Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok sat down with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Oct. 24 to table a joint request for $500 million to implement Nunavut’s new housing strategy.
The plan, called Igluiuqatigiingniq (Building Houses Together), is to build 3,000 houses across the territory by 2030. It was announced the week before in Rankin Inlet.
The joint request will see Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) and the Nunavut Government split the requested amount, and bolster cooperative efforts by both organizations to build more housing for Nunavummiut.
“With the strategy we do have now, as well as the strategy NTI’s been incredibly working hard on, it really aligns the direction of us just building homes for Nunavummiut at the core of it,” said Akeeagok, adding he’s “optimistic to see investment in the next federal budget.”
The request falls in line with the sixth Government of Nunavut’s Katujjiluta Mandate to tackle the territory’s persistent housing crisis.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been so aligned (before) to see housing in all the communities. Because we know the issue, we’ve heard many times that it’s the biggest factor why we’re not advancing. It impacts the health, mental health, and education of Nunavummiut,” said Akeeagok.
In mapping out development with NTI and the Regional Inuit Organizations, it’s “laid out a foundation” he says for establishing working groups and plans together toward building housing for the residents of Nunavut.
Request for comment was made to NTI vice-president James Eetoolook but he could not be reached as of press time.