Mr. Speaker, in Newfoundland and Labrador, we take care of each other; that is who we are.
Today, too many of our neighbours are being left behind. As of January, 360 people, men, women and even children, are experiencing homelessness in my province, and it gets worse. There are nearly 200 youth waiting on a list with nowhere to go, while the only emergency shelter in our capital is full every single night. They have even fewer resources in rural areas.
That is our future, stuck in the dark. In just one year, housing prices have jumped nearly $23,500. That might not sound like a lot to a Bay Street banker, but to a young couple in Marystown, that is the difference between hope and despair. We already have the highest unemployment rate in the country, and now we have a housing crisis to match. Many people are starting to ask, when will the tents be on sale?