[Witness spoke in Sliammon]
[English]
Thank you, Erik.
Good morning and thank you, honourable members of Parliament.
I can't say enough about Erik's leadership during the crisis in our community. This man worked day and night for three weeks plus, and we owe him a debt of gratitude as a community for sure.
We did learn a lot of things from the outbreak in our community, some good things, some bad things. The community pulled together. It was really cool to see, but obviously it did expose some real issues.
One thing I wanted to raise with the committee this morning is how the overcrowding in housing in our community worsened the outbreak. We had multiple families living under one roof who were unable to quarantine and self-isolate in a safe way, and this put other loved ones at risk. It also exacerbated the outbreak.
While the worst part of that outbreak is behind us, we continue to be vulnerable, and we need investments in housing. This is why, in collaboration with our fellow self-governing indigenous governments, or SGIGs, we have submitted a housing stimulus proposal to the Government of Canada. The purpose of this is obviously to provide affordable housing to protect our vulnerable people from coronavirus spread caused by overcrowding. It's to address the long-standing housing gap in our communities that continues to contribute to poor socio-economic outcomes. Of course, importantly, it stimulates the economy in our communities and our regions through housing investments. It's providing meaningful employment and opportunities for people to put food on the table and to get through these difficult times.
I believe some members of the committee will have heard of this proposal submitted by the self-governing indigenous governments, and appreciate any support that can be lent towards that. We think housing is not a problem in our communities; it is a solution. We graciously ask for your support for this ask, which is $426 million in a targeted investment for safe and affordable housing in our communities. We have the data to back up this request.
I know I'm running overtime here, but I welcome any questions on that piece. I appreciate the time.