The ongoing shortage of accessible, affordable, high-quality housing in northern Canada comes as no surprise to the people who live here.

Now, the federal government's Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) is exploring the effects of this housing shortage on Indigenous people, CBC Canada reports.

There are constraints on the building season due to the short seasonal window for building and shipping supplies, and extra costs that come with the "remoteness of communities, harsh weather conditions and limited reliable transportation infrastructure" in the North.

The territory's reliance on public housing is the second-greatest of any Canadian jurisdiction, after Nunavut.