Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister responsible for Addressing Homelessness announced various funding commitments related to the $16.6 million in federal funding this government has received for housing. I have questions for her related to those announcements. Like the rest of the territory, Hay River has a growing problem with homelessness. Since Hay River does not have an emergency shelter, are we ineligible for any of the $600,000 that was announced yesterday for semi-independent housing units within emergency shelters? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for Homelessness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Homelessness is a serious issue within the whole Northwest Territories, and it’s a priority of the 18th Legislative Assembly and a personal issue for myself, a professional issue, so I am committed to addressing homelessness during my tenure here. The $600,000 specifically, though, is to work with the resident or the homeless shelters within the Yellowknife area because of the need, the amount of homeless people in the community. Once that is finished, then we would be looking to work within the other communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I understand that Yellowknife is almost a magnet community for homelessness, so I understand there is a great need here. Could the Minister elaborate on the $750,000 thirdparty social housing, the money going to social housing, thirdparty social housing providers? Who are these providers and what type of social housing are they providing, and is there any of that in Hay River?
I can't say directly if there's any in Hay River. I will get back to the Member on that question. My background is in Yellowknife, so thirdparty housing providers are things like Rock Hill or the Bailey House or Lynn's Place places, that provide social housing to the communities and that we support them as well.
I'd like to know: does Hay River meet the department's definition of “small community,” thereby making it eligible to receive some of the benefits of the $1.2 million being put towards single units to address small community homelessness that was announced yesterday?
Anything outside of Yellowknife, actually, meets the definition of “small communities.” There are some projects that we're doing. There are things already in place, the Northern Pathways to Housing; the Small Community Homelessness Fund which gives food, et cetera; transitional supportive housing; public housing, everybody's aware of; Homelessness Assistance Fund. Then the Small Community Homelessness Fund, like I say, provides mostly meals, foods, and you can get, in the south it's up to $10,000 and in the northern regions it's up to $15,000.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, I would just like to ask who in the department is working within Hay River to develop a plan for homelessness, to address homelessness in Hay River. I'd like to be of any assistance I can. I'd like to offer that to the Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My awareness, right now in Hay River we're working with the Small Community Homelessness Fund in providing support to the Hay River Soup Kitchen, the Hay River committee for people with disabilities and the Family Support Centre. As I said, once we have been strategic in what we're doing in the capital area, then we'll be reaching out to the communities. One thing I should have said also is that we are building small units within other communities in the North, so we're not only focusing on Yellowknife. We are taking a holistic approach.
