Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will have a homeless problem in the Sahtu very soon if we don’t deal with the ever-increasing eviction notices in our communities. We must, as a basic human right, house our people. It’s the only right thing to do, Mr. Speaker, to keep our children and people from being thrown out and then wait for a year to see if they are welcome back into a house, a government house.
Now, the Minister states that the Housing Corporation is not intent on evicting. However, it is the last resort to collect money from people for staying in housing in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, how did we allow Housing to let arrears get so high? Why did we not go to the tenants and talk? I mean, talk and then follow up on a weekly basis to encourage and to support our people to assume the responsibility of debt payment.
We need to walk with our people on this very serious housing problem. It may even mean holding their hands and doing whatever it takes to let people know that these houses are theirs today.
Mr. Speaker, some of our units are old, some have mould issues, some have broken windows and doors. Other units are well kept and people are very proud to have a house, and we need to acknowledge the ones who pay on time or make every effort to keep up with the rest of their payments. We also have a mix of housing versions by our people such as housing is a treaty right or how did the promise of paying $2 a month for a house get to almost $1,800 for a client. Where did the government change its promise? We’re waiting to hear when that decision was made.
Mr. Speaker, we have so many houses boarded up, we have so many people on eviction notices, we have children who will not have a home. Mr. Speaker, we live in a rich territory, yet people will be living, and are living, in warehouses. Now we also have the highest core needs in the North, according to the 2009 NWT Housing Survey.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, we need to fix our own house. Let’s start with the foundation and location, move them to the communities, build it up from there. It works.
Mr. Speaker, housing is a government responsibility. We’re all in this together. We need solutions like a tenants relationship officer, solutions like working off the arrears, solutions like garnisheeing a percentage of their wages, or volunteering in the community with coaching or working with the elders. It may not fit the government policy, but, hey, it’s the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, we need the attention of this government today; not tomorrow, next week or in the new government. We can wipe off the arrears and at the same time acknowledge those who’ve paid rent faithfully since 1972, but we need the government to listen. Will you listen to us?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member from Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.
