Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was going to ask the Minister of Infrastructure some questions about airships but she isn't here today so I'm going to put the Minister of Housing on the spot. Could I please get an update on where the Aspen Apartments is at in my riding, and what the plans are for its future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now currently the Housing Corporation had negotiated with Canada to extend our rentfree lease with Aspen Apartments. I'm not too sure when that rent free lease would expire. I'd have to get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that I would like to ask the Minister what she thinks about using Aspen going forward for potentially the vulnerable population given the number of children that are in the apartment buildings nearby and the safety issues that I raised earlier in week? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the Aspen Apartments, that is a government I mean a federal governmentowned building. So we've been trying to work with the federal government in order for us to maintain and keep that lease. But there are other conversations going forward that they would like to acquire that building back. But we are looking at the response to COVID and using that building and with programming as well. And I do hear the Member speaking about our youth, the homelessness in that population as well too, and the corporation is working strategically with the Department of Health, and it's more of a wrap around service delivery as well too. But just on the movement that we have been making so far, that we also acknowledge the need for youth homelessness as well too. But presently right now, we are just working in Yellowknife with the transfer of the sorry, I can't remember the building that we just purchased. But we're working in that Nordic Arms, sorry. Yeah, Nordic Arms, thank you, transfer right now. But I can follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the housing minister for her answer. I guess I'm just going to take this opportunity to reiterate my comments from earlier this week that I would like to see some changes being made to the prioritization list of housing clients for the Nordic Arms in order to prioritize vulnerable families. If the Minister could speak to maybe committing towards doing that, that would be great. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So right now we are looking at, you know, finalizing the purchase of Nordic Arms. What I can tell the Member right now is that we don't have anything set concrete. We have a lot of scenarios that are out there. We're wanting to work with the waitlist. We're wanting to work with the transfer list. We're looking at mobility issues as well amongst our clients and if those units are actually suitable to meet those needs. We're also looking at seniors and a variety of programming as well, too, and how we're going to better serve the people in Yellowknife as well. But just taking very careful consideration on how we're going to be looking at the transfer, and I know that we do have a number of issues here in Yellowknife, and the Member has expressed to me really looking at the transfer list and the safety of our clients as well too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the Nordic Arms, I've heard the Minister say that they're working on the current tenants that are there in transitioning them. Does that mean to say that there will be some private tenants within the building, or is the plan to eventually transition all of the private renters out and put in solely housing clients? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The plan is to eventually transfer all tenants who are currently in the building. Our priority is low cost income housing for our low cost income clients as our priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
