Lucy Kuptana

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What Housing NWT is willing to do at this time is meet with the tenants, those clients that need assistance, and provide them with support in applying for the Canada-NWT Housing Benefit. They can go through the forms with the tenants and provide that assistance at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following five documents: Housing Northwest Territories 20222023 Annual Report; Followup Letter for Oral Question 1720(1): Elders Housing and Oral Question 2020(1): Arrears Collection for Elders; Followup Letter for Oral Question 2520(1): Housing Northwest Territories Board Policy; Followup Letter for Oral Question 3420(1): Construction and Retrofitting of Housing Northwest Territories Units, and, Followup Letter for Oral Question 4920(1): Yellowknife Aspen Apartments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So contractors are delivering on capital projects for Housing NWT. They were affected by low water and barge delays and cancellations over the summer of 2023. Housing made alternative plans to deliver remaining construction materials during the current winter road season. It is recognized that planning will increasingly need to consider the unique logistical challenges immobilizing equipment, construction material, and modular units within the Sahtu with appropriate contingency plans in place for alternative methods of delivery. Housing NWT will continue to work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from the Sahtu for the question. Currently, Housing NWT has 252 public housing units in the Sahtu:

4 in Colville Lake,

35 in Norman Wells,

50 in Fort Good Hope,

74 in Tulita,

89 in Deline.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT is active in working with Indigenous government partners in the Sahtu region. Both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government are participants in the NWT Housing Forum, which is currently cochaired by Housing NWT and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Housing NWT has an intergovernmental agreement from housing with both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government on housing. These arrangements address matters, including how we work together, share information, and maximize our joint efforts on housing. Under the SSI memorandum of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm happy to report that Housing NWT will deliver a large capital plan involving 20 new public housing units to the communities in the Sahtu region. Housing recently completed four of these new public housing units in Norman Wells. Fourplexes are now under construction in Deline, Tulita, and Fort Good Hope. And duplexes are under construction in Colville Lake and Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the Member from the Deh Cho and the Member for Range Lake for bringing this motion. It raises an important issue worthy of careful consideration by this House.

I don't think there is anyone in this Chamber who doesn't agree that we are in a housing crisis and that adequate, affordable, and suitable housing provides a foundation for people's wellbeing and quality of life. I am happy to see the interest of the Members in the House on the critical need for housing across the North, and the work of my colleagues is important and genuine. It comes from a good place, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I wish to thank the Member for Deh Cho and the Member for Range Lake for bringing this motion. Like the previous motion, it raises important considerations.

First, I note that the motion calls for amendments to the Housing Northwest Territories Act as an action item related to the strategic renewal of Housing NWT. During the 19th Assembly, Housing NWT committed to pursuing a substantive review of the Housing Northwest Territories Act. I am happy to confirm that remains the intention of this government.

Mr. Speaker, I also appreciate and agree with the...

Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT routinely assesses the conditions of its housing assets through a comprehensive unit condition rating. And these unit condition ratings are done every couple of years for each housing unit across the territory, and we have 2,900 units across the territory so a lot of unit condition ratings. Through this work, Housing NWT prioritizes the health and safety of housing units. Housing NWT's preventative maintenance program, which is administered by the local housing associations, also targets the safety of housing units. Tenants in the housing units are encouraged to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT is actively engaging with Indigenous governments and they're actively engaging through the NWT Housing forum. So they meet and then meet like annually discussing housing initiatives across the North. So Housing NWT's new mandate is to place a focus on collaboration with partners, including those Indigenous governments. Collaboration can take the form of intergovernmental agreements that outline priorities for both parties, but this collaboration can also be more informal.

We are pleased to see Indigenous governments take on an increasing role in housing...