Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So just to confirm, this is work that will begin right away on the part of the housing corporation and not wait for another fiscal year to begin? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, that's correct.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, looking at the 20222023 Main Estimates on page 380 compared to the 20222023 revised main estimates under policy and planning, there's a significant budgetary increase there, and I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to what propelled that budget, which grew quite a bit.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have President Young respond. Thank you.
Thank you. President Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So in the expenditure area for compensation and benefits, we had internally funded some positions out of our internal resources in previous years and we've now put those in to reinstate them out of the main estimates budget here. And so, specifically, I'm speaking to our community housing planner positions. There's two of those. Our homelessness specialist. When we spoke yesterday to sunsetting a support worker position, we're funding that one through grant funding now. And then the final position I'll reference is our associate deputy minister. So it's just getting those positions reflected properly in our main estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So in the 20232024 Main Estimates, which one of those positions are no longer reflected in the 20232024 Main Estimates, because I see that there is about a $2 million difference between the revised estimates and then this year's main estimates. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We will be it looks like we're going to be sunsetting one of our positions here, the Behchoko housing support worker. But that will be funded through the community initiative project and working with the Tlicho housing working group. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So a Behchoko housing support worker gets $2 million a year? I'm just wondering where else the difference comes from. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There's a number of positions that will be sunsetting here. I'll have President Young respond or Jim Martin respond. Thank you.
Thank you. Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So looking at the 20222023 Revised Estimates compared to the 20232024 Main Estimates, there's a delta there, as was mentioned, approximately $2 million. And the reason for that is currently Housing NWT is supporting the delivery of the Inuvik shelter operations. And that work is involving an additional shortterm staff hires. And in that situation, like for this year, that's translating into approximately a $2 million investment. And for the coming year, we're anticipating returning that work to a thirdparty provider, and it would no longer show up in the main estimates of our executive section here. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, can the Minister comment on whether or not they have been successful at securing the thirdparty provider for the Inuvik shelter? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There was some challenges within the Beaufort Delta. I'll have President Young elaborate on those challenges. Thank you.
Thank you. President Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe the Minister has spoken in the House about a lack of success or expression of interest that housing did hold. But we have since been approached by two potential providers that we're currently working to get proposals from them to pursue this further. So the expression of interest didn't lead us there but now we're having conversations with folks again. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, if from that $2 million was the cost of operating roughly the Inuvik shelter, where will that $2 million then be housed within the housing corporation budget to properly fund a thirdparty provider to provide that service? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have vicepresident Jim Martin respond. Thank you.
Thank you. Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So the budget associated with the delivery of the Inuvik shelter operations through a third party is set out in the finance and infrastructure activity under grants and contributions under emergency shelters. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, then I will come back to that or one of my colleagues I'm sure will.
My last question is in regards to the homelessness prevention strategy. So I'm sure it's no secret to anybody who listens to session that this side of the House is very excited to get to read this and share in the excitement of that final draft with the other side of the House. And I am wondering if there is any dollars associated with this strategy within this budget and is it found here in executive, or would that too also be found in finance and infrastructure? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have President Young respond. Thank you.
Thank you. President Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And as referenced by vicepresident Martin, most of the dollars associated with our programs is under grants and contributions currently. So most of it will be in the finance and infrastructure area of our main estimates currently. There are a few positions, for example our homelessness specialist, which is under policy and planning, but the bulk of the budget is in grants and contributions. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the last question for this section is the Minister did reference, as well as the deputy minister, the homelessness specialist position. And I'm wondering if given the release of the homelessness prevention strategy during this fiscal year, but hopefully for implementation soon after, if there will be a need for additional resources in order to implement that strategy and if one homelessness specialist is enough for the department? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are working with the homelessness strategy, but it's an allofagovernment approach with the department of executive as well too. And I'll just have President Young elaborate on the response as well because it is I find it quite complicated on how we're going to be seeing this going forward. Thank you.
Thank you. VicePresident Young.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So when the draft strategy is provided, we'll talk in there about some priorities and some of the things that need to be done immediately and then some longer-term visions. Each department that's been working on this has identified what resources, you know, that it currently puts towards homelessness that can support the overall initiative and then we have to finish the work in terms of what the additional costs might be for some of the other activities, and that work is still underway at the moment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. All right, are there any further questions from Members under NWT Housing Corporation executive? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. And I'm just not sure where these two topics fit in because the descriptions of the activities are sometimes not very helpful, at least for me, in understanding what is happening. But community housing plans, where are we at with community housing plans? Were there any completed in the last year; how many are done; how many more to go; and what does the let's start with that. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually had this in front of me while we were sitting on the floor of the House here. We have a number of them that are in the draft plan stages. And I'm just looking for the ones we have some that are in progress where there's just the communication that is happening right now at the community level. We've got completed Enterprise, K'atlodeeche, Fort Good Hope. Just a second.
Okay, there's six of them that have been completed: Ford Liard, Kakisa, Lutselk'e, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Hay River, Sambaa K'e, Jean Marie, Tulita, Yellowknife, Dene First Nation is developing their strategy. Thank you.
Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I have a habit of trying to ask too many questions at the same time. Can the Minister tell us how many were completed in the last financial year and how many are anticipated to be completed in 20232024? Thanks, Madam Chair.
