Alfred Moses

Currently, we are going through a strategic renewal process. That program in particular, we will be taking a look at. We also do have other work that we are doing that I will be more than happy to share with the Member, such as the community housing support initiatives, that we work with Indigenous governments as well as NGOs to provide funding. As we go through our strategic renewal, we will be updating Members, we will be updating committee, as well as all of our stakeholders across the territory.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think, over the last few years, we have been seeing some very strong partnerships, strong, positive partnerships. As you heard, I just talked about our partnership with the IRC, the Tlicho Minister's statement that I gave on Friday. Working with the Tlicho leadership there was a very positive relationship. Yes, I am willing to work with the Member, work with their leadership, to address the housing issues in their communities.

I have been assured that the cancellation of the MTS shipments will not impact any new construction within the Nunakput communities, with the exception of Paulatuk, which had some mechanical materials, including water and sewer tanks, scheduled for the barging. We are assessing the situation to make sure that we address it, and I will confirm and commit to keeping the Member and his constituents updated on that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, under the 2016 federal budget, the Member is right, $15 million was allocated directly to the IRC for 24 public housing replacement projects in the six Inuvialuit Settlement Region communities. These will not be additional units, unfortunately, for the Housing Corporation's portfolio, but will be replacing aging buildings with more energy-efficient and modernized units.

The IRC did secure the additional funding in 2018-2019 to also deliver an additional 10 public housing unit replacements for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. We continue to look...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 106(3) of the Workers' Compensation Act, I wish to table the following document entitled "Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Annual Report 2017 Northwest Territories and Nunavut." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the work that the NWT Housing Corporation has done over the last few years, as the Minister responsible, I feel that it is important to try to get that work done and completed and put all our resources and efforts into the programs I had mentioned since session has started, to get it done. We can go ahead with the survey, but I feel that, with the questions that I have been answering in the House here, priorities also should be put on getting some of these people into housing rather than getting a survey completed; but we'll work with the Members and work...

The Member is right; it is pretty detailed. I will have to get back to him on that question on how many people have been on the waiting list over the last two years. It could make a lot of work for some of our employees, but we will get that information for him.

We do know that it is a long waiting list right across the Northwest Territories. We are trying to make an indent into that and working our partners, such as ECE, working with Infrastructure, going through our capital plannings, but most importantly we are still continuing to work with our federal counterparts to nail down a bilateral...

That is a concern that I have heard from various Members during my tenure as Minister of Housing. We will take a look at it and ensure that we work with our seniors. They are one of our most vulnerable peoples, and we want to make sure that they can have adequate and safe living place, and we want to make sure that we support that. We will take a look into that. We will work with our district officers and our local housing authorities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As you heard last week, I did mention that a community housing planner has been hired. We are in the preliminary planning work. It is under way, and we want to make sure that we address the communities that do have some of the higher housing needs. The housing plans will identify areas of need, as well as direct resources to increase opportunities for strategic planning, and we will be working with the leaders and the stakeholders in the communities to develop a very detailed plan to address the needs, and I mentioned them last week. I will work with the Member, and I will work with the NWT...

In the 2018-2019 capital plan, we have major retrofits planned for 11 units in the Nunakput communities: 10 public housing units and one health unit. We are also, in 2019-2020, planning for five major retrofits and also looking at bringing in materials and labour to construct other market rental units for nurses and for teachers.

As I mentioned, I will continue to keep the Members apprised of the work that we are doing in all of the communities across the Northwest Territories. We also do have a new home program, where we are looking at creating 11 units across the Northwest Territories to get...