Lucy Kuptana

Member Nunakput

Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Lucy Kuptana was elected to the 20th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in November 2023 to represent the constituency of Nunakput, which includes the communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. A member of the Executive Council, she is the Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Prior to her election, Mrs. Kuptana was the Senior Administrative Officer for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. She was also a director with the Tuktoyaktuk District Education Authority.

For 22 years previous, Mrs. Kuptana was the Director of Operations, Communications, and Culture with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). In a volunteer capacity, she has served as a director of the Inuvik Homeless Shelter Society, trustee of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, president of the Inuvialuit Communications Society, director of the Inuvialuit Investment Corporation, director of the Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik Community Corporations, and a committee member for the 2023 Northern Youth Games “Inuvialuit Piuyausiat” in Tuktoyaktuk.

Originally from Aklavik and raised at her family’s bush camp in the Mackenzie Delta, Mrs. Kuptana obtained a Level II and Level III Certificate in Community Administration from Aurora College in the early 1990s and returned to graduate with a Diploma in Business Administration and Management in 2013. Mrs. Kuptana is currently enrolled with Yukon University, where she is working towards accreditation in the school’s First Nations Governance and Public Administration program.

Despite a successful career spanning decades, Mrs. Kuptana credits her husband and family in supporting her. She says she owes much of her success to those who have fought – and continue to fight – for Indigenous and Inuvialuit rights.

Mrs. Kuptana’s guiding principle is to lead with respect, empathy, knowledge, and the willingness to work hard for the constituents she represents and all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Nunakput Electoral District

Committees

Public Accounts
Lucy Kuptana
Nunakput
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Minister
Email
Email
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Statements in Debates

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A major retrofit for a housing unit would include electrical, plumbing, foundation work, roofing work. It's detailed work to extend the life of the housing unit. But I will ask vice-president of finance and infrastructure to give more of a detailed description of our major retrofit. Thank you.

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. President Eleanor Young will describe the Fort Liard market housing retrofit. Thank you.

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, vice-president of finance and infrastructure will reply to the question. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. CMHC and CIRNAC, we had a bilateral agreement signed with CIRNAC in 2020, and those agreements provide us operations and maintenance dollars to maintain the public housing units across the Northwest Territories. It's approximately $19 million combined, $18 million combined, something in that range. It's declining year to year. We have the bilateral agreement that will decline -- or will end in 2028, and the CMHC agreement will end in 2038. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Housing NWT realizes that much of its stock is aging, aging stock. Again, the needs across the territory are great. There's been a number of reports of housing needs across the Northwest Territories. And hopefully with the territorial housing needs assessment that's going to be completed over the next six months will provide better data both for Housing NWT and this government. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 378-20(1): Housing Waitlist
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last number of years, Housing NWT has provided reports, done community housing plans with communities, has provided assessment reports with various contractors, has held NWT Housing forums, has met with Indigenous governments, signed collaborative agreements with Indigenous governments to work together. There's much work being done but the funding is limited again. So this is both a federal issue, a territorial issue, and something that we have to work together in partnership to get things done. But the work continues. Housing NWT has come up with a three-year...

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would have to get a breakdown or an excel spreadsheet to provide that information of how old the units are. But we have over 350 units that are 50 years plus, and we have about 1100 public housing units that are 30 years plus. So the majority of our units are 30 years and older. It just gives you some insight to the age of our housing stock. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 378-20(1): Housing Waitlist
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the needs for housing in the Northwest Territories is difficult and that 897 families on the waitlist is an almost insurmountable task for the Northwest Territories and for this government. And the Legislative Assembly has made housing its number one priority. Housing NWT is up to the task along with this government, but that requires both federal funding, territorial funding, working with partners like our Indigenous governments, working with NGOs. So, again, it's not insurmountable but we have to make headway. We have been making some headway over the...

Committee Motion 47-20(1): Tabled Document 193-20(1): 2025-2026 Capital Estimates – Health and Social Services– Deferral of Department, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If there was a contract with Housing NWT to retrofit the unit, Housing NWT will pay the contract. Thank you, Mr. Chair.