Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it is over two years. For the two years, it will be $217,000. Like I said, we are watching them closely. If they need additional monies, we will support that, and we are also looking at different ways that the local housing organizations can bring in funding. For example, some of the communities are talking about how they don't have access to repairs for people who are over the income threshold, and they don't have supplies. We are just in that policy review. We are looking to see if the local housing organizations can expand to meet not only the public needs in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, absolutely. As soon as we hear more and there are firm commitments, we will share that with the MLAs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to update Members on the progress community governments and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs have made on implementation of the Northwest Territories Asset Management Strategy. In spring 2016, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, in partnership with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and community government representatives, launched the Asset Management Strategy. The strategy helps community councils and staff maximize benefits from their infrastructure investments. Implementation has been designed to be flexible and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, as stated, we do have the annual meetings, and the boards are well aware of it, of the programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I should state that we are working really diligently with all of the chairs in the local housing organizations because of the number of program and policy changes that we are implementing, so communicating with them on a regular basis is critical to make sure that this program renewal is effective. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Mr. Ron Williams. Tom Williams, the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Sorry, family members. On my right is Mr. Jim Martin. He is the vice president for finance and infrastructure services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I agree with the Member that housing needs are important within the Northwest Territories and we need to look at all accesses, all opportunities for funding. I am hopeful that the National Housing Strategy and the Indigenous Funding will actually address some of the needs within the territories, but I do commit that we will continue to work with the Department of Infrastructure to identify any opportunities that we can use to increase and better maintain the stock of housing that we have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, the CMHC, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, halted the cuts that they were taking every year, so now we will not be cut any further, but, in 2038, that money is still on the table to be chopped. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, every LHO is notified as soon as someone is behind their rent, and then they can actually provide counselling to people to try to ensure that they can catch up on their rent.

We do allow people to enter repayment plans. We try to work with them to say, "If you keep current with your current rent, can you pay a few dollars towards your arrears?" to keep people in, and then, finally, like I said, we are trying the new pilot project, the housing support worker, that when we get notified that someone is falling behind, we send in a worker to see if we can actually work one-on-one with those...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not sure what page it is, but it is in our capital plan. We are actually looking at building a seniors' complex within the community of Yellowknife. We are targeting for 22 units. I know it is small, but it is the most progress thing we have done in many, many years.

Of course, within that, we are doing the full review of a study of what seniors' needs are throughout the territory so that we can actually be more strategic in putting seniors' units up. They are our knowledge; they are our history. It is important that we respect them and we provide accommodations as...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In 2016-2017, the Yellowknife housing organization provided a year-to-date surplus of $3.4 million. That is a lot of money that can be used for services. We are not going to take it away and not provide other supports. We have asked them to reinvest that money into housing. They are building the eight-plex.

We have also started new programs. If they were using that to address the wait list, we have other programs now that will address the wait list. We have our rent supplement program in which any resident who is paying more than 30 per cent of their rent can actually get...