Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2016-2017 main estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. The main estimates propose a budget of $146,907,000, an increase of 2.6 per cent or $3,780,000 from the 2015-16 main estimates. The budget includes a contribution of $81,702,000 from the Government of the Northwest Territories for 2016-17. These estimates continue to support the objectives of limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework.

Highlights of the proposed estimates includes the addition of $16.6 million in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’ll be doing some research, not only nationally but also internationally, to kind of see what initiatives are out there for energy conservation, so we will commit to that. We also really have to be careful that we’re not going to give it all out because part of the savings that we will be taking from the transferring the cost of the power over will actually be used to address our declining CMHC funding because we need to make sure that we have revenues to deal with the operating and maintenance costs that will be coming up, which are declining every year. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The difference in the budget items are because the $150,000 for the Housing First model will be sustainable monies that will be provided year-in-year. That number is based on that because the mandate of the Housing Corporation is to really focus on housing. That money will be utilized for example, supplementary rent, if there is damages to the units, et cetera, so it has to be used for housing need. The reality is the City of Yellowknife, within this fiscal year, are looking at one person, perhaps up to five or six, but I haven’t got confirmation on that from the city. I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Apprenticeships are really valued within the Housing Corp and also within the GNWT as a whole. Yes, we try to promote apprenticeships on their own. We also support the LHOs if they can identify someone within their community and they think that they are appropriate for an apprenticeship program, then we would consider their request for financing so that we can provide that support within their community. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The surveys that will go out actually will be the exact same for each community. The questions will be the exact same. It will just be the answers that we’re looking at compiling and dividing that on communities. For example, if I asked Yellowknife and said what would be your priority for this year and they said… I’m just giving examples. If they said for our community, we want a seniors’ home, and I asked Whati on what their priority is and they said we want to have CARE Major expanded, then we would look at that within our needs assessment. We would be using both tools...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I accept that as a comment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we can provide that to the Member and to committee if they would like it, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we present to the federal government, we present as one entity, so within the tri-territorial business case, all of our issues are kind of in one. We looked at similarities. I will bring forward to the next tri-territorial meeting, the suggestion, if you are okay with it being a suggestion, from our territorial government asking that it would probably serve in the interest of all of us if we could actually do the costing and provide that in the report as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My deputy minister tried to joke and say no. But I am not accepting that. The reality is, yes, that we do try to train. We recognize that we need to build the capacity sometimes in the communities and so we provide training. There is no limit to the training in case you were wondering that. It is based on the needs of the workers. We will train and give them the support that they need until we figure and they figure that they can work on their own. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will not be asking in the survey what they think they would need to bring it up to core need. We will, however, be asking what their incomes are to assess whether they are in core need. Thank you, Mr. Chair.