Lucy Kuptana

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm happy to report that Housing NWT will deliver a large capital plan involving 20 new public housing units to the communities in the Sahtu region. Housing recently completed four of these new public housing units in Norman Wells. Fourplexes are now under construction in Deline, Tulita, and Fort Good Hope. And duplexes are under construction in Colville Lake and Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following five documents: Housing Northwest Territories 20222023 Annual Report; Followup Letter for Oral Question 1720(1): Elders Housing and Oral Question 2020(1): Arrears Collection for Elders; Followup Letter for Oral Question 2520(1): Housing Northwest Territories Board Policy; Followup Letter for Oral Question 3420(1): Construction and Retrofitting of Housing Northwest Territories Units, and, Followup Letter for Oral Question 4920(1): Yellowknife Aspen Apartments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So contractors are delivering on capital projects for Housing NWT. They were affected by low water and barge delays and cancellations over the summer of 2023. Housing made alternative plans to deliver remaining construction materials during the current winter road season. It is recognized that planning will increasingly need to consider the unique logistical challenges immobilizing equipment, construction material, and modular units within the Sahtu with appropriate contingency plans in place for alternative methods of delivery. Housing NWT will continue to work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from the Sahtu for the question. Currently, Housing NWT has 252 public housing units in the Sahtu:

4 in Colville Lake,

35 in Norman Wells,

50 in Fort Good Hope,

74 in Tulita,

89 in Deline.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I wish to thank the Member for Deh Cho and the Member for Range Lake for bringing this motion. Like the previous motion, it raises important considerations.

First, I note that the motion calls for amendments to the Housing Northwest Territories Act as an action item related to the strategic renewal of Housing NWT. During the 19th Assembly, Housing NWT committed to pursuing a substantive review of the Housing Northwest Territories Act. I am happy to confirm that remains the intention of this government.

Mr. Speaker, I also appreciate and agree with the...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the Member from the Deh Cho and the Member for Range Lake for bringing this motion. It raises an important issue worthy of careful consideration by this House.

I don't think there is anyone in this Chamber who doesn't agree that we are in a housing crisis and that adequate, affordable, and suitable housing provides a foundation for people's wellbeing and quality of life. I am happy to see the interest of the Members in the House on the critical need for housing across the North, and the work of my colleagues is important and genuine. It comes from a good place, and...

Thank you, again, to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT continues to advance a multiyear capital plan which includes the construction and repair of over 500 housing units. The scale of this work ranges from modernization and improvement projects for housing assets in the communities to new construction, including duplexes for seniors and a large multiunit residential building plan for Yellowknife. These 500 units include 100 new public housing units for the territory. Of these hundred units, all are either under construction or complete. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for raising this issue. The Member is correct that the NWT social housing agreement signed in 1997 allocated $21.2 million in annual operational funding to support the delivery of the Northwest Territories Public Housing Program. The funding has declined and is scheduled to be fully exhausted by 20382038.

Since 2019, Housing NWT has been able to mitigate these annual funding declines with funding supports provided under a new bilateral agreement with CMHC. The funding under this agreement is being used to offset the decline in CMHC funding up...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's something I can look at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A very general question and openended as well. What are we doing as Housing NWT realizing that one of the priority number one for this 20th Assembly is the affordability, suitability, and accessibility of housing. I think it's the 20th's responsibility to make sure that housing continues to be a priority of this government. And what we're going to do as Housing NWT to respond to this priority is some work that is being done and being done on the mandate and delivering that mandate to the House. So, again, we have to look at things. We have to analyze things. We have...