Debates of May 31, 2018 (day 33)

Topics
Statements

Question 341-18(3): Sahtu Regional Housing Conference

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am encouraged by the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation's statement earlier. Sharing information with planning of this type is very essential. We all know the national strategy holds a variety of programs and resources. My question is: will the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation provide dates available for an information sharing and development leadership meeting in one of the Sahtu's five communities? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the moment, I can't provide exact dates. Recently, I went on a tour through the Deh Cho and made sure that, after listening to the constituents and listening to community members, we contacted our regional office to make sure we had our program coordinators go into the community, update people on programs, do inspections that needed inspections done, and give that direction to the regional offices to make sure they can go into the communities and talk about program services that are available to the residents in terms of partnerships and looking at development.

As I mentioned earlier, we are going to be doing community housing plans, so every community in the NWT is going to have a community housing plan which, at the end, will help us when we do our capital planning strategy. However, I will be willing to sit down with the Member and talk about going into one or a couple of his communities to do something like this. I know, back in December, our staff did go into, I believe, Fort Good Hope or one of the communities and gave an information session as well as just listened to what the residents had to say, but I am willing to sit down with the Member to coordinate something like this.

Thanks to the Minister for the response. In consideration of the life of both governments, I am encouraging the Minister if his staff could accompany us and provide dates of options so the leadership can analyze the dates of option and information provided. Will the Minister provide dates open?

Not here, on the floor of the House, I cannot provide dates. I will look at my schedule and look at the availability of my senior staff who will be able to come in and chat with leadership, not only leadership but also community organizations, any other non-government organizations, as well, that want to participate in creating options. I know that we had the Yellowknife Women's Centre attend a meeting in Behchoko today, actually, and talk about options for Housing First in Behchoko, and we can do something similar in the other smaller communities. Plus, the program that I mentioned, the Northern Pathways to Housing pilot, we are currently talking with the K'asho Got'ine Housing Society on seeing how we can develop that, and we are just in the planning stages.

Thanks for the previous invitation. I will take the Minister up on the previous invitation to sit down and discuss available dates so that we can present that to the Sahtu leadership and strike when the iron is hot, here, on the available time to us for the National Housing Strategy and funding resources they provide.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. I will take that as more of a comment to the Minister for consideration. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.