Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Private business is very important to the North, and it is very important that we support this sector. The question I have for the Minister of housing is: why would your department not provide the private sector an opportunity to provide the units for use by the RCMP, and would you reconsider reviewing this decision? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Member, for your question. All new units required by the RCMP are to be constructed in accordance with the GNWT public recruitment policies that will ensure that the northern proponent will have the opportunity to express their interest in understanding the construction of these units. In terms of maintenance and administration of the units, the RCMP have chosen the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to carry that over. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is no secret that there exists a long waiting list with individuals and families waiting to access public housing. How, then, do you explain demolishing existing stock and using the land for units that are not for public-housing use? It will be lands that are lost for this use.
Thank you, Member, for your comment. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation capital planning process includes the disposal of NWT Housing Corporation-owned units that are beyond economic repair or to free up the land for future construction. The disposal of the surplus housing units supports community-based planning to help make the land available for construction of the housing units to support community governments in dealing with properties in the community. The Housing Corporation continues to explore opportunities to support projects that hire local people to gain employment and training while demolishing the public buildings.
I am not certain of the condition those units are in. I did drive by, and they appear pretty fine to me, probably better than what I am living in. Was there ever any consideration to make these existing units available to housing clients who would be in a financial position to purchase them for a nominal fee?
Thank you, Member, for your comments. I want to answer this clearly. We do have units that we are demolishing. It frees up the land either for the community or for the members or for our clients, and just going forward, we do look at the surplus that we do have. If we do have some units that we are able to repair, then we do consult with the community members first and if communities have interest, if they would be interested in taking over the units. If the conditions are beyond repair, we end up demolishing the properties, and we do end up rebuilding either under the home-ownership program or else the public-housing units. Thank you, Member.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the construction of these units, as I said before, our northern local contractors need work, our residents need work, and our northern suppliers need work. Will the Minister of Housing assure us that these units will be built in the North by northern contractors with northern employees and not be supplied by southern contractors? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member, for your statement. Ninety-five percent of the northern contracts that are distributed through the Housing Corporation are northern contractors here in the Northwest Territories. I wanted to just express that we have six units that are going up in Fort Smith, RCMP units; three in Norman Wells; 17 in Inuvik; seven in Fort Simpson; and two in Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
