Housing is one of the major issues throughout the North.
That is why I was pleased to join with my colleague Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross when she came to Thompson recently to discuss housing in Northern Manitoba, During the visit Irvin-Ross came to Thompson, Churchill, Cross Lake, and South Indian Lake.
While in Thompson, Irvin-Ross toured the University College of the North campus, where $6.5 million has been committed for 24 units of family housing units. This is the first step in building more housing for the college. During her visit Irvin-Ross also be met with a number of other organizations and community leaders including economic development and municipal organizations.
The provincial government is already a significant part of providing housing in the North. Manitoba Housing owns over 1,900 public housing units in 62 communities in Northern Manitoba.
It is clear that housing is a major concern in virtually every Northern community. There has been a growing shortage of affordable housing throughout the North.
Here in Thompson the minister heard about the housing shortage and the impact it is having on people in our community. She heard similar stories throughout her visit.
There needs to action on both the immediate housing shortage and the longer term need for more housing. The availability of affordable housing is critical to the expansion of UCN.
The City of Thompson has identified affordable housing as a top priority and has been working on allocating the land needed for additional construction. As minister for intergovernmental affairs, I started the process of moving towards the expansion of the city that will help meet the long-term needs for housing.
The minister indicated that there will be construction this year right here in Thompson and the North. This is good news but just the start of what needs to be done.
As MLA, I will be continuing to work with communities throughout the North to meet the challenge of the current housing shortage.
