Good day, everyone.
Marsi cho from the K'atl'odeeche First Nation. I am Chief April Martel. I want to say that it's an honour to sit here with all of you. Thank you for this opportunity and for giving me a couple of minutes.
I would just like to say that I am a very vocal person when it comes to housing here in the Northwest Territories, but also all over. I sit as the chairperson for the Dene Nation here in the Northwest Territories. I am on the Treaty 8 reserve, the first reserve established here in the Northwest Territories. I was elected three years ago, and my platform is housing. I want to tell you that here on the reservation in the Northwest Territories I also sit with the Assembly of First Nations. I am on a committee for housing with the Assembly of First Nations, so I work with a lot of indigenous first nations across Canada.
I also want to say that here on the K'atl'odeeche First Nation, on the reserve, we only have 80 houses. Capital and renovation costs are very high because the houses are very outdated. The federal funding that K'atl'odeeche First Nation currently benefits from goes through the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Government of the Northwest Territories controls and decides who has housing needs and what housing is required, not only on reserves but for first nations in the Northwest Territories.
In terms of the demographics in our community, basically, housing is required in my community and the need is urgent with K'atl'odeeche First Nation on reserve. That's basically where that is.
In terms of the challenges I see for KFN, it's very hard to access mortgages or credit, to get access with banks. K'atl'odeeche First Nation just recently passed a land code. We're currently in the process of trying to work with banks, and it's hard to access funding through that. We're trying to work with the Government of the Northwest Territories on housing needs, assessments and renovations currently, but they're telling us that there is no money for renovations or anything.
I just want to say marsi cho for the opportunity to speak in addressing the issues around the housing needs here in K'atl'odeeche First Nation and in the Northwest Territories.
Marsi cho.