Behchokǫ̀ to host housing meeting on August 29

Behchokǫ̀ is to host the latest in a series of housing and homelessness meetings being staged by a committee of MLAs.

The NWT’s social development committee of regular MLAs, chaired by Kam Lake MLA Caitlin Cleveland, will hold a public hearing at the Tłı̨chǫ community’s Kǫ̀ Gocho Sportsplex on Monday, August 29.

In a press release, the committee said the hearing will begin at 6pm following a provided dinner at 5:30pm.

Residents’ views on housing and homelessness will be used to help MLAs make recommendations about actions the territorial government should take, the committee said. Those recommendations are expected this fall.

Similar meetings have already been held in other NWT communities.

In Inuvik, residents said territorial policies were getting in the way of common-sense actions to help house people. Several attendees at the June meeting also said societal shifts meant NWT residents now spent less time actively helping people without homes than was once the case.