Do you think that Quebec is experiencing a housing crisis? You are right.
This housing crisis “in the south” of Quebec is, however, disproportionate to that experienced “in the north” by the Inuit in Nunavik.
In Nunavik, 47% of Inuit live in overcrowded housing, compared to 7% for all of Quebec. It’s seven times worse.
Housing is undoubtedly one of the most important social issues in Nunavik. It’s not uncommon for five, six, seven, eight people to live in a four and a half. If one of them has social problems, it affects the whole family. This is far from ideal for raising children and fostering their academic learning.
Ottawa and Quebec have built 860 social housing units in Nunavik over six years, between 2017 and 2022. Quebec then takes care of maintaining the housing stock, which costs more over 25 years than the construction costs.
Despite everything, the housing situation in Nunavik has barely improved.
In 2015, there was a shortage of 1,000 social housing units in Nunavik, according to the Kativik Municipal Housing Office. According to the latest estimate in 2021, 893 are missing. Almost the same thing. Because we haven’t built enough housing, and because the Inuit have a birth rate twice as high as the Quebec average.
Small consolation: the percentage of Inuit living in overcrowded housing has fallen from 62% in 2006 to 47% in 2021. This is still tragically too high.
The housing problem in the Far North is not new. There has been a lack of housing in Nunavik since the 1990s, when Ottawa stopped funding its construction for five years.
We have never caught up, and now we have to do it. We have a moral responsibility, talking nation to nation, to ensure that Inuit live in decent housing.
The simplest solution: build 900 additional social housing units in the short term, and then adjust the housing stock to demographic forecasts.
That would solve part of the problem, but there is a way to do better.
In Nunavik, 98% of the Inuit reside in social housing built by the State, which maintains and owns it. The Inuit pay rent based on their income.
Many Inuit, who earn good wages and can afford it, would like to own their home in Nunavik. Like you in Montreal, Sept-Îles or Val-d’Or.
It’s not really possible for them right now. Building a house in the Far North is much more expensive than “in the South”. Without government subsidies, we just can’t do it. There is a grant program, but the fund is empty and there is a waiting list. This box needs to be filled.
Private housing and social housing are mutual vessels: if an Inuit family builds a house of their own, they free up their state-run social housing.
Private property will not solve everything. In the end, it will no doubt be necessary to build hundreds of social housing units to make up for the housing shortfall in Nunavik. The question is to determine the balance between the different types of housing.
The Legault government intends to organize a meeting within a few months to brainstorm ideas and find innovative solutions to the housing crisis in Nunavik. We hope that it will allow all the parties involved (Quebec, Ottawa, the Inuit communities, the Makivik Corporation, contractors) to agree on a quick and effective plan to make up for the shortfall of 900 housing units.
We need to build better, faster, and involve more Inuit labour. The Makivik Corporation, which belongs to the Inuit communities, must be at the center of the projects, in order to maximize the economic benefits for the Inuit.
It is urgent to act. As you read these lines, half of the Inuit live in overcrowded housing.
It is embarrassing and shameful for Quebec society.
Just as it is embarrassing and shameful that Quebec is not able to provide teachers to all Inuit students. And that Inuit patients die or experience complications due to unacceptable delays in receiving care.
We can correct all these deficiencies in our public services in Nunavik. These shortcomings must be corrected. There is only one way to do it: with political will and the funding that comes with it.
So that all Inuit students have a better quality teacher and education. So that Inuit patients are better cared for, and cared for more often in Nunavik. And so that Inuit families no longer live in overcrowded housing.