New housing units for health and social services in Nunavik

This week, as Kuujjuaq faces as exodus of doctors, Quebec announced that more staff housing is on the way for health and social services workers.

“To improve and develop health and social services offered in Nunavik, we need specialized people who will work there. To this end, we have to offer professionals a comfortable place to live and make enough housing available,” said Philippe Couillard, Quebec’s minister of health and social services on Wednesday.

“For this reason, I am announcing … the construction of 16 housing units destined for health and social services staff in five northern villages.”

The two Nunavik health centres, Tulattavik and Inuulitsivik, will receive $3.5 million toward the new construction.

“We see a rapid population growth in this region that’s linked with a high level of social problems,” said Pierre Corbeil, the provincial minister responsible for Quebec’s North.

“Moreover, the communities in Nunavik are very isolated, a reality that creates an additional challenge, with respect to the delivery of services. The announcement … will therefore greatly help professionals who work with the native population.”

The two ministers said that in Nunavik the construction of housing can’t be seen as a simple building project – but one that helps recruit and retain health and social services personnel.