Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on October 5th, 2022, I sent an email to two Ministers requesting for integrated case management services for two constituents. These constituents are a couple who are experiencing homelessness and barriers to obtaining income assistance. In talking with the housing Minister about this, she referenced a housing strategy that has not been tabled yet.
I'd like to ask the Minister is she okay with Norman Wells, Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife, and Behchoko having a homeless shelter and allowing Fort Smith to go without one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and just thank you to the Member for that question. But just a correction, Norman Wells does not have a homeless shelter.
We are working with the Indigenous groups throughout the Northwest Territories to try to find solutions on how to deal with people who are experiencing either homelessness and do have challenges at the ground level. We don't have integrated case management in the smaller communities; therefore, we try to work very strongly, very strategically with the employees at the ground level, working with the local housing authority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I asked for a joint response from the housing Minister and the ECE Minister to assist with this dire situation that this couple is in. I've only received bureaucratic answers with no solutions, as usual with this Minister. When will the Minister provide actual solutions for my constituents and direct her staff to be more compassionate to vulnerable and homeless people? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in respect to the Member's riding, housing has worked very collaboratively with the Indigenous groups within that riding. We have been able to more housing units on the ground as well too. But not only that, just working with the individuals and having to try to find housing solutions. Housing cannot solve the housing crisis on our own. We need the partners at the table. Housing has been working very closely with the Member's Indigenous governments within her riding. And we continue to work in collaboration together in trying to find housing solutions at the local community level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems there's a lack of compassion and urgency to the suffering of vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. I would like to ask the Minister where is the compassion from this government and from her department? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question as well. This is an area that we have taken a different turn within the Housing portfolio as well, and we're starting to find that working with the nonprofit organizations throughout the Northwest Territories do need a lot more support and a lot more training in dealing with their clientele. Housing has been working throughout the Northwest Territories providing those services agreement and trying to come up with solutions as well. Within the portfolio, we did we are looking at further programming. Just one at the top of my head is the Canada housing benefit that we did increase. It first had started off at $200,000, and now we're at $2.5 million. And with that, we're able to really understand the housing need and the crisis throughout the Northwest Territories. But we continue to work together with the communities to try to find further solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as stated earlier, I sent an email to the housing Minister on October the 5th, which was 14 days ago. That's 11 business days. When will the Minister provide a response to that email? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I'm receiving the responses back from the department, they often go back for further analysis as well too and looking at what we possibly can have at the ground level with which is, honestly, very, very limited. We try to look for what resources do we actually have in order for us to be housing people. And we have just a limited amount of housing units in the Northwest Territories. We also have a waitlist that is out there as well. We also deal with women and children and families who are either returning back from treatment, dealing with domestic violence, and we are trying our best to be trying to be more accommodating to the people of the Northwest Territories. But I really would like to like I further said, is that we need to be working as a community and together and with all stakeholders at the table in order for us to really address these these strong housing needs and issues throughout the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Question 1197-19(2):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in addition to my statement today, NWT housing crisis, we're facing a health crisis also. But it stems work like, living together in overcrowded units, it's really drawing a lot of a lot of hurt and hardship between families because there are just not enough homes.
Mr. Speaker, I reference since we started sitting in for this 19th Assembly, 15 times I've made Member's statements in this House in regards to the housing issues that we do have in the territory. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister plan to reduce overcrowded homes in Nunakput riding and when that when is we could work together for that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from Nunakput as well too. I understand where all the Members are coming from as well too. And with the portfolio, we're trying very hard to find strategies and be very strategic on our investment for the Northwest Territories, and also investing fairly and recognizing that all of our people throughout the Northwest Territories are facing a housing crisis.
For the Member's riding, as of to date, we are going to be investing $9.2 million for the 20232024 government. We have $8 million that is going to be completing eight public housing units and repairing nine housing units. We have $1.2 million for homeownership repair program for private homeowners and minor repairs for NWT units.
I would also like to include, Mr. Speaker, that Paulatuk will be receiving four units. Tuk will be receiving four as well. Ulukhaktok will be receiving two. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Or mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I'd like to you know, how can how many people are currently homeless under the housing in my riding in Nunakput, Mr. Speaker? What's the plan to increase housing options for these people? Are we able to take off through the CMHC, able to give these houses away like we planned? And we're waiting one couple in Sachs Harbour for two years now to get that program out. So how do we get them to get that house off the books from CMHC to provide a new house in Sachs Harbour to be able to provide for our younger generation that's having families but having to stay with their parents. This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. We need an answer for this and sooner than later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for his question. With the housing portfolio, there's also the community housing plans, and I know it might seem kind of minor to the Member, but we need to come up with a strategy at the community level in order for us to be at for us to be working and trying to address the housing needs strategically at the ground level. These community housing plans are also lobbying documents for the federal government in trying to acquire further funding.
There was an announcement for the distinctionbased funding. I don't have the number in front of me of how much the Member's riding as received. But I am interested in looking at those housing sales, Mr. Speaker.
I also would like to see transfers of those units, if they're single family dwelling, I would like to see those and further look at those files as well. I don't have information at the tip of my fingers right now. But I need to see the rate and condition of those units and the possibility of an options for transfer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation receives $76 million last year for housing. Is this Minister working with the Inuvialuit to try to work together to combine funding to get houses into the communities? And then my last one or not my last one. But the people in Sachs Harbour, for say, they paid two years into a program that they were told that they had the unit. But there was the two years that they paid the rent without the House being signed over. Will the Minister commit to that couple once, that verbal commitment was made by the Inuvik housing authority, that money they paid for the last two years goes into the purchase of that unit? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a look at those files as well that the Member is referencing with the two years with that agreement, and I would like to see what is the current update on them. So I'd like to encourage the Member to send that over to my office.
And also Housing does work very closely with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation as well too. They just recently met September 22nd. I don't have those further details. But I can follow up with the Member and give him an update. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that information's been sent over two years and it's been sent numerous times to the Minister's office. Not to her office, per se, to the Inuvik Housing Authority. We need some answers here. We got people on waiting two years now. And of all places, I mean, we don't have many houses in Sachs Harbour. We need more housing units in Sachs Harbour. We take this one off, we give it to them under they're paying for it. But at the end of the day, they're going to be able to take that house and get another house under CMHC because we're only allotted so many units in the community. So that's going to be a big help. But the Minister has to make sure that I'm asking her to get this done for the and there's two of them that I'm really pushing for and the information's already there. So she could get her staff in Inuvik to do that, because we're waiting for an answer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will follow up with the Inuvik office and with those specific files and get back to the Member. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Can the Minister describe the status of the relationship with all Indigenous governments situated along the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway route on this project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work we're currently focusing on, which is the 321kilometre alignment to Wrigley to Norman Wells, have established an MOU for a collaboration on the projects with Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated. We also have a contribution agreement with SSI and the PKFN for work under this project. We also have a memorandum of understanding with the PKFN for their consideration on the project collaboration. We also have provided contribution funding to Norman Wells and Tulita Renewable Resource Councils for some traditional work. So, Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Indigenous groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So nothing north of Norman Wells? Okay. Is the work to advance the road connecting Norman Wells and Wrigley on budget and on track? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for her question, because I think that's really important to get this out there. So in 2018, the Department of Infrastructure obtained $140 million in federal support, under the National Trade Corridor Fund, to be able to support things like the environmental assessment, some of the planning studies for the portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from the communities of Wrigley to the Wells, which, again, is a distance of 321 kilometres, as well as the construction of the Great Bear River Bridge and the Mount Gadet Access Road.
We also have successfully obtained funds to be able to construct phase 1 of the Prohibition Creek Access Road, which is about $25.5 million for construction of that phase.
The next critical milestone, Mr. Speaker, in the process of submitting for our developers assessment report, which we anticipate to be submitting to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board early 2023. So following the completion of this critical community engagement and Indigenous traditional knowledge work that is currently underway, we anticipate the EA to take approximately two years, followed by approximately one to one and a half years to obtain all of the regulatory permits for construction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, residents and business in the Beaufort Delta are ready and willing to build a road south and undertake the work required to develop community plans to get communities ready in the Beaufort Delta. That's what they do; they build roads. So can the Minister identify the length of the road and the budget, even if it's a past budget that might have been an estimate budget, required to connect Inuvik to Fort Good Hope? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I respect that the Member was able to give me a head's up; however, that head's up was just not enough time to be able to go back and get a figure from the department. So I'd like to get back to the Member for this one because this is something of interest to me and perhaps you too, Mr. Speaker. I mean, we've talked about this in the past. So I think, you know, we can get back to the Member. Yes, I'm just not ready to ballpark a figure like this given some of the costs escalations in all our other projects. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think it's just for us. I think it's for the whole of Northwest Territories. I think it's going to be a great thing if this happens, if this comes to life in my lifetime, because it's been since 1960 that it was first talked about, like I said.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to investigate the feasibility of building the Mackenzie Valley Highway from the Inuvik south to connect to Fort Good Hope and get that work started, as well while they're working on it, let's get some money rolling in, let's get this part of the highway done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I think the Member's going to happy with my commitment on this, to be able to look at investing in the feasibility study. The longterm vision for Mackenzie Valley Highway has always been to connect communities from all the way up the valley, up from Wrigley all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, with the allseason road. You know, reducing our reliance on some of our existing network of winter roads, which are increasingly at risk to some negative impacts of climate change. So, Mr. Speaker, I see the Member's quite happy right now. So if she's happy, I'm happy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I raise earlier this sitting that many elders are having difficult time with significant debts to the Housing Corporation for many, many years ago. In many cases, the elders are not aware of why the debt is owed. The Housing Corporation is in many cases garnishing their income which means the Housing Corporation takes a significant chunk of every modest paycheque they make. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to direct her officials to immediately enter a stay of execution of existing garnishee orders registered against elders by the Housing Corporation so they can keep more of what little they already make until such time as her officials can develop a program to allow people to apply for forgiveness of their housing debts? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm thank you to the Member for the question as well. And I'm assuming that these are debts that are for homeownership and that we had established these units these were access units and 15year agreements that were established over 20 years ago. That was an agreement that we did have with CMHC at that time. I'd have to follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's also arrears for housing public unit. So can the Minister commit to working with integrated service delivery to ensure that low income families at risk of evictions are fast tracked to the support and services they need, which includes access to legal aid programs, financial plan, and childcare, career and employment support, healthy living and healthy choices. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question as well. And I just wanted to speak about the community housing support worker that we did have in the Member's riding as it was a pilot project a couple of years ago. And we are still interested in reestablishing that program because it was quite successful. But that is followed up with the Tlicho housing working group where Housing is participating. I will request a further update on where this position is because it's exactly what the Member is requesting is something like integrated case management wraparound services. And this is exactly the responsibility of this position. It would greatly support her riding or her community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this is regarding the bilateral agreement. So Mr. Speaker, many of our Indigenous governments have a keen interest in increasing the housing stock of their regions and communities. In its new mandate, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation commits to pursuing government to government relations with Indigenous government as she mentioned. This is a welcomed change towards developing bilateral relationships. Most of our Indigenous government are very interested in taking responsibility and taking over housing assets from the GNWT. I want to ask the Minister, what is the framework currently being used to transfer housing stock from the GNWT to Indigenous governments? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. Indigenous partnership is a priority that I do have within the portfolio, and we have made great success in developing those relationships. And this year we had signed an MOU, a memorandum of understanding with the Tlicho government in regards to housing for us to better support and come up with stronger solutions and also lobby the federal government for addressing the housing crisis in the Member's region as well. And I'm just looking forward to providing the Member with a further update on the meeting that was just recently had in September. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final short supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, with that in mind that she just mentioned, you know, to have a relationship with the Indigenous government, then what I would like to see this government do, then, is transfer the 14 units that the Tlicho government are asking for, I would like to see that happen. You know, if they're going to continue have a good working relationship with the Indigenous government. So the federal government seems interested in supporting housing stocks being transferred to Indigenous governments. Is the GNWT receiving assistance in facilitating these transfers? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In our recent bilateral that we did have with the Tlicho, there was mention of the 13 units, but it was not on the agenda. The Tlicho government did receive distinctionbased funding as well, and they were looking at housing delivery coming into the community but also looking of housing repair. We do have the working table with the Tlicho government, and I don't have a further update on what their priorities are at that table. But Housing is working with them very closely to address the housing needs in the Tlicho region. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral question. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance.
The capital estimates allocate some $35 million to Housing NWT. As I've said many times, I am firm in belief that this money would be better spent through contribution agreements with Indigenous governments. Does the Minister agree that Indigenous governments in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding are efficiently and effectively managing their financial resources with respect to housing and programs and strategies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, if I can redirect that to the Minister of Housing. It's housing questions. Thank you.
