Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that this is specific to a financial piece of legislation because it's a revolving fund. So there would be some challenges that way. We have been able to manage with this fund the way it is for quite some time, and I think, like I was mentioning, that the anomalies are really because of some of the COVID issues, that we are hopeful will resolve. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Nokleby.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I think that this could play a really large piece back into sort of more of the traditional economy and such and then as well as providing those supplies. And I just see that I feel that our fur and our crafts and all of that is just a really untapped resource for the territory that we need to be looking at more. So I guess I just want to say that I support seeing more expansion of this type of a program and then along the lines of what my colleagues were saying around the tanning and such and the ability to produce hides that we talked about the other day. So more of a comment than anything. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Ms. Nokleby. I'm seeing no further questions or additional items. Please return now to the department summary found on page 69. Whoops, sorry, I've got Mr. is this for the 69? Okay, the overall summary. All right, Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks, committee, for indulging me. I just had one more question. I know ENR is at the technical working group on at least one piece of legislation. I'm just wondering if we provide Indigenous governments money to support their work being there, and if so, how much, or whether that's an EIA question. Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The technical working group is made up of IGCS Indigenous governments which would not not have their funding provided. And with respect to the nonIGCS excuse me, the nonIGC Indigenous governments, it's on a casebycase basis. So if it's people that are employed by the Indigenous government, then there are not costs that are provided, which is what I think we have at this point right now. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't have any further questions, but I'm going to at the appropriate time, I'll have a motion to bring forward. Thanks.
All right, no further questions on this section. Committee, I will now call the department summary, Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, total department, 20222023 Main Estimates, $98,723,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Nice try by my colleagues. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the department of Environment and Natural Resources at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
Consideration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 20222023 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department, is deferred. Agreed? Thank you, Minister, and thanks to the witnesses for appearing before us. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses from the chamber. Thank you.
We'll take a quick fiveminute break. Mahsi.
SHORT RECESS
All right, committee, we'll resume. We have agreed to consider Tabled Document 56119(2): Main Estimates 20222023. We will now consider the estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is included in the Main Estimates as an information item, and the totals are not voteable. We will continue to review these estimates as we have for the previously considered departments; however, we will not vote on the totals. If Members have comments or questions, they can be raised at the appropriate time. Does the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation have any opening remarks?
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Proceed with your opening remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 20222023 Main Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Overall, the Corporation's estimate proposes an annual operating budget of $121 million, representing an increase of $2.84 million over the 20212022 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsibility and strategic spending.
Highlights of this proposed estimate include the following:
1.1 million of forced growth funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories. This includes an initial allocation of $947,000 to provide operating funding for the first year’s delivery of federal cost sharing housing units as well as
164,000 for property tax increase for existing housing inventory across the Northwest Territories;
752,000 of ongoing initiative funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories for the new Hay River and Fort Simpson homeless shelters;
882,000 from the Government of the Northwest Territories for collective agreement increase; and
68,000 travel budget reduction as part of the GNWTwide reduction.
These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly:
Fostering strategic partnerships, including these with the federal and Indigenous governments to increase the number of affordable homes and reduce core housing needs, especially for seniors and vulnerable persons;
Reducing the cost of power by investing in energy efficiency solutions for both new construction and repairs; and
Delivering increased opportunities for homeownership.
This concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Minister. Does the Minister wish to bring witnesses into the house?
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.
Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me here today Ms. Eleanor Young, president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, and Jim Martin, vicepresident of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Thank you.
Welcome. Committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document? Yes, we will defer the Housing Corporation summary on page 373 and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with community housing services starting on page 377, with information item on page 378. And I'll entertain questions from the committee. Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Previously, I know a number of local housing organizations have expressed their interest to be able to go and get money from the federal government. I know the Yellowknife Housing Authority would love to be able to submit to these various federal funding pools, but they are not permitted to. Can we just explain why we won't let these organizations get money? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The local housing authorities run under a service agreement that is binding with the Housing Corporation. They are not government employees, and they are not a nonprofit organization. I will have Ms. Eleanor Young elaborate on the response. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, and the Minister is correct. Essentially the LHOs are an extended arm of the corporation and from a perspective of CMHC, they would be deemed to be part of the corporation when doing applications. That would not stop us from working with the LHOs, and we do so when we're working on some of the applications currently. So we could continue to work with them on an application if they wish to do so. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I guess so there's kind of this weird thing going on where there's local housing organizations and then there's authorities and some, in fact, are nonprofits registered under the Society's Act, and I'll note that those ones actually can't be investigated by the ombud, which is a weird kind of mistake that was made in that schedule.
But is there any actual reason for this difference between some of them being nonprofits and some being, you know, essentially creatures of statute under the act? Is this something we're going to correct, or is there actually a reason for it? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With the action of the renewal coming forward, we will be working very closely with the local housing authorities but should they want to submit, they can submit through the Housing Corporation with our support. I will have Mr. Jim Martin, vicepresident, to elaborate on a response. Mahsi.
Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, so as the Minister alluded to, the authorities are established under legislation whereas the associations are established under a society act as was mentioned. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. Martin. Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I guess I you know, this happened long before I think any of us, even Mr. Martin. I'm just trying to understand if there's any reason why there is creatures of statutes that are authorities and then just nonprofit societies associations with different powers doing different things with different reporting structures and if there's any benefit to having these two different systems run on maintenance. Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So with our renewal, we are going to be looking at all policies and agreements throughout the corporation, and this is one of them as well, too, that we're working very closely with and also reviewing our contract agreements with them as well too. So I can follow up with the Member. And just to be very clear, you know, we are working towards changes going forward with the corporation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Johnson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, another kind of anomaly is they all somewhat have different appointment mechanisms. Yellowknife specifically, the mayor and a group of Yellowknife MLAs get together and we decide who is on the Yellowknife Housing Authority. Others are directly appointed by the Minister. Some have a bit more community input. This is according to some ministerial directive out of the 90s, I believe. But I really don't think it's my role to decide who's on the Yellowknife Housing Authority, and in fact, I would like them to be at arm's length nonprofit that perhaps some sort of membership has input on who sits on that board. Are we going to look at how we appoint people to these authorities and associations as part of the review? Thank you.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And that's exactly what are going we are working with right now. The other thing that I have noticed is you're correct, that we do have some Indigenous groups that do have representation on these boards. We do have forms of leadership as well too. But we're looking at pursuing those changes.
One of the things that I have I have mentioned too when reelecting these board of directors I guess is that I don't want them to serve more than two consecutive terms. So I've made that very clear throughout the Northwest Territories. But going forward, we will see a more streamlined clear approach when we're dealing with the LHOs. And if we're looking at those changes and there's no relevancy to having those representation in selecting the boards, then we will be working closely with the LHOs throughout the territory. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Johnson.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I, you know, what I envisioned happening here is probably not a onesizefitsall model. I think some Indigenous governments probably want to take over the LHOs and run that maintenance function. I personally, in Yellowknife, don't believe we need one at all. I would be happy to tender maintenance, either privately or to the municipality, to a dev corp, anyone, or in fact just bring them into the housing corp. And I know there's a lot of cost in having these LHOs. They each have an office. They each have staff. They each have admin. They each have a board. And, you know, I think a review of I guess I'll just speak on behalf of Yellowknife. I'm not sure that we're getting the benefit there, considering they're not actually allowed to make any decisions about applying for funding or buying units or even who we lease from.
So in reviewing this, are different options on the table? Can we perhaps, you know, look at some cost savings or just, you know, a variety of models of how we provide, you know, essentially the maintenance and property management and the collection of rents in communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi, Mr. Johnson. Minister.
