New report highlights need for urgent investment in housing for Nunatsiavut and Nunavut
November 28 – Ottawa, Ontario – Office of the Federal Housing Advocate
Yesterday, Inuit leadership of Nunatsiavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) and the Federal Housing Advocate met with federal government officials to discuss the dire need for solutions to the housing crisis in Inuit communities.
The meetings come as the groups launched a report on housing conditions in the North, which affirms what has been said by Inuit for decades: the right of Inuit to adequate housing is being violated.
The Federal Housing Advocate visited Nain and Hopedale in Nunatsiavut, as well as Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet, and Iqaluit in Nunavut from October 17 to 29, 2022, in partnership with the Nunatsiavut Government and NTI, to observe housing conditions in these communities and to illustrate the urgent need for change.
The Federal Housing Advocate witnessed first-hand and heard directly from Inuit community members about the dire housing realities they face as a direct result of colonialism and a staggering failure by multiple levels of government over many decades to invest in and respect the human rights of Inuit. Despite repeated promises by multiple levels of governments, families continue to live in deplorable conditions.
This is an ongoing human rights failure that needs urgent attention.
We welcome the early engagement of the federal government on this issue, and we look forward to continued productive discussions. Engagement on the report included meetings with Senator Patterson and MP Lori Idlout. The Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Peoples hopes to build on the report’s findings in 2024. A meeting with Minister Vandal, Minister Anandasangaree, Minister Anand, and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Peter Fragiskatos, was positive with a commitment to explore the report’s recommendations in detail with the Nunatsiavut Government and NTI.
All governments should heed this call to uphold the human right to adequate housing in Nunatsiavut and Nunavut.
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Quotes:
“The housing conditions that the Inuit inhabit are the direct result of colonialism and a staggering failure by successive federal, provincial, and territorial governments over many decades to invest in and respect the human right to adequate housing of Inuit. I heard the exhaustion and the urgent need for change both from people who are unhoused and those who are stressed and living in precarious housing circumstances. For Inuit, the right to housing has been too long out of reach. I ask that all levels of governments carefully consider and urgently implement the recommendations found in this report.”
“No part of Canada better exemplifies the housing crisis than Inuit Nunangat. Inuit in all four regions live with housing outcomes that I think can be difficult to conceptualize from Southern Canada. We will always welcome visitors from Canada who wish to bear witness to the human rights crisis within our region. Our communities suffer every day, and have for generations, due to these shortages and indignities. Reconciliation with Canada and with Newfoundland and Labrador, for Nunatsiavut particularly, cannot be meaningful until Inuit can live in dignity. We currently are far from this goal.”
“Transformational change is needed to improve the living conditions of Nunavut Inuit. This will require a sustained effort that goes far beyond a short-term construction campaign focused on crisis relief. What is required is the ongoing prioritization of Inuit values and traditions and the mobilization of Inuit knowledge and capacity to provide secure, adequate, accessible, affordable and equitable housing for all. Intergovernmental collaboration is key in making a difference to Inuit communities, families, and individuals across Inuit Nunangat. NTI hopes this report will spark action by all levels of government to ensure Inuit everywhere have safe, healthy, and affordable homes that meet our unique needs. This is our human right.”
Associated links
Media contacts
Office of the Federal Housing Advocate
Media Relations
613-943-9118
communications@chrc-ccdp.gc.ca
Nunatsiavut Kavamanga
Bert Pomeroy, Director of Communications
(709) 899-0004
bert.pomeroy@nunatsiavut.com
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
media@tunngavik.com
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