Thank you, Member. Minister for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have president Young respond. Thank you.
Thank you. President Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And that will be our goal, yes. We know that there's transitional housing and other issues that are being worked on across government that all link to the homelessness issue that we're addressing. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just wanted to I have one last question just on page 383 at the bottom there is utilities, and I note that the actuals for 20202021 were at 398 and that the main estimates for 20222023 come back down to the standard we see every year of 232. And I'm just wondering if the Minister can confirm why the jump in utilities and why that's expected to come back down to the main estimate number. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have vicepresident Jim Martin respond.
Thank you. Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This increase in utilities, it's associated with our our commercial properties, basically our nonresidential properties that we lease to others for other revenues. And we have reviewed this area. We believe there is some opportunities for cost savings in the coming year, but this will be an area that we'll look at more closely in the coming year, and if needed, make an appropriate budget adjustment going forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, vicepresident. Are there any further questions under this section? Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I just wanted to sort of reiterate a little bit of what my colleague from Kam Lake is saying around just these numbers around the homelessness initiatives.
As I'm looking further into the housing issues in my riding, one of the things that's coming becoming apparent to me is that the lack of support services for the homeless and vulnerable populations then impacting the housing clients that are now in those apartments that are neighboring the downtown core, and so at first I was under the impression it was other people within the building but now I'm sort of getting the picture that it's often just people wandering in from off the street that really don't have a connection in the building. So I guess I'm just a little bit disappointed to see that we're not really increasing our homelessness initiatives by that much. I mean, there is an increase but is there a plan to expand these services in the next fiscal year after this, or are we going to see sort of a status quo budget for homelessness in the next while? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, just with the when I had gotten the portfolio, my one of my goals was to establish a homelessness initiative throughout the whole of the Northwest Territories. The only two ridings that don't have any homelessness initiatives is Nunakput and the Sahtu, and we did establish one in Hay River and one in Fort Simpson and just trying to look at providing those services outside of Yellowknife but also recognizing our nonprofit organizations do exist here, our volunteers do exist here, and they don't necessarily have them set up yet in the in the smaller areas. But for the for further further response, I'll have Jim Martin, vicepresident, respond. Thank you.
Thank you. Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So as our Minister and president alluded to earlier, the Housing Corporation is working on a homelessness strategy and a component of that certainly will be looking at emergency shelters and the support services in that area, and recommendations will follow from there. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, vicepresident. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'm just a little bit worried about a strategy that's going to take a while and then it'll take a bit more time to implement, and I'm just worried that in the meantime the people in the downtown core are falling further and further behind, as well too the impacts and social impacts on families living in the downtown core is huge when I hear 7yearolds tell me that they're scared to come home or walk into the building with their mom, that's worrisome to me, or a mother with a fourmonth old that's not even living in her unit because she doesn't want to bring her child around that. So I know this is all stuff that the Minister and the department is aware of, but I just wanted to take a moment to reiterate that this is really quite concerning and I think we're spending like my colleague says, spending more money on bandaid solutions than we are on, I think, longterm permanent solutions for our people. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. I didn't hear a question in there so I'll just leave it as a comment. Are there any further questions for the Minister under the finance and infrastructure services? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at, on page 384 is the transitional rent supplement program. I see there was 749 749,000 and nothing after that. Is that something that was affected by a subset, or is it just something that's not required anymore? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Of course I cannot find this, but I know we did have an increase in intake for this program and we do have an agreement with the federal government, which is a 50/50 cost share, but I'll have vicepresident Jim Martin respond further. Thank you.
Thank you. Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The transitional rent supplement program is a program that has sunset in 20212022 or 20222023 no, 20212022. And that program was replaced with the Canada NWT housing benefit providing affordable rental assistance for the NWT residents. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just looking at the line item emergency shelters, we see roughly a $376,000 increase from the revised estimates. I guess what what caused that to that increase to happen? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We have the GNWT initiative funding for Hay River and Fort Simpson homeless shelter and where we were able to get funding, but we did sunset the the prior year for the budget for the Hay River homeless shelter. So now we actually have it built into our budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess just talking about homelessness initiatives and a plan, you know, it's something that's been going on for years. If it wasn't for this pandemic, we probably wouldn't have seen much change. I think we would have saw people still outside in the wintertime, you know, trying to find places to live, but so, you know, the pandemic, even though it was bad, it did bring to light some of the gaps that we have. And, you know and I don't think and I don't think we can you know, it it's not right to forget what those gaps are, and we got to move ahead.
You know, the cost to the cost to house somebody that's homeless right now and an estimated cost was probably I would say maybe 7 to $10,000 a month, and and that's just being conservative whereas if we were to be able to find a place for them, we're looking at maybe $1500 a month. So it's a big it's a big difference. And I guess what I'd like to see is that, you know, we we take a serious look at this and find ways that we can actually provide people without a home, provide them with some type of home. And when I say that, you know, we always see ads; we see articles; we see news stories on you know, on tiny homes, you know, clustered for seniors, for people who are for veterans, and even for homeless people. And I think that's something we have to look at. We have to we have to make that a priority in the communities, priority of this government. And, you know, we got to make sure that lands are available and set aside for something like that. Is that a is that something that the Minister's department is looking at for any time in the future? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just I you know, I like this question that's being asked as well because we're one of the things I would like to have homelessness initiatives outside of Yellowknife so we could have people housed in their home communities as well. And just looking at what we have had in throughout the Northwest Territories, we've got Northern Pathways in Behchoko. We've got another one in Aklavik. We've got one in in Fort Good Hope, and also looking at those supported housing homelessness initiatives. But the thing that I've noticed as a Minister is finding the the nonprofit organizations outside. You know, they do exist here within Yellowknife but there's there's so many of them here that it's just trying to find those initiatives going forward. But we still continue to be working with my colleagues as well too. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, if it wasn't for, you know, the NGOs in the communities, you know, like in Hay River we got the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre; we have the Women's Resource Centre; we have the Council for Disabilities. You know, they all contribute. They all they all go, you know, beyond. They're always, you know, hamstrung by by funds. They use a lot of volunteers. And, you know, if it wasn't for those type of organizations, we probably wouldn't be doing what we are in the communities. So, you know, it's great that we we have them, and we have to support them.
I want to just talk about this allgovernment approach, because I hear it; it's a nice term. You know, it feels good. What it does, I'm not quite sure. You know, I can see that, you know, we've got several departments. I see them sitting down talking about what's best. But it's when they go away, and you know, and I expect that the Housing Corporation is left holding the bag and is expected to do all the work. So, you know, what I'd like to know is what comes out of this allgovernment approach? How is that how is that delivered in at the ground level in the communities? Does it include participation from each department? Is there still ongoing discussion after the fact? Or is ever it's just each on their own?
For instance, health has you know, they look in Hay River; they provide funding for the day shelter. They the Housing Corporation provides funding for the night shelter. So, you know, so there's a little bit of a disconnect there, whether they talk together, I don't know. So I just kind of wondering there what the you know, how do we translate this allgovernment approach into what's actually happening on the ground, and if there is actually some type of coordination and buyin? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have president Young elaborate because this is what the housing strategy is for, and this is what with all those conversations happening amongst departments and what is our plan going forward and who is responsible for what. And I hear you as well. There's so many different pots of funding that comes together and we end up with with these nonprofits and trying to fund them for services that they could provide on our behalf. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. President Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, yes, very quickly, the whole goal of this is to not have somebody left holding the bag but to continue to work together after we come up with a strategy and how we how do we have that happen, because I think one of the things that we as housing have noticed is is the issue is not just a housing issue. In some cases, it's a poverty issue. In some cases, it's an addictions issue. And there's lots of other reasons why there is an issue that's creating the homelessness situation and we need to continue to work together to support that individual. Much along the same concept as the integrated surface delivery. So, you know, at this point, it's all levels. We're working at my level; we're working at the VP level; we're working at the operational level and trying to find a way to make this work all the way down. And challenging our staff to be creative and innovative on how to find some solutions here that will work with their partners because they know their communities better than anybody else about what those working relationships look like and how to make the solution work for their community. So we're trying to take advantage of all of that skill and knowledge of all the different folks we work with and build it into something that will translate into a program that will work. So that's that's why it's taking us a little bit more time, is building those relationships and that framework that we want to have happen. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And just a quick comment. You know, I'm pleased to hear, you know, all the all the right terms and all the right words with with the direction that that the department's going and working with other with other departments as well because, you know, for myself, I'm on the ground in Hay River. So I'm talking to the people that are affected. I'm talking to the people that are providing the service. So, you know, I can gauge what's being done and what's not being done. And, you know and I'll make sure that, you know, when I see any gaps or anything, any issues, that I'll let you guys know as well because I'd rather tell you and hope it could get addressed than having to bring it in the House and, you know, it goes around in circles. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Okay, in the budget here, it says shelter enhancement fund, victims of family violence. So the actuals in 2021 was 201. And after that, 20212022, like, the revised on the main estimates still stayed the same at 100. There's a decrease. And down to the 20222023, you still have the same. Why is there a big decrease in almost half in that for the shelter enhancement?
Thank you. Just remember to redirect the chair. Thank you. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That was additional funding that was allocated due to the COVID19 response. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Yeah, yes, we we know that well, the reason why I mention this is that the victims of family violence, we do need shelter in lot of regions. There are some regions that don't have women's shelter. For example, in Tlicho region, we don't have a shelter. We don't have a place for women and children to turn to. And if we don't since we don't have a place, they go to Yellowknife. They relocate to Yellowknife. And most of the time, it's because well, there's no program for them and due to housing, no housing. So they do we you know, they go somewhere else. And sometimes they're not too happy. They're you know, like, the families are not happy. The kids are not happy but they have no choice. They don't because there's not enough housing in our regions. And I heard this from various women. They said we need a women's shelter in Tlicho region. So it just that I think this enhancement program, she said COVID, but I just you know, the emergency shelter, it's, like, 2.7, and it went up to 2.9 from the actuals.
When you look at the statistics, and even one of my colleagues mentioned too, that Indigenous women, women in the NWT, they're you know, like, they're likely to be the victims more, ten times more, and 98 percent of the time women admitted into the shelters are Indigenous as well. Not to dismiss we need shelter for the young boys, young men as well, because they do need help as well. So we need more emergency shelter, family shelter, family violence centre for both. You know, for the family and for the young men as well. So I just want it's just that it's there's a big there's an increase in emergency shelter from 2.7 to 2.9. Why we don't have enough shelters in the Northwest Territories for the most vulnerable that we've been talking about? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, you know, that I just want to talk as well too because my riding, I come from a small community too. We don't have a homelessness initiative in my home community, and we don't have shelters as well too. But also looking at the assets that are on the ground, if there's an interest from that riding and that Indigenous groups, then I would like to work with them and being able to work with my colleague with the Department of Health and looking for funding to see how we could establish these shelters. But once again, the thing that I notice that we run into is the nonprofit organizations when they're established and who's going to run them. You know, we could provide the funding, here you go, but who's going to establish the programming. So but I could follow up with the Member if there's any assets that she may be interested in speaking with her Indigenous group about. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Any further questions? Member for Monfwi.
I would love to discuss this further with her after, yeah. Thank you.
