Thank you, Madam Chair. Certainly, under our three-year action plan that we agreed to with the federal government, it is to protect our assets, the longevity of our assets. That's why we're putting a lot of effort into maintaining our existing stock, improving it. We do have an aging inventory as everybody's well aware. Some are 30, 40 years old. We do have a methodology on how we develop our capital plan. Maybe I could go through that. It's short.
We have an annual infrastructure deficit of $40 million in housing in the NWT. The Housing Corporation must utilize evidenced-based methodology to prioritize allocation of the base available capital funding that will average approximately $15 million a year. Our capital planning process generally focuses on replacing public housing stock that is older than 40 years of age and prioritizing major repair, modernization and improvement projects for units having a condition rating of less than 60 percent. In some cases, where you don't see investment in the communities, the fact remaining is: these communities, these units are in good shape. They're above the 60 percent, some are 80 to 90 percent. They are in good shape because we have, over the years, through our capital planning process, have been improving the condition of these units on the ground. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I did hear the Minister actually already refer to the asset management program to sort of prioritize, and I think that's along what the deputy minister is also speaking of. That took care of my next question. I was also really pleased to hear the supports for the Arnica Inn. As a Yellowknife MLA, that was definitely something I heard a lot during my campaign with my district on the verge of the downtown, very well-needed, so thank you for that.
I'm glad to hear of the shifting to leverage more money, but I was a little concerned to hear the words that "we started to shift towards leveraging our money," which you would have hoped back, would have been something that would have been a priority because it does bring dollars into our economy. Again, I'm sort of in a more comments thing. Also, just saying that I would like to ensure that the Minister is utilizing northern businesses for either the retrofits, as well as the tank replacement program. Maybe the Minister can speak to the northern procurement content of her work at this point and what the department is doing to maximize benefits? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Housing Corporation always had this number out as 95 percent is northern employment and northern contractors. I asked them about the additional, the five percent. Why isn't it 100? The five percent is with the space frames, so those have to be constructed in the South. I asked, "Why can't these be constructed in the North?" There are some Indigenous groups that are coming forward that are interested in constructing them and learning how to develop them or however. Once we're able to have those space frames developed in the Northwest Territories, it would be 100 percent then. If we're looking at specialized, I want to say, environmental assessments and whatever, that would need a specialized approach. Then, we would be looking throughout the territory. It hasn't happened. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. As one of those people that used to do that, I know there're lots of people in town that can do that kind of work. I'm glad to hear that. Again, sort of back to my background, I would like to know if your technical staff is being given specialized training around northern and Arctic conditions, by example, the cold regions engineering course that's provided by the University of Washington and run out of the University of Alaska. Are there any programs like that that your technical staff is being trained in? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to comment, as well, having staff constantly update their training is a priority for me, as well. I'm curious to see what our technical staff have been doing to keep up with the training that they've been receiving. I'm going to defer this question over to President Tom Williams. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Williams.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is in our best interests to make sure our technical staff are properly trained on northern construction. We rely on and work closely with other infrastructure, with the Department of Infrastructure on best building practices. We have sent staff, technical staff, to the cold climate workshop in Alaska in the past, constantly ensuring that we provide the technical expertise to build in the North. It's important for us because it's a big investment. Any investment in housing, we have to make sure it's a proven investment, and it's going to have the durability that we need. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My last item is just around when you're doing the major retrofits, say, of 19 units in Yellowknife. I'm assuming that's all 19 units in one location. Can you explain a little bit about: does the department, in their prioritization, look at things like project timelines and costing and try to sort of lump together? Maybe it's units in one building so that your mobilization and demobilization costs are lessened because you're doing more at once. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister.
That is a part of our planning, as well, and I just wanted to also include that, just outside of Yellowknife, we really try to meet the barging season and the winter road season, as well, to decrease flying in materials into the communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
That's good.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madame le President. Pursuant to Rule 6(2), I move that committee continues sitting beyond the hour of daily adjournment to conclude the item under consideration. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order and is non-debateable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Committee, we will continue sitting beyond the hours of daily adjournment to conclude the item under consideration. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm wondering if the Minister has a number in mind of what it would cost to ensure that every Northerner had access to a suitable, adequate, and affordable home in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to say that the number out there is quite significant. I don't want to guess because I heard the number, and I was quite shocked. I'll refer the question over to Mr. Williams. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Williams.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Coming up with a number, and I think I raised this number when you guys first started. We did do some costing of what it would cost to get out of the housing crisis in the NWT. It's a very high number. It's half a billion dollars if we want to reduce our wait lists of approximately 900 to 1000 people on a wait list. To put adequate housing in every community, we need some money big time. We rely on the core need report. I think the last report was produced this past year, and we take that into consideration when we do our capital planning of where we put our assets. Another area that is very important for us to inform the process, an endeavour that we're under right now, is the community housing plans. The development of community housing plans across the NWT is going to really inform not only existing need, it's future needs in each community.
Every community has different needs. As the Minister alluded to earlier, we travelled to 14 communities over the summer, so we've got to see firsthand. Every community, when we are doing these community housing plans -- I think we have about 14 or 15 underway right now -- they all have different needs, and they have different solutions on how to meet those needs. We're very encouraged. I know the progress and the community housing plans is not quick enough at times, but it is a very informing document that's going to help not only for this year or future years. It's going to dictate how we spend our money, and where we have to access additional money to meet those needs. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Minister and Mr. Williams for answering that. I think it's a really important number to have on the record here for Northerners. I think it's really important for us to understand that we can't afford to leave any money on the table. If the feds are willing to give us money, then we need to be able to do what we can to access that money. At the 19th Assembly, we also need to support one another on both sides of the House to make sure that that money's ending up in these budgets so that it's available for the Housing Corporation to turn around and spend it on housing in communities, in regional centres, in Yellowknife, that it's available to take advantage of programs like the co-investment fund.
Here's a good question: can the Minister point to me where -- and I was very happy to hear that the Hay River Family Support Centre is being considered for co-investment fund and that Housing Corporation intends to support that, and also the Yellowknife Women's Society Arnica Inn and that Housing Corporation plans to support that through the co-investment fund. Where does that number show up in the capital budget? Does it show up in the capital budget, or is that in the Main Estimates? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will just revert the answer to Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Those two contributions noted to support those co-investment fund applications, that funding will be flowed through the Housing Corporation's community housing support initiative program, which we have set aside in our O and M. This will be reflected in our upcoming 2021-2022 Main Estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I think my problem is, and I'm going to admit it, I'm new to this. This is my first capital plan, but because capital is housing, it's a structure, it's infrastructure for housing for the North, I would expect to see that money show up here. I was hoping to open this up and see a nice, shiny, $10-million line item for housing in here to access the co-investment fund or even more, even $15 million. To me, for us to be able to have access to every single co-investment dollar, every single year that that is still available, is really important. I'm wondering: how come there is no line item here for capital for the co-investment fund? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to further comment that the co-investment fund is federal funding, and we do set aside a budget. I want to say that it's $1.2 million, and my department could correct me if I'm wrong. We would be supporting those applications annually, but for the co-investment fund and additional funding not to show up on the document is not a part of the review right now. I'll have Mr. Martin comment. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to clarify the mode of delivery here, as well, it might help clarify the accounting piece. Basically, the Housing Corporation, for these two projects, would be making a contribution to the proponent, and it will be the proponent that would lead the delivery. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much for that, Madam Chair. No. That helps a lot, and I think now I'm on the same page. I guess this is the place, then, where I would say that my expectation is to open the main estimates come February and to see a very large, large, substantial line item for the co-investment fund, and $1.2 million is not going to cut it. It won't give the Minister the money that she will require in order to fully draw down on the co-investment fund and to support applications that are coming in the door. I hope that the Minister's colleagues are also hearing me, that this Minister needs support at the Cabinet table to get that money and to get that line item, because personally, and I know that I have a lot of friends in this room who feel the same way, I would like this Assembly to be known for getting houses on the ground and for drawing down on that co-investment fund and for being very good at spending free money from the federal government.
My next question is that, within the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 19th Legislative Assembly, one of the line items is to improve availability of private market and public housing options. I know that my colleague from Frame Lake brought this up, but one of the commitments is an average of 25 units per year over four years, for a term total of 100 units. Within here, there are nine units that are earmarked, however, for the RCMP. In my mind, that really doesn't increase or begin to deliver on what the mandate commitment was. I'm wondering: why is there not a line item here for 25 units, and why is that not funded? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Like my department said before, we take into a lot of consideration the retrofits that we have on the ground. We don't have money for new housing to put on the ground. We do rely on additional federal money that is out there and partnerships throughout the territory so we could get houses on the ground together. I will have Mr. Williams further elaborate on the question. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Williams.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister is correct here. The only way we could achieve the 100 units, 25 per year, is soliciting input and participation from private investors, including Indigenous governments. Really, utilizing the federal co-investment program is an avenue to get more units on the ground, in absence of the government providing it. It's getting new partners to the table; that's the key message. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Williams. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I think that I have had many conversations with the Minister, and I know that she is definitely a champion for housing and getting housing on the ground. She wants to see this happen, and I want to support her in that and to see this happen. I feel that, if the money isn't here from FMB to support these 25 units and for you to be able to succeed and achieve that mandate item, then it's really time to get that person working on these applications so that the Minister can take control of her own success because I feel that this would be a great legacy for her to leave the North. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. I didn't hear a question, so I'll take that as a comment. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just in regard to the major retrofits in the communities, the small communities that I represent, anyway, I think that the quality of workmanship going in to make sure that we have a Red Seal carpenter who is travelling with these people who are coming into the communities and making sure they are certified, because I've been getting a few calls in regard to the workmanship and not having Red Seal carpenters on-site -- I just want to make sure that that is being done. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to also comment that training is a requirement when we are putting our projects out for tender. We do have to see a training aspect and also look at the quality of work and looking at the Red Seal. I am familiar with the comment from the Member's riding, and to be honest, to be just plain and honest, it's really hard to find people with the certification and to find the commitment to have the people pursue their trades and to have them complete the Red Seal. The Housing Corporation does have technical advisors come in and make sure that these projects are seen and they are seen to completion, and I do understand that we do have deficiencies after projects are completed. This is where the Housing Corporation is in support of local hire, and this is what we end up with at the local level. We do have the technical support to work with that and to correct the deficiencies that need to be done, but local hire is a priority. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Nunakput.
