As the MLA for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, ensuring that my constituents have access to the housing they need is a high priority, but achieving this requires effective collaboration across every level of government. Given that the federal government controls the largest share of funding needed to move housing projects forward, itSA国际影视传媒檚 no surprise that ISA国际影视传媒檝e been closely following the housing policy proposals which have emerged on the federal campaign trail.
The federal government has been a key driver of housing construction in the North since the Great Depression, as the scale of the crisis forced Canadians to rethink the role the federal government had in ensuring the most vulnerable had access to a basic standard of living.
A future where Indigenous Governments lead the way on the services their people rely on is clearly the best option we have to choose from. We are, after all, now in the age of reconciliation. Just a few years ago, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) passed in our legislative assembly and now must be properly implemented at the territorial level. UNDRIP explicitly supports Indigenous self-determination, particularly in areas like housing, education and health. This is our opportunity to put that commitment into action and put Indigenous governments where they belong at the centre of these solutions, respecting and empowering them because they are best positioned to manage housing administration and establish local home-building capacity, trades apprenticeship training and supporting homeownership within their communities.
This fits perfectly in the current agenda of the federal government as well. I have been impressed by how flexible and cooperative the federal government has been over the last decade when working with Indigenous governments, and whoever is the next prime minister will take this relationship further. Yes, we are all frustrated by the lack of progress with housing in the North, but the approach on housing in the 2025 federal campaign just needs to be applied on a greater scale here in the North with Indigenous governments. Other parties are rightfully pushing for more action, but I worry they will throw out this collaborative relationship and demand one size fits all policies on housing. Conflicts with Indigenous governments over how funds are spent and how land is utilized on a granular level by policies dictated in Ottawa is a recipe for failure, not success.
Regardless, it is up to the voting public to decide our next federal government, but no matter who gets in as the prime minister, I want them to know that these are my key points when they approach housing in the North, especially in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding:
1) In the short-term, action must be taken urgently to address the housing and homeless crisis, working in true partnership with all Indigenous governments with adequate funding without delay, along with a clear, transparent timeline for how those resources will be delivered and put to use. Families living in overcrowded, dilapidated homes need immediate relief and so do the increasing number of Indigenous people living in shelters or on the street.
2) Provide Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP), Home Improvement Program (HIP), Senior Homeownership Repair Program (SCHRAP) and the Emergency Repair Program (ERP) new public housing, new homelessness homes, and homeownership repair funding on annual basis to the Akaitcho Territory Government. That local government can then retrofit all private homes in Ndilo/Dettah/Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 and Fort Resolution, while providing apprenticeship training to ensure this process establishes a future generation of skilled tradespeople. Right now, more homes are aging out at 50 years old, and beyond that point they need to be completely retrofitted, which will worsen our current housing crisis and make solutions even more expensive if this is not addressed soon.
3) Provide residential lot development funding for surveyors, culverts, power poles and power lines for Ndilo/Dettah/Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 and Fort Resolution so that homebuilding is rolled out smoothly. Regulations, red tape, and poor communication between jurisdictions and departments when it comes to lots, land use, and infrastructure have only slowed down the solutions we have worked so hard to accomplish.
4) Begin working on a long-term framework agreement where all CMHC housing funding goes directly to the regional Indigenous government immediately to address their housing and homelessness crisis, and to create job and apprenticeship training in the small communities throughout the NWT. The same can be said about funding from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, whose funding for Indigenous residents also currently flows into the pocket of the GNWT.
The cooperative approach I've outlined for housing grounded in self-determination and aligned with the spirit of the treaties, Section 35 of the Constitution, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples should serve as a model for strengthening other essential services like education and health. This ensures that the rights of all Indigenous peoples in the North are upheld, and that these services are delivered by their own governments wherever possible, in meaningful collaboration with other levels of government, where appropriate.
Lack of services
Right now, I hear too often about the lack of services for my communities, from medical travel to income assistance to the closure of learning centres, and beyond. If my communities had a hand in the administration of these policies, the outcomes would be far more beneficial but there is no consultation or accommodation by the GNWT when administering the $1.8-billion in grants the GNWT receives from the Government of Canada.
This approach will also turn around our ailing economy, because there is too much conflict and mistrust between different levels of government, industry and Indigenous governments and communities. In the past, Indigenous people in the NWT have experienced negligent business practices, environmental degradation, little return on investment and no free prior and informed consent regarding the initiation of projects on their land. Without fostering more collaboration, we will all remain antagonists when we should be partners, because all communities need meaningful employment and investment. We need fair progress on land claims, where First Nations, Metis and Inuit have the ability to govern themselves in the NWT.
My communities also need to see new investments programs and infrastructure funding alongside industrial development that benefits their communities. To address the high cost of living, Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 needs a new winter road, an all-season road and a new chip-seal program for all local roads to curb the dusty road that is a major health concern in the community.
Ndilo urgently needs a full-size school gymnasium, six classrooms, a science lab, a full-size community hall. Dettah needs a new school with a full-size gymnasium, local addictions programs and the youth need sports and recreational activities. Elders need more access to long-term care so they can stay in their homes.
Fort Resolution needs a new water treatment facility/roads/powerline, new local chip-seal roads and a new community hall. Right now, the youth are leaving my communities for opportunity and safety, while Elders are leaving for care. This is draining my riding of its culture and vitality.
Despite the state of our territory today SA国际影视传媒� the poverty, the addictions, the homelessness SA国际影视传媒� I am optimistic that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a bright future ahead for all people of the North, but it begins when Indigenous peoples have control over their own destiny. ISA国际影视传媒檝e chosen to work in this process because I believe these goals are within our reach when we work together, but I need my communities to stay hopeful and participate with me so that our democracy truly works for us all.
SA国际影视传媒擱ichard Edjericon is MLA for the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding.
