With the majority of Nunavummiut renting their homes, the Nunavut Housing Corporation is working on a tenant education toolkit to help individuals become more knowledgeable about numerous aspects of living in a home.
"How do people learn to be good tenants? Sometimes, we learn from our elders, sometimes we learn from friends. But all too often, people learn through trial and error," said Lorne Kusugak, the acting minister of the housing corporation, in the legislative assembly on Wednesday.
Housing corporation employees are working alongside staff from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and Ilitaqsiniq – the Nunavut Literacy Council – to adapt a successful Canadian program called RentSmart to life in Nunavut, according to Kusugak.
The local version of the RentSmart program will include Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit descriptions, values, principles and maligait (laws), he added.
"This new program will work to train community educators to offer the program in their communities and will establish a master trainer in the territory so we have this expertise in Nunavut to ensure the program is sustainable in the long term," said Kusugak.