In Nunavut and Nunatsiavut, in northern Labrador, the housing crisis has reached a level that violates the human rights of the Inuit, harming their mental and physical health, especially regarding the spread of tuberculosis.

This is the conclusion of a report by the Federal Housing Advocate Mary Josée Holly, who primarily condemns the inaction of all levels of government.

She said immediately at a press conference in Ottawa on Monday that it is shocking and unacceptable. She believes that federal, territorial, and provincial governments have failed to fulfill their responsibility to ensure the Inuit's right to adequate housing.

She also added that this terrible reality is a direct result of colonization and the failure of [...] [various orders] of governments over many decades to invest in and respect the human rights of the Inuit.

In 2021, about 40% of the Inuit lived in overcrowded homes in Inuit Nunangat, which includes the four Inuit regions in the country, according to Statistics Canada.

In Nunavut, more than one in every two Inuit lives in overcrowded housing.

Her report compiles a series of recommendations, such as transferring jurisdiction over housing-related programs and services to Inuit governments, as well as establishing independent positions for housing advocates or independent ombudspersons for the Inuit.

Catastrophic conditions...

In February 2022, Trudeau's government asked Mary Josée to examine the housing situation in Canada. After six months, the advocate traveled to two of the Inuit regions in the country to assess the housing situation in the far north.

During her two-week tour, she visited Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit, Nunavut, as well as Nain, Hopedale, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Nunatsiavut, where Mary Josée Holly described the housing conditions she saw as catastrophic.

She gave an example of families of up to 18 people living in a three-bedroom unit. In the Pangnirtung community, her report noted that no new construction has been established for 10 years and that more than 28% of the population is waiting for social housing.

The report also said that water and sewage infrastructure in Rankin Inlet has reached its maximum capacity, leading to a halt in new housing construction.

Nothing new for the Inuit...

Aluki Kotierk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik (NTI), representing the Inuit in Nunavut, said the report's findings reflect an already known problem. He said, "We live it and see it." There is nothing new for the Inuit.

Aluki Kotierk wants to see systemic and transformative solutions that promote true reconciliation with the Inuit population.

Johannes Lampe, president of Nunatsiavut, also believes that the first step would be for Ottawa to transfer programs and services affecting Labrador Inuit to the Nunatsiavut government.

Federal and provincial governments should move away from program-based funding. Instead, they must ensure that the Nunatsiavut government has the necessary resources to design Inuit-led housing plans and programs that consider the realities of our region, he said.