The North’s 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 he’s 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.
“The Liberal government had eight years to do some thing about it,” said Singh. “They 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 people’s lives better. In fact, people’s lives have gotten worse.”
He added that the government needs to offer supports to “build more homes rapidly in any way they can.”
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 they’re fighting for an acquisition fund that would invest in non-profit and not-for-market homes.
“There are solutions,” said Singh. “We need to commit to prioritizing this, and this is what the New Democratic Party is focusing on.”
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 don’t 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.
“Our focus is to get results for our people and to get people help,” he said. “Whenever the election happens and whenever the time comes, we are ready.”
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.