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August 31st, 2020

Federal action needed to fix Nunavut Housing Crisis: MP Qaqqaq

IQALUIT – After visiting eight communities over 21 days and speaking with local authorities and hundreds of Nunavummiut about their unique challenges with safe and affordable housing, NDP Critic for Northern Affairs, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, concluded her housing tour by addressing the media today.

“Nunavummiut have been struggling with dangerous living conditions for decades,” said Qaqqaq. “I know it is important for people to be able to share their stories on a personal level because successive Liberal and Conservative federal governments have refused to act. This has left victims of domestic abuse with nowhere to flee and allowed communicable diseases, like Tuberculosis, to spread through overcrowded homes.”

The Liberal government has promised to invest in affordable housing, but this investment has not arrived in Nunavut. The federal government is projected to spend less in 2020 on housing in the territory than they did last year. That is why Qaqqaq is committed to bringing concrete action to the House of Commons, and to make sure that the federal government begins investing in high-quality, affordable housing in Nunavut.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need for immediate federal investment in housing in Nunavut. Hundreds of people are on waiting lists for new homes, physical distancing is almost impossible with multiple people sharing the same rooms, and moldy conditions contribute to asthma and other respiratory conditions that make COVID-19 worse,” said Qaqqaq. “The federal government has never provided enough funding to address these basic housing requirements. They must act to make sure Nunavummiut can be safe and healthy in their homes.”