Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Housing. It just wouldn't be a normal session if I didn't ask for them to remove the community residency policy.
So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Housing remove the community residency policy? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now the Housing Corporation has taken direction into reviewing all policies within our department. Right now we are working with the Council of Leaders, which is a respected working arm for us throughout the territory. We had brought this to their table as well. I just want the Member to know that we are having those discussions, and we are going to be bringing that back to committee before the end of this government for committee to have their opportunity to make their suggestions and their comments on those changes to those policies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I fear that while the people of the Northwest Territories have waited four years for a homelessness strategy and no changes have happened that there are policies that can change in the meantime.
If the reason the Minister says that she needs to hold on to the policy is for fairness and housing can't be distributed fairly without this policy, then why hasn't the Minister updated the point rating system to ensure fairness when housing is distributed to residents? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for her question as well too.
Throughout my time holding the portfolio, I'm confidently wanting to say that I went to every region throughout the Northwest Territories, and I was able to speak with a number of the LHOs. I think the last number that I had was 20, and there's 23 throughout the Northwest Territories. So I had brought this up as well too, talking about the point rating system, and the LHOs didn't have too much comments to wanting to change the point rating system. And also I did speak about the residency requirements which where the LHOs do have a service agreement that is performed on behalf of Housing NWT.
The comments for that as well too is that they found that policy fair.
But I will bring that back to the LHOs. Housing NWT will be meeting with the local housing authorities regionally in the next coming months, and I will bring this back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm kind of confused then. If Housing NWT has gone to LHOs and they have said that they don't want to change their policies but Housing is speaking with the Council of Leaders about changing policies, what power does Housing NWT have then over LHOs to change policies? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The policies are administered by Housing NWT. But I'm looking for fairness and consistency throughout the Northwest Territories and having the Council of Leaders at the table and having these discussions, looking at these policies, we have made great movement with them in talking with the federal government as well.
I did make an announcement this morning that I acknowledge what they had received throughout the territory, and I'm looking at this as a positive way to be doing and addressing housing in smaller communities as well.
And we are not waiting for the Council of Leaders to make the decision. We are looking for the recommendations and the comments from that table and the recommendations and comments from the local housing authorities. I would like to highlight their work and bring them to the table and update those service contracts as well too.
Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of work to be doing when I'm speaking about local housing authorities, and I respect the questions coming from the MLA because it really provides a lot of good feedback for us to be bringing that back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister keeps speaking about fairness. But if a policy goes against the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the MMIWG, on the anniversary that it was tabled, if it goes against the TRC Calls to Action, then it's not fair; it's not a fair policy, and this is not a discussion about fairness. This is a discussion about Housing having a prioritization tool that doesn't work, and they won't change it. So at what point will Housing realize that this policy has unintended consequences and they need to step in and create policies that work? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And like I have said, we are right now, in the current time, we are reviewing those policies. As we speak, the department is working on them, and I am confident that we're going to be looking at future changes. And I know that you know, I've had the portfolio for three years. We are seeing significant changes throughout the Northwest Territories. And I know the Member's very passionate about this policy. She would like to see the changes made. The policy right now is out there for recommendations, for comments, and bringing that back. But I really want to stress to the Member that I did not hear any concerns from the local housing authorities when looking at the residency policy. But my commitment is to bring this back to those meetings that are happening and looking at further changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
