Today I am asking for your support on calling on all levels of Government and Inuit organizations of Nunavut and the Government of Canada to work together to end homelessness in Iqaluit and throughout all of Nunavut. 

Homelessness can be defined a number of different ways throughout Nunavut, from couch surfing, sleeping in laundry rooms, tents, one of the many men or women shelters or make shift shelters throughout Nunavut.

This week we heard that Iqaluit’s Uquutaq Society has been housing up to 80 homeless men in a 32 bed location in Iqaluit but now that they are moving into their new location, they can only house 30 men at a time. These facts are disturbing and we shouldn’t be ok with this. We shouldn’t be ok with 80 men sleeping in a 32 bed location or with even less beds in a new location. We must act! 

I’d like to acknowledge that Senator Patterson, MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone, Deputy Mayor Brewster,  Iqaluit Housing Association, Uquutaq society, NTI President Aluki Kotierk, QIA, Nunavut Housing Association and various other local organizations including local developers are taking an active roll on my “Mayors Task Force on Affordable Housing”. I am grateful for their ongoing participation but there is an urgent need to make real change immediately and we need everyone including the Government of Canada to help. 

Winter is coming very fast so please sign and share this petition with everyone you know and let’s make all levels of Government aware that, we the people want homelessness on the forefront of all major issues in Nunavut.