Thank you, Madam Speaker. I should not have used the word "segue" in my last time and tipped you off that I was changing topic.
Can the Minister of Housing please provide us with an update on the Inuvik shelter and whether or not a contractor has been found? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question because this is such an important issue in the Beaufort Delta, addressing homelessness. We did have some issues with the contractor and the delivery of the programming there as well too. We did have the request for proposal that did go out, and we did not receive a submission. And we had some nonprofit organizations that we were trying to work with. We soon identified that we need to further look at the training that we need to provide to the NGOs in the region and throughout the Northwest Territories as well, that we will be working with the NGOs addressing homelessness differently because we do need to provide adequate training and look for further funding for these program initiatives. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I do understand the trouble of trying to get an NGO in a community to run something when there aren't really any NGOs in that community that would want to take that on. And as a result of that, you know, and given the sensitive nature of this type of work, you know, hiring minimum wage workers here and that are not going to be adequately trained, as the Minister said, is not the solution. So can the Minister speak to whether or not the department is considering running the shelter themselves and having workers there be GNWT employees? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And this is something that we did try in the past as well too, and bringing on the shelter and employing them as GNWT employees. It was for a temporary period of time to give us some time to be working with the community, with the Indigenous governments, and try to come up with a solution. And also addressing the urgency in Inuvik as well too, we have been working with the NGOs that were potentially running the program previously. But I will have to get back to the Member as well to find what the current status is for Inuvik and looking at whether we're going to be keeping on the employees as GNWT employees. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. So from listening to that, then it's my understanding that the GNWT is still running the shelter itself with GNWT employees. And that going forward, I'm just wondering how do we afford that? We all know that the GNWT is the most lucrative employer in the North for the most part, and we know that we when we want the NGOs to do it, we don't give them any money for it. So I'm curious to know how we're going to afford to run the shelter with GNWT employees over the wintertime. Are you going to be coming back for more money from us? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question because this is quite crucial in the Beaufort Delta, addressing homelessness looking at the severe weather conditions as well too, and trying to keep those shelters open. The program right now is internally funded. We will have to come back I would have to follow up with the Member on looking at when are we going to be doing forecasting into the future as well too. And one of the things I would like to I wanted to do is to encourage the NGOs at that time that we work with them to submit a coinvestment application. But unfortunately that NGO had fallen apart. But it doesn't stop us from trying to work with the community and trying to come up with solutions to addressing homelessness in the Beaufort Delta. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Yeah, thank you, Madam Speaker. And again, I guess I just really struggle with the idea that we have to rely on NGOs who are notoriously underfunded in order to take care of our most vulnerable people. I just really find that to be unacceptable, and I do hope that the department is looking and considering that they do need to continue on being the operator of the shelter. My question, though, is around I know that when we were in Inuvik with social development, that there was a lot of conversation around even just proper food for people at the shelter. You know, we brought in some fruit and things and gave it to them. So my question is has the Minister reached out to any national organizations such as the Red Cross to talk with them about perhaps, you know, supplementing the shelter, either with workers or from a food security standpoint? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Housing NWT looks at the maintenance and the program delivery of homelessness more looking at operating of the shelter and the building but not necessarily the programming. But it could be something I'll bring this back to the department as well too, because I'm always looking for innovative and different approaches and ideas that we could be doing differently within the portfolio. I will have to get back to the Member. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
