GN workers resist retirement to avoid homelessness, MLA claims
Lack of housing forcing GN employees to work well past retirement eligibility to avoid housing insecurity
MLA Joseph Inagayuk Quqqiaq says some GN employes with staff housing refuse to retire because of a lack of public and market housing availability. (File photo)
A Nunavut MLA suggests that due to a lack of public housing, GN employees with staff housing don’t want to retire because they and their families would face homelessness.
Netsilik MLA Joseph Inagayuk Quqqiaq asked in the legislature Thursday what the government could do to ensure retiring GN employees have a home after they finish working in the public service.
There are a number of cases where retirement-age employees are refusing to retire because of the lack of public or market housing.
“They feel trapped and are unable to retire,” Quqqiaq said.
He asked the government to consider converting existing empty employee units to public housing, citing 15 units that were recently released by the government to the Cambridge Bay Housing Association as a step in the right direction.
But Lorne Kusugak, the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corp., said converting existing units would create more problems.
“If one is allocated to them by the local housing association, it would mean jumping the queue in front of people who have been on some wait-list over two to three or four years,” he said
Kusugak, the MLA for Rankin Inlet South, is the minister who oversees public housing in the territory.
This is not a new issue.
“A number of my colleagues raised concerns” during the winter sitting, Quqqiaq said.
The government is exploring options to address Quqqiaq’s and the other MLA’s concerns, Kusugak said.
If you worked for the GN your entire life only to retire and have no plan for a roof over your head after retirement, I’m sorry but that’s entirely on you.
I worked for the GN for 18 years and could not afford to purchase a home with the rates of the big 3 communities home prices. My only choice is to stay in low cost housing (thank goodness for housing) for the rest of my life unless I find a rich partner for life (which I highly doubt will happen). I have sentenced myself to this life but I am grateful that I can provide for my immediate family (single parent) as well as other family and hope for the best for my children that they will do better than I.
Public housing is not retirement housing.
My daughter has been on the list for 4 years, looking at another few years. She should not have to wait longer because people with good paying jobs and pension expect to get public housing when retiring.
I hope that while she waits for public housing she is working and saving for when a house might become available for her to buy. If your a home owner and she lives with you she should be able to save a lot of money since bills would be low. And assuming your not just expecting her to pay for your home… because if that is the case what will happen to you when she does eventually get her own place.
Fastest way to get to the top of housing list.
Set up a tent for the summer and your daughter moves in to the tent. For winter build an insulated shack. Update her application that she is living out of a tent or shack.
She has to actively be living in the tent/shack until she gets a unit. She can sleep over at your place from time to time and come have showers, cook lunch or dinner but her active residence has to be in a shack or tent.
Get support letters from mental health nurse, community counsellors, income support worker, who ever you can stating she is homeless. Get housing to inspect her living conditions and she will get fast tracked to the top of the list.
Seen this happen a bunch of times now.
Holy smokes the king and savior asked a serious question.
You mean to say that he *repeated a serious question. In a different forum. Other MLAs brought this issue up a few times in Committee of the Whole
With him, same difference
I know of a few Inuit who have had to make the very difficult decision to move South when they retire and have to give up staff housing, because they would otherwise be homeless in Nunavut.
The staff housing program was originally designed for workers coming from the South, most of whom would return to the South once their employment is over. Now more and more Inuit get staff housing, but the system has not been redesigned to accommodate their circumstances.
International human rights organizations have recently started looking at the issue of evictions without adequate, nearby replacement accommodations as a human rights issue.
Inuit can do the same thing that non-inuit do who decide to remain in Nunavut after retirement (it does happen, even in small communities) and that is buy or build a house! That’s what money is for, you look after your needs like housing and food with it first until that is covered, and you also save for your retirement.
People that have jobs, don’t only look after themselves and their children, they also look after their grandchildren. So financial planning for most Inuit is a new.
“People that have jobs, don’t only look after themselves and their children, they also look after their grandchildren.”
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That’s only part of the story.
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People that have jobs, don’t only look after themselves and their children, they also look after their grandchildren and other members of their extended family.
Well, that comment makes sense for people who have marginal or unsecure employment; it makes no sense whatsoever for people with well paying stable jobs like long-term government employees. The only exception I could see would be for people who have junior positions in government and are the sole bread earner for a large family… but there are people with very senior high paying jobs, whether Inuit or not, who simply should not be provided government subsidized housing; they earn too much to be provided that and that housing should go to people in need. It would be good to have public data on people in government (GN and federal) who earn more that $ 100,000 per year and get subsidized housing, without their names but with their position title, how much they earn incl northern subsidies, and how much their subsidized housing costs the public. Those units and that money should go to people in need and education and health. I know it is easy to say but if all these people were looking for houses to buy, developers would find a way to build, wouldn’t they? It won’t happen in 2 years, but it could in 10 if politicians and senior government officials were not so greedy and afraid to affect their friends, basically if they had courage to think of the long term well being of Nunavummiut instead of doing what will get them re-elected by the elites. It is like that everywhere in the world but our world is small and we see the suffering caused by that selfishness very close to us.
Anywhere else in Canada these sentiments of free housing would be laughed about. It is so ludicrous that people in Nunavut feel entitled to housing for free from the government. If you worked here and lived here you’d be able to afford a house over the past 25 years. If you didn’t buy one you’re a fool. If you can’t now buy a house it is also on you. Like lots of retirees in Canada you have to downsize and guess what, that can mean moving to another city. Boo hoo. worlds smallest violin. People with defined benefit pensions and the highest earnings in Canada lol
Must be Same people that live in staff housing and have 3 snowmachines 2 atvs 1 truck and 1 boat parked out front then have a panic attack when they retire and wonder where all their hard earned $ went?
Drive around public housing areas in Iqaluit and see mid five figures in gear and snow machines while you know people are paying maybe couple hundred rent. but it’s okay, it’s for sustenance.
It’s not only workers I don’t see how this homelessness is addressed but I have family members who’s been a local to our community and everyone jumps the housing list even after selling their own homes and out of towers moving to our community living in cabins to be first on the list for a housing unit, how is this fair for our community?? Why is it our family members who’s never owns a unit living off others home to home has to wait like everyone else but to be shoved off like he could wait cause he has no children what about when witer comes?? Nunavut needs to do better. People got to open there eyes… lots suffer just the same. I pray and seems like only prayers are what keeps him safe.
If you do not plan for your future why do you think it should be everyone else’s problem?
One of the teachers is retiring after 30+ years in school. She will move in with her grown daughter who lives in a 2 bedroom house with her adult son. This teacher along with her husband and her a/daughter and son-in-law with 3 children will move to her daughter’s house with no other options for housing of any kind in a small community. Those comments look like they’re written by people who are not living in today’s reality of many families living under one roof because of the vicious cycle of no other housing available.
There’s no housing, because, both inuit and non-inuit nunavummiut use staff housing as long-term housing, rather than a temporary one. These units should be for those who are usually in the territory for a year or two, like teachers, social workers and nurses, while other gn workers should never need to spend more than 5 years in a staff housing unit.
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While you’re living in a staff housing unit, find a vacant lot, build a house, move into the house, that is how it Should be. It is not government responsibility to give everyone a house, especially those making 6-figures, yet here we are. Go figure.
30 years as a teacher, 30 years with at least two months off in the summer. 60 months over a 30 year period of failing to plan for their own retirement.
How should this be my problem?
How should this be our government’s problem?
30 years as a teacher, must have a sizable pension now.
Why didn’t the other adult children get into public housing? Hope they on the list now.
People really need to learn to start helping themselves instead of waiting around for government hand outs.
Hope this is a lesson for all. Young and old alike.
A teacher with a husband and an adopted daughter with a son-in-law and three kids Is moving in with her her grown daughter and adult son.
4 adults + 2 adults = 6 potential paycheques.
The average wage in Nunavut is $35.38/h or $69,000 per year.
69,000 multiplied by 6 means this family stands to earn over $400,000 yearly.
But that only happens when all involved parties are willing to contribute their fair share.
867 – I agree completely.
My wife and I bought an older home in Kugluktuk.
It needed some renovations for sure, but NHC and the Feds have p[lenty of programs available to help homeowners, in particular, retirees who are on a fixed income.
We worked hard all our lives, were able to take a holiday every once in a while, and now have a home with a small mortgage that we can afford.
We have had high school grandchildren who were required to go to school, get a part-time job, and had to pay for room and board.
Life is not free, you have to earn the benefits on your own.
No one should be sponging off other family members. They CAN get work at Northern or the co-op and pay their share of the family expenses.
Parents, start them young to be responsible.
Anyone working 30 or 40 years for any government should own their own home when they retire.
Mr Murphy only non inuit charge rent to their own children. Us inuit will rely on our kids someday , why charge rent when you decided to have kids before they grow up and take your space .
Charging rent to your adult children is responsible. It teaches them that if you’re old enough to work, you’re old enough to pay rent. No rent, good chance that kid won’t work and instead sit around playing video games and smoking pot 24/7.
There is a program called RRSP, if you contribute to RRSP and put money into it every two weeks for so long, it’ll help you put a downward payment on a house. Th government also has NHC to help with a Nunavut Downpayment Assistance Program. This is a great program to buy a house.
This are great , especially if you know if your going to work for GN for a long time, GN also helps with monthly allowance of $400.00 to help pay for fuel , electricity (needs to increase)
Suggestion, save up and start a RRSP or a TFSA, this will help you buy and house and live comfortably after paying off the house.
No need to worry and what and where I will live after I retire.
Yes, everything has gone up, inflation rate, high interest rates , food prices gone up, invest in a home and all will be accordingly.