Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have some questions for the Minister of Housing. Last week I spoke about the nine-plex and the seniors’ complex that the Housing Corporation and the Health Department worked together to build, a nice facility. Will the Minister please advise the House if the Housing Corporation is looking at developing a four-unit complex for smaller communities to help ensure elders stay in their home communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is really nice to be able to say yes sometimes. So yes, we are actually looking at a four-plex model that we will actually be providing. We are trying to move away from the independent units. We recognize that there is more cost effectiveness and energy efficiency with units that aren't single. Yes, I can commit to looking at a four-plex for the smaller communities. Thank you.
---Applause
I should stop now. I got a yes and leave it alone.
---Laughter
I know, I know. Too late. It is on the record. Will the Minister look at maybe -- I'd like the answer "yes." Now will the Minister look at maybe a pilot project in my region in the smaller communities or one of my colleagues' smaller communities? Will she start looking at doing that? I know you're looking at it but actually let's get some action and actually do it and put some -- how do you say it? Feet to the ground and go and make a commitment to doing a pilot project next year in one of the regions or five pilot projects as you did with the nine-plex. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I will commit to doing a pilot project of at least one four-plex for seniors in a small community. I will not commit --
Sahtu. Sahtu.
to it being in the Member's community
---Laughter.
in that I'm very conscious that I need to make sure that we put units based on need, not just units based on political will. So I will make sure that we look at the wait list, we look at the amount of seniors in small communities, and the small community with the greatest need will receive the pilot project.
Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I sort of, kind of thank the Minister for her answer. If it's a yes in my riding that would be great; however, I'd like to actually see maybe five four-plexes in there and look at that for a pilot project. So it's just in different areas of the territory, so if it's a designated community, hamlet, town, village, across the territory. Even some of them may be communities of Inuvik maybe we could look at, you know.
---Laughter
So we could look at that. So --
Yellowknife.
-- Mr. Speaker, can the Minister make a commitment to work with us to get these projects -- at least five. I know there's a long waiting list; I've heard of a whole bunch, and I think every Member here has heard that. So will the Minister make that commitment to at least five pilot projects? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I'll talk to them. I will not commit to doing five in the communities. I try to honour my word and I try to be reasonable and be able to achieve what I commit to, and so I will commit to doing one pilot project of a four-plex and after that do an assessment.
Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
