Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Sep 20/99) - It's time to stop studying and start doing, Housing Minister Manitok Thompson was told last week.

The Standing Committee on Community Empowerment and Sustainable Development has made three strong recommendations to the minister in an effort to deal with Nunavut's housing crisis.

Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien, chairs the committee and says enough studies have been conducted, now it's time for action.

"The committee met because everyone agrees the housing crisis should be our number one priority right now," says O'Brien.

"This is not just the people of Nunavut and the MLAs, the premier also agrees that this is our top priority.

"We feel, as the standing committee on housing, it's time to step up to the plate, and some strong, immediate motions were passed by the committee, which have been forwarded on to Minister Thompson."

The committee has recommended the Nunavut government purchase the necessary materials to construct 75 single or multi-unit houses, and that site preparation begin for these units wherever weather conditions permit.

O'Brien says funding for the initiative should be available in the 1999-2000 budget, while the money for labour should be budgeted for the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

"The question's probably going to come back, "Where's the money?" We're going to show a surplus in this year's budget because of the number of decentralized jobs already budgeted which won't be filled for a variety of reasons, so let's start to put our money where out mouth is.

The committee also recommended a six-month rent freeze be implemented for seasonal workers, Employment Insurance recipients, and for the Nunavut Housing Corp., to develop a rental policy which takes into account the realities of extended families and seasonal employment.

It further recommends that, for the remainder of the 1999-2000 fiscal year, first-time homeowners be granted $40,000 in down payment assistance.

"The minister has indicated she would like to put a seven to eight-month task force in place to look at this, but we want to see action taken now," states O'Brien.

"I feel we've already studied the issues to death. We have reports coming out of our ears and lots of documentation showing us where the need is.

"The bottom line is we need more public housing. In Arviat alone, we have 78 people on a waiting list for housing and almost 700 families in Nunavut. If you don't have proper housing you have overcrowding, social problems, problems with young children, the list of related problems goes on and on."We're hoping to hear back from the minister in the next week to 10 days on our proposals.

"We're all more than aware of the problems faced by our constituents and it's time to work quickly on an action plan for achievable results."