to our culture and elders should have families around them. Recently in the Sahtu there has been a case where an elder died all alone and this is very sad. It is unacceptable in our culture. Elders can stay in their homes longer if someone is sharing their home and checking on their well-being every day. As well, a younger generation can provide help with things like picking up groceries, getting elders to appointments at the health centre and ensuring medications are taken. Elders still have much to contribute, such as being there when children return from school and perhaps some cooking and sharing their cultural values, traditional skills and aboriginal languages.
I believe the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation should review the rental rates for extended families to provide an incentive for adult children to share a home with parents or elders. I’m not supporting overcrowding in our homes, but many of the rental homes have been built to house four or five or six people. Such a change in policy might be cost effective and free up some housing stock and continue our traditions of caring for the elders.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
