Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are also for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. In a couple of her answers today, the Minister suggested that there may be problems with the building. I would like her to elaborate on what she thinks those problems are. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was just referencing the feasibility study that CMHC had not recognized. I haven't seen the document, but then, that was one of the reasons why the application was -- I don't want to use the word "denied," because they are encouraged to resubmit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I find it very puzzling that there is no way of sharing information between the CMHC and the NWT Housing Corporation when both are anticipated investors in this project. What can the Minister do to obtain information that has already been filed with the CMHC so that she can independently evaluate it?
I am not aware of the documents that have been filed with CMHC in regards to the federal application that was submitted, but I would like to really stress in this session that I would need the Yellowknife Women's Society to contact us so that we could go forward and we could resubmit that application.
With any other additional information in regard to the submission of the application, I would have to follow up with the Member. Right now, I'm not aware of any documents that the Housing Corporation has received as I have not seen the application myself.
I appreciate the answer from the Minister. In my mind, the premise of a co-investment fund is that applications are jointly reviewed and decisions are made, so I don't understand or appreciate the siloed approach between what goes to the CMHC and what goes to the Housing Corporation if both are requested to be investors in this project. What can you do to try and work more effectively with the CMHC so that you have the same information at the same time that they have the information?
The co-investment fund has been available to the Northwest Territories through the federal government process. Going forward, I would like to see both applications as well. I would like to be more involved, so I will direct my department that any co-investment applications going forward -- because this is a federal financial opportunity for the federal government to come up with 75 percent, and then the territorial government to come up with the 25. This is something where we'd be, as the Northwest Territories, able to go forward and in partnership.
My comment to the Member is that I will be more involved in the applications as they come forward, and I'd be more mindful of sharing those applications. Not sharing the applications, the ideas, that if they do have interest in another region and that they are looking at homeless initiatives or constructing new units, just so I can keep the Members informed of what is being constructed throughout the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that. Minister, you're going to need to be bossy with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to assert your right to see the information at the same time, to have a common evaluation method so that you can explain to us and to the public how decisions are being made about that co-investment fund. It was touted as a great bonus to this territory to have the $60 million carveout, but if it turns out that we are in the back seat here, I don't think it will be as useful as we all hope it will be in creating new housing for vulnerable populations.
My final question is: how do you think that the Housing Corporation will evaluate applications in the co-investment fund to decide whether they are worthy of the GNWT investment? Thank you.
I just want to inform the Member also that CMHC, currently, we have the lady that has been working for the three territories, Nunavut, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. She is retiring this year. Right now, this position could possibly be relocated in the South, which, right now, is a conversation that I am having with the federal government to try to keep this position here in the Northwest Territories, so that we have access to the partnership and bringing the applications forward. That is going to be something that we're going to be challenged with going forward.
Also, evaluating the applications, I wanted to just advise the Member that we do assist in completing the applications with the client, but ultimately, it's up to the federal government whether they deny them or not, what their criteria are, and what they're looking at. We just get that after the fact, once they have reviewed the application. Right now, it's the feasibility and affordability of the unit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
