Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I spoke about the need to provide adequate and suitable seniors’ housing in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e. I have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
The understanding of the difference in market communities for seniors when they’re finished utilizing their home can sell it and make hundreds of thousands of dollars in small communities, the unit is usually transferred to one of the family members that doesn’t have accommodation. Can the Minister tell me if the NWT Housing Corporation has a plan to address seniors’ housing and senior citizens’ homes in non-market communities?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of it is related to the needs survey. We would try to allocate funding according to the most need. I can assure the Member that the Housing Corporation is doing, and will continue to do, whatever it can to ensure that seniors across the Northwest Territories are well cared for.
Will the Minister commit to discussing the usage of Our Great Elders Facility in Fort Resolution with the Department of Health and Social Services to accommodate both the Home Care Program and for potential seniors tenants?
It was an interesting meeting we had in Fort Resolution, a very good meeting we had with the seniors in Our Great Elders Facility. They did raise the concern about the usage of that facility. I had a preliminary discussion with the Minister of Health and Social Services upon my return. The Housing Corporation do own the infrastructure and there is some concern in the community that this infrastructure is not being used as well as it should be. I’ve had some discussions to talk to the appropriate parties about how we can best make use of the whole facility. If that includes the four seniors units that are in there, then we’d be more than willing to have that discussion and possibly fill the four units.
Will the Minister review the needs in Lutselk’e with the aim of providing four additional seniors units to house the seniors in Lutselk’e?
We’re all reviewing the needs of tenants and residents across the Northwest Territories. I will commit to the Member, and I’m actually going into the community of Lutselk’e with the Member and have an opportunity to meet with the leadership there. I’m sure they’ll share a lot of the same concerns. With that in mind, we’re always reviewing how we put units on the ground and this is going to be another opportunity to do that.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Prior to the Minister and I travelling into Lutselk’e -- and we also went to Fort Resolution -- will the Minister commit to having his staff begin an immediate dialogue with the Lutselk’e Housing Authority and the Fort Resolution Housing Authority to provide more appropriate seniors’ housing in both communities?
Before I do that I would like to commit to the Member that I will start the dialogue with the leadership in Lutselk’e and then have discussions with the housing authority and the Lutselk’e Dene First Nation on some of the talks that we’ve had. Then once that’s completed, we’ll see where we go from there. If there’s a need for staff to have further discussion, then I’ll commit to the Member that I’d be willing to direct them to do that.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
