Potlotek fighting for more housing
Amanda Marshall says her actions were wrong but she hopes it will bring change
POTLOTEK — Chief Wilbert Marshall says the family promised the house at 8 Estherrich Rd. has moved in and Amanda Marshall is back in her duplex.
“She shouldn't have done what she did,” said Marshall, chief of Potlotek First Nation in Richmond County.
Last week the Cape Breton Post reported on the ongoing housing shortage in Potlotek and how Amanda Marshall had moved into a five-bedroom house that had been promised to another family.
Amanda Marshall admits what she did wasn't fair to the other family that was waiting but she's hopeful her actions bring change.
She has since returned to her duplex after a meeting with chief and council on
Dec. 1. They reassured her the housing crisis was being noticed and they would be working diligently with the federal government to find more money to address the systemic problem.
“I want all of us to be OK and I want mothers to be able to raise their kids outside of their mother's basement,” said the 27-year-old.
Wilbert Marshall and Amanda Marshall disagreed on several key facts such as the size of each family and the existence of a housing policy but they both agree housing is an ongoing issue in their community of about 600 people.
Wilbert Marshall said he feels bad for his cousin Amanda Marshall but he believes she should have followed the rules.
He added that leadership in Potlotek hopes to work with Wagmatcook and We'koqma'q First Nations to put bylaw enforcement officers in place.
“The government doesn't give me enough money to enforce the bylaws,” said Marshall.
He says larger First Nation communities like Membertou and Eskasoni generate enough revenue to hire their own enforcement officers and he hopes the smaller communities work together to provide enforcement officers. They've largely had to rely on the RCMP for such matters but Marshall says sometimes police can be hesitant to get involved.
Amanda Marshall said she's hopeful the enforcement of the bylaws will be fair and she remains adamant that she's not the only one that broke protocol.
As for the ongoing housing issue, Wilbert Marshall says they're still working on infrastructure issues.
“The problem we're having right now is infrastructure for the water and sewer and other than that we'd be building more houses,” said Marshall.
The community has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which has sidelined most of the construction.
Marshall says the pandemic has resulted in significant delays to a new subdivision, a RV park and a medical centre.
Amanda Marshall says she's since chatted with the chief and they've made amends.
“We shouldn't be fighting the way we do to find a safe space four our babies,” said Marshall.