The NorthSA国际影视传媒檚 housing crisis was front and centre during a roundtable discussion involving NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty and representatives of non-profit organizations on Wednesday morning at city council chambers.

Afterwards, Singh said they sought solutions because, from what heSA国际影视传媒檚 heard, a lot of people cannot find a place to call home.

The NDP leader pointed out that the cost of buying a house has jumped, rents are increasing and living conditions have left tenants unhappy in some Yellowknife apartments.

SA国际影视传媒淭he Liberal government had eight years to do some thing about it,SA国际影视传媒� said Singh. SA国际影视传媒淭hey shuffled the cabinet (Wednesday) and that shuffle has not changed their track record during the past eight years, where they have not responded to the challenge and the crisis of housing in a way that makes peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 lives better. In fact, peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 lives have gotten worse.SA国际影视传媒�

He added that the government needs to offer supports to SA国际影视传媒渂uild more homes rapidly in any way they can.SA国际影视传媒�

Some of the methods he suggested include building non-profit housing and purpose-built rental housing rather than market housing.

Singh said his party is going to put pressure on the federal government to make solving the housing shortage a priority.

He pointed out that the NDP successfully pushed Ottawa to expand dental care and increase the GST rebate, and now theySA国际影视传媒檙e fighting for an acquisition fund that would invest in non-profit and not-for-market homes.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are solutions,SA国际影视传媒� said Singh. SA国际影视传媒淲e need to commit to prioritizing this, and this is what the New Democratic Party is focusing on.SA国际影视传媒�

He added that the labour shortage in the North makes it even more challenging to get new residences built. Meanwhile, the higher cost of living in Northern Canada puts additional pressure on residents.

To solve the problem, Singh said the North needs a unique and sustainable response as some Northerners donSA国际影视传媒檛 meet standards for existing housing programs that are available in the south.

When the topic of the next federal election was broached, the NDP leader said his attention remains primarily on applying pressure to the Government of Canada.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur focus is to get results for our people and to get people help,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲henever the election happens and whenever the time comes, we are ready.SA国际影视传媒�

Singh later told Yellowknifer another factor that could contribute to the high cost of living is corporate greed. He said many companies are using inflation as an excuse to keep raising prices. He noted that the NDP has also been bringing attention to that problem.