Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to the committee for giving me the opportunity to speak today on this important issue.
My name is Bertha Rabesca Zoe, and I've been asked to speak on behalf of the Tlicho and other self-governing indigenous governments about the significant challenges our communities face when it comes to housing.
Close to half of Tlicho citizens do not have their core housing needs met. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Northwest Territories, Tlicho live just north of Yellowknife in four communities. There are over 20 communities in the Northwest Territories.
More than 128 Tlicho families are currently on a wait-list for housing. These families are waiting eight or nine years to get a roof over their heads. Over a quarter of the homeless population in Yellowknife is from the Tlicho community of Behchoko. I'm in Behchoko right now, and we're about an hour's drive from Yellowknife. Many of these people are young children, women and families. We simply do not have the houses needed to give them a place to live.
Tlicho citizens also face disproportionately higher rates of overcrowding. Twenty per cent of Tlicho families live in overcrowded conditions. There are very serious health implications to these housing gaps. Even before COVID-19, researchers were sounding the alarm on the impact of overcrowding in Tlicho homes. While tuberculosis was all but eradicated in most of Canada, as of 2018 the Tlicho community of Behchoko had more cases of tuberculosis than all the other communities of the entire NWT combined. This should come as no surprise.
Behchoko has been widely referred to as ground zero for the Tlicho housing crisis. The housing conditions in this community are objectively the worst in the entire territories. Measures such as social distancing and self-isolation are impossible to implement in Behchoko and for our citizens experiencing homelessness. This is the same for most first nations in the Northwest Territories, as well as across Canada.
Just this past weekend, schools in Yellowknife and the surrounding areas closed in response to a rising number of COVID cases caused by the U.K. variant of concern. Yesterday, the schools in Behchoko followed suit.
The Tlicho citizens who live in shelter systems in Yellowknife and the many Behchoko residents who travel to Yellowknife daily for groceries, work and other essential needs are all in danger. If just one citizen catches this virus, it will spread through our homes like wildfire.
When we say that our communities need housing, this is what we are talking about. When we say we are vulnerable to COVID-19, this is how dire it is.
I understand the committee is considering how the federal government is spending COVID-19 money on housing programs. My message to you is that more needs to be done to help self-governments like the Tlicho to address the fundamental housing shortages our people face.
The rapid housing initiative was a step in the right direction, but it did not go far enough to target the disparities in indigenous communities. Over half the available funding under the initiative went to municipalities. The second stream was open to indigenous governments, but we are competing with provinces, territories, municipalities and non-profit organizations for a limited pool of resources.
The evidence is clear that the housing crisis in indigenous communities far outstrips the needs elsewhere. We are, therefore, recommending that the committee consider these disparities and prioritize more funding to where the need is highest.
We also think that future initiatives need to be more responsive to the realities of remote communities. The rapid housing initiative prioritized housing projects that could be up and running in 12 months or less. Getting construction jobs organized in remote places takes time. You might have to wait for a winter road or a supply arrangement that takes longer than you would see in more southerly areas.
The Tlicho and other self-governments should not be disadvantaged because of the complexities of building infrastructure in remote locations. If future program spending does not incorporate more flexibility, we will continue to be disadvantaged in the ways that we have been for far too long already.
Lastly, funding for housing should flow directly to self-governments. Our treaties establish our governments as partners in Canada’s system of fiscal federalism. Providing direct allocations is in line with the government-to-government relationships we share with Canada.
As you consider federal spending on COVID-19 programs and initiatives, I hope that you will keep in mind both the evidence of need in indigenous communities as well as the impact that an investment in indigenous housing would have, not just on reducing the spread of COVID-19 but on improving outcomes for generations of indigenous citizens across the country. I am hopeful that the challenges posed by COVID-19 will give us an opportunity to right some of the historic wrongs that continue to impact our people and an opportunity to build a brighter future for our citizens.
Marsi for allowing us to present to you today. I have with me my colleague, Matt Mehaffey; he was introduced earlier. He will be available to answer technical questions if you have them.
Marsi cho.