Dominating the Nunavut Association of Municipalities (NAM) conference in Iqaluit, held Nov. 4-7, was a topic that is always at the forefront of peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 minds in the territory: housing, or lack thereof.

With a panel of housing-related organizations in the territory represented, the flow of information was abundant, as was the emphasized message to Nunavummiut about available support for any number of housing-related issues.

The SA国际影视传媒�$64-million questionSA国际影视传媒� about whether Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) will provide funding for the Nunavut 3000 housing program was answered.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 going to put this one to rest,SA国际影视传媒� said Tim Brown, NTI's assistant director of policy and planning. SA国际影视传媒淣TI is working in common with Nunavut 3000. What weSA国际影视传媒檙e proposing is anything but public housing. Essentially... NTI and regional Inuit associations live off the interest of the Nunavut Trust. So thereSA国际影视传媒檚 basically a lot of money available for housing and all the rest of the [housing] programs. The money that we are talking about is coming from the federal government. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at $422 million out of an $845 million Nunavut housing allocation in Budget 2022.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is the first time weSA国际影视传媒檝e had any housing funding [from the federal government], and we donSA国际影视传媒檛 know if weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to get anymore, so weSA国际影视传媒檝e had a number of challenges associated with that. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 one of the main reasons we canSA国际影视传媒檛 afford a program... like public housing... that is unsustainable for the organizations," he added.

Brown said NTI allocated 67 per cent of the $422-million towards affordable housing in 2023 and 30 per cent towards supportive housing. The final three per cent went to home ownership and capacity development.  

"So when weSA国际影视传媒檙e talking about what weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to build for affordable housing, itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be $286-million worth, and our challenge is right now... how do we do the most we can with that amount of money," he said.

SA国际影视传媒淗owever, a saying we have: SA国际影视传媒榃eSA国际影视传媒檙e not looking to build the cheapest of housing, weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking to build housing that suits lifestyles and is going to fill a gap of housing thatSA国际影视传媒檚 non-existent right now.SA国际影视传媒� That major gap is affordable rental housing, that is not connected to your employer."

Taloyoak Mayor Lenny Aqigiaq Panigayak expressed concerns that confront small communities. He explained that just the week before, after conversations with his wife about buying a house, he attempted to find supports for housing by calling a housing authority line, only to be told that a program that would have granted him some funds to build a house, which he had been unaware of, had recently ended.

SA国际影视传媒淚n order for [support] to happen, Nunavummiut need to come together as a group and say hereSA国际影视传媒檚 the support that an average person can go to, and they can get their house built with that Nunavut 3000 plan. Because a lot of people, they donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any idea how we can own our own house, how we can start," said Panigayak.

SA国际影视传媒淚 have heard so many times in my hometown that people are trying to buy their own house, but [in Taloyoak], weSA国际影视传媒檙e on the west, away from Iqaluit. And to get to Iqaluit takes two days. So it seems that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a disconnect between people that are farther away to you guys. So we do need to find a way where we can get support, not just Taloyoak, but all of Nunavut," he continued.

Panigayak also spoke of the challenges facing Taloyoak specifically.   

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 good to hear that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of support here to build houses, but thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a disconnect between you guys [in Iqaluit] and the rest of Nunavut. So we need to build something together..." the mayor said. "LetSA国际影视传媒檚 create support for Nunavut. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 great to hear about Nunavut 3000 SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 a good dream. But are some communities going to be left out, because in the past, Taloyoak was left out for seven years for public housing.

SA国际影视传媒淪o we are already overcrowded in the community. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know why, but I feel that Taloyoak is always the last community in things that come out for the government. So I really do need to voice out our concerns, from Nunavut, from the average person.