Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Long-range energy plans, community land use, and community wellness plans are completed independently, as are economic development and resource management strategies. Will the Minister commit to working with her colleagues to bring these planning exercises together and complete all communities within the 19th Legislative Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can work with my Cabinet colleagues to have the discussion, but I cannot commit that all 33 community plans will be completed within the four years. Also, I will continue the conversation with Cabinet going forward, because, looking at those community plans, Indigenous partnership is my priority going forward, to offer adequate housing throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Minister's commitment to have the discussion. My next question is: do the long-range housing plans currently done by the Housing Corporation account for the changing demographics of an aging population in each community in the NWT, especially as it relates to women, women with children, people with disabilities, and elders?
Can the Member please repeat her question?
I'm wondering if the current housing plans for the NWT Housing Corporation include the changing demographics of our population, particularly age, and also as it relates to women, women with children, people with disabilities, and elders?
The Northwest Territories does recognize there is an increase of population throughout the territory. We have identified programs to deal with the increase of population and the unique scenarios that we acquire throughout the Northwest Territories, and wanting to look at seniors aging in place and a safe program that provides renovations to clients who are homeowners, private homeowners, and looking at replacement of fuel tanks. I would also like to include that we do have a rent subsidy program that is used throughout Yellowknife, throughout this area, because of the lack of public housing units that we do have currently.
Going forward, I would like to work with the Member to look at initiatives for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. We can elaborate on program improvement.
I am always ready to have a conversation about housing, so I appreciate that. Is the Minister prepared to work with communities and Indigenous governments to re-examine the definition of core housing and develop metrics of success appropriate to the challenges that we face in the 21st century?
Housing throughout the Northwest Territories is something that I am very passionate about, and throughout the term and the time being within the portfolio, I was really excited to hear that one of my communities in the Sahtu, Fort Good Hope, has entered into an agreement, and they were able to establish housing programs independently accessing federal dollars.
Going forward, I will be looking at the housing initiative programs that are currently offered, and one of the things that I would like to do is elaborate on them. Advertisement is a key for me and for the Housing Corporation, so that we are able to meet the needs of the people of the Northwest Territories.
Also, reflecting and looking at the housing plans, I am quite excited for those to be completed. We do have 33 communities, but those community plans, housing strategic plans, will be able to identify the housing needs throughout the Northwest Territories. It is community-based information where the community is telling us what it is that they need. We, as a government, can provide the assistance and work in partnership with the Indigenous groups and with the communities.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yellowknife housing is becoming ever less affordable. How will the Minister improve the affordability of housing in Yellowknife over the course of the 19th Legislative Assembly? Thank you.
I would like to elaborate on the housing programs that are offered currently. For the Yellowknife area, I would look at the rent subsidy program that is offered. There is a name change to that. We will continue to be offering it after April 1st. I would like to work with a colleague and just elaborate a little bit more on the programs that are offered for Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
