Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker. My question here is for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Just to supplement what my colleague from Monfwi was asking about seniors and mobility-restricted people, my questions are regarding people with no land tenure in our communities.
Can the Minister advise if there are any programs available to seniors or people with restricted mobility, if there are any programs available for them in terms of mobility access? Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just want to touch on the first issue, which was the land tenure process. I know that it does hinder a lot of our applicants going forward in accessing the programs that we have. Right now, our department is looking at our policies, and we're wanting to look forward to see how we could work around the hindrance of having the land tenure issue burden our application process and having our clients access their entitlement to the programs that we offer.
Looking at the wheelchair access, we do have funding that is available. It is the SAFE program, and I would encourage the Member to work with me so we can look at these programs and distribute them accordingly, to make sure that we are able to increase the number of seniors who are able to age in place.
Also, the accessibility is starting to become a huge situation that is identified out there, that we need to make our units and our homes more accessible for people who are in need of these programs. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for the response. Just judging from what was just said, outside the SAFE program, there are no other programs available for residents who have no land tenure in their homes? Is that correct?
Sorry, I should have been more clear, but we do have the CARE Mobility Program, the SAFE Program, the CARE Major and the CARE Minor, and they do come with forgivable loans that are established and set in those programs that are available.
I have one last question for the Minister. Is there any appetite to change this policy to open up more programs for our residents with no land tenure?
Going forward with the programs that are accessible for the seniors, we can have them access all three of them going forward, and it's per applicant. I would like to meet with the Member so I can give him the programs that we do have for seniors, and I can provide him with a clearer understanding of what those programs entail.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
