Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We
heard the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation talk about market housing for community staff. Can the Minister please advise how the NWT Housing Corporation was able to come up with the number 30 per cent using modular homes versus stick-built? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The tenders were put out by request for proposal, and proponents came in, people from the North and from wherever, came in and they submitted applications for this. We looked at the rates that were provided through stick-built and the rates that were provided by northern firms to bring up the mobile homes, and the 30 per cent was identified through that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for the answer. As I was on the campaign trail, this was a huge issue for my constituents with limited employment. Can the Minister tell us if the Housing Corporation considered the impact modular homes would have on the economy, trades, and potential business in these communities where these modular homes are going?
The proponents that won were people the proponents come from the South Slave, the Beaufort-Delta, and the Sahtu. So they were awarded, the people that brought up the mobile homes. There will be jobs, as stated, to put them in and also to maintain them, and again, as I stated, we have 800 people on a wait list that are sleeping on couches and that are homeless, so we need to utilize the savings that we can to address the public housing needs that we have within the communities as well.
I thank the Minister for the answer. However, I think the Housing Corporation seems to miss the big picture. If we put people in homes, that's great, but if they don't have economy and they don't have income to support these homes, we're in trouble. Can the Minister please provide the House with where these modular homes came from, and how and where they were transported from?
Through the RFP process, the successful proponents were from the South Slave, Beaufort-Delta, and the Sahtu. I can't identify right now, where they brought up these units from, although the successful proponents were from northern companies.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the answer. I guess I struggle because these modular homes are not being built in the Northwest Territories. They are being brought in from down south, and put into our communities. When the Minister talks about employment, it's for Northerners, in my community a pad gets built. These companies come in, drop the modular homes down. They bring their own food, their own gas, and their own accommodation. We don't even see any economy here. Will the Minister be willing to work with us Regular Members in our communities to see if modular homes are actually having the impact that is needed for the Northwest Territories, in specifically my region?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm always willing to meet with the MLAs to discuss their concerns and bring it forward. As stated again, we are working with northern manufacturing firms to try to get them more competitive within the process before the spring request for proposals is released. The units actually that come up, I can't say, but I do know that there will be work to maintain them and to put them in.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
