Lucy Kuptana

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand core need is very high. We have over 900 families in the Northwest Territories that need homes. This is the waiting list across the North. We're doing a territorial housing needs assessment, and this is important work because it offers us both a qualitative look and a quantitative look. Right now we've done the quantitative, and we're working towards qualitative. We're working with the university of British Columbia, and they have a HART tool, it's a housing assessment resource tool. And this tool is working with Housing NWT to go across and engage with...

Mr. Speaker -- sorry, Mr. Speaker, I'm a little bit sleepy here. But I don't have those numbers on hand, but I can provide the Member with that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I understand the question, what does a new home mean? A new home means a new build within Housing NWT and brought into a community as a new home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of Housing NWT's successful partnerships. Housing NWT works with Indigenous governments, the federal government, non-governmental organizations, municipal and community governments, and industry, to support more homes for Northerners across the Northwest Territories.

Today, I want to highlight Housing NWT's relationship with an important, but often overlooked group of frontline workers, who deserve recognition: The dedicated staff of our local housing organizations.

If you are from a small community, you already know who they are and what they do. Local housing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we're dealing with here is years of collaboration with the NWT Disabilities Council. So this is nothing new. This has been happening for years with Housing NWT and NWT Disabilities Council. We're trying to find solutions here, so the opportunity to talk to standing committee about it, absolutely, we can do that. There's no secrets here, as the Member mentioned, and we're working in collaboration, working in supporting this group to get their project moving forward as well as housing's project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to recognize my nephew James Williams. He's in the gallery today; I don't often get family members here, so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Minister of Housing NWT, working with operational staff, professionals that we hire to lead us with Housing NWT, we have a responsibility to make these decisions on behalf of government. I consult with my Cabinet colleagues but if decisions need to be made with committee and consulting committee, I would be happy and welcome that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated yesterday, Housing NWT is working with the NWT Disabilities Council, working in collaboration and supporting this not for profit society within the city of Yellowknife. There is a group, there's a board of volunteers, and housing is working in collaboration with them, communicating about possibilities with housing in the city of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The most important thing we're doing with Rockhill properties is we're working in collaboration. We want NWT Disabilities Council to succeed, but we also want Housing NWT to succeed. We have a prime piece of property in downtown Yellowknife. We have potential projects on the go, and we want this to succeed. But we have to work in collaboration; we have to work together. Success is really important, especially with Yellowknife. I mean, we have many families on the waitlist that are looking for Yellowknife housing. So it's important we work in collaboration, and that's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nothing to share at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.