A draft of the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Homelessness Strategy was released on March 30, but the National Indigenous Housing Network (NIHN), based in the NWT, expressed concerned that the approach would not be enough to address the problems Indigenous peoples are facing.
NIHN called for a housing state of emergency and demanded that NWT Housing hand over control of all of its housing agreements to a non-partisan group of Indigenous advisers from each region of the NWT. The Indigenous housing network accuses NWT Housing of taking SA国际影视传媒渢he blind eye approachSA国际影视传媒� to housing issues in Indigenous communities, alleging that women and children are being evicted with no place to go and are also being placed in poor housing, which causes them to become ill.
Paulie Chinna, minister of Housing, said via email on March 23 that a state of emergency is declared during a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict, medical pandemic or epidemic, or other biosecurity risk, which allows the government implement policies that it wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 normally be permitted to.
SA国际影视传媒淚n this case, Housing NWT is making policy and program changes, guided by its mandate and renewal strategy, to address the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 housing crisis,SA国际影视传媒� Chinna said. She added that Housing NWT is working on a multi-year plan to deliver 510 housing units, 60 of which are currently under construction in remote communities. Between 2020 and 2021, $25.5 million was allocated for their construction from the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) and a further $25 million from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).
Katlia Lafferty, co-chair of NIHN, said that the programs listed in the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 homelessness strategy work for some people but not everyone.
SA国际影视传媒淢ost of the programs do not offer secure, safe, affordable homes for those most vulnerable SA国际影视传媒� that is Indigenous women and girls, which is not even mentioned in the strategy,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Lisa Thurber, community advocate and founder of Tenants Association NWT, also condemned the strategy.
SA国际影视传媒淭his strategy does not address our issues,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t does promise to form another office to address homelessness. Apparently, the current office with staff and Housing NWT minister (Chinna)SA国际影视传媒� is not capable of dealing with the homelessness, other than approving and denying applications.SA国际影视传媒�
NIHN said in its news release that Chinna was powerless in her position as minister. Lafferty provided context.
SA国际影视传媒淟ike most ministers, they are often inundated with paperwork and debates in the house with lofty speeches while their deputies and staff are doing most of the decision-making,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ften that staff is non-Indigenous with no real understanding of culturally relevant and historical Northern insight into the landscape (or the problems) we are dealing with.SA国际影视传媒�
The Homelessness Strategy, which is seeking public feedback, is expected to be complete in summer 2023.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated who NIHN feels should oversee the NWT Housing Corporation's responsibility for housing agreements.
