Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just got a few questions. You already mentioned that they're going to be completing the housing strategy renewal by April 1st, 2023. Are we on track to have that completed on April 1st? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the Minister for your response. I think it's a really good idea that I like what you've done in Fort Good Hope. You were there last fall and we like what we seen there too as well. So I guess maybe what I could do is if I want to make sure I want to be very clear that what I'm asking for is separate and outside from what the housing strategies that's already ongoing in the communities of YKDFN and Dettah and sorry, Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. This here is a separate little project where we could just really work together and identify what the...

Yeah, just a comment. Again, I just want to say that small communities do matter. Housing in the communities are in great supply; we need money, we need to come up with a plan. So again yesterday I mentioned that we're going to have start working closely with Indigenous governments. Again, going forward, I'm just and I kind of heard some of the responses yesterday, so. Anyway, 2038 is just around the corner whenever you think about it. And thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last year when the budget was approved and we went through it, there was a commitment made of $5 million to be added into housing. And the question I have is that if there was a commitment made by the Finance Minister that that money's going into housing, I want to know from the Minister, did you get that money, and where did the money go to and which community was impacted? Thank you.

Well, yeah, regardless what date it is, I mean, we're still going to be you know, still going to be needing social housing. And so, again, I'm not really sure how you're going to deal with this after those dates. I'm sure Canada's not gonna just drop the ball and say sorry, we can't give you any more money. At the end of the day, we are going to continue to need public housing. We're also like I said yesterday, we're going to need immediate housing, about $5 billion to catch up to housing and to make homeownership repairs and additional maybe even a hundred units a year. But, somehow, we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just part of the executive, I guess, I'm just I want to just chat a little bit about housing, and we heard some of it today and, as you know, I still have you know, we still have problems in our communities. Have been for a while. You know, I sat on the AFN housing committee for a while, and I understand the need of trying at least meet the demands in housing throughout Canada, and it's growing every day. You know, homeownership repairs in the communities is growing. Repairs are important. New homes, public housing down the road. You know, we already know that in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister also elaborate on how much money have Housing NWT received to date from CIRNAC so that the people here in the Northwest Territories knows that the application that was made for money for housing repairs right now as it is, I go into my riding, my chiefs tell me or my leaders tell me we don't know anything about this money and they want to know where the money is. But she still hasn't answered like, I'd like to ask that question. Where did the other $5 million go? Right now in the budget here we've got 25 and 30; where did the other $5 million go...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On April the 14th, 2022, there was an article on the CBC website where it says NWT to see $60 million federal housing dollars, allocation to be determined. The Northwest Territories will receive $60 million over two years to tackle the territory's housing crisis from a federal budget directing $10.1 billion to housing. But now that funding will be allocated isn't clear yet.

Mr. Speaker, the people in my constituency and throughout the Northwest Territories were very happy to see that there was money to be allocated for it to deal with the housing crisis here...

Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I got one minute left. I appreciate what she's saying. And the thing is that on the interim basis, you know, again, I am still concerned about, you know, how we make application to CIRNAC and I heard your comments today. But I think we're going to have to work a way to work with Indigenous governments much closer because it's still a problem. Again, I don't know what the housing corporation takes for administration on those dollars. And, again, we're still struggling with housing in the community. As an example, last this year I brought forward a housing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, it's nice to see that they're spending money in my riding. The thing is that I don't think the people understand that the units that's going into the community, who's paying for the operation and maintenance on those things.

Mr. Speaker, we're talking about $30 million here for this fiscal year and, you know, I disagree with the Minister in regards to her consultation with Indigenous governments. I don't think that happened because I could tell you this, I could go through my communities and they don't say anything about consultation.

Anyways, my question to the...