Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was reviewing the fouryear capital plan, sorry, MLA plans for the Northwest Territories, and it talks about increased number of affordable housing and reduced cost housing needs. Also yesterday the Minister of Housing talked about a new vision statement for the Northwest Territories for housing. And the biggest thing I'm thinking about, we already talked about the last few days, was that housing is a big issue here in the Northwest Territories. I know Mr. Johnson, my colleague here, talked about $20 million for housing. But that's one part of it.
The other part it as well, Mr. Speaker, is the repairs that's needed in the communities. In my budget here right now for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, I got $3.4 million that's just going for repairing public housing units.
So my question to the Minister is in regards to public housing, I want to ask her one question is that the public housing is in 2036, they're saying that CMHC is going to be cutting back on funding public housing altogether. My question to the Minister is what's the transition, and how are you going to communicate with people's Indigenous governments and the communities as to how you're going deal with liquidating or what are you going what are your plans do with all your assets for the NWT Housing Corporation? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for the question as well because the the date of of 2038, 2036 is, you know, greatly fastly approaching, and the Housing Corporation has been working very closely with the federal government and to acknowledge this date and also to acknowledge our aged assets in the Northwest Territories as well in looking at how are we going to look at replacements. Also for home ownership as well too, providing home ownership is another priority of this government, and it's a mandated issue as well too that I have to meet.
So looking at those units that we do have on the ground, there is the opportunity to be working in partnership with those Indigenous groups. And I do hear the Member of, you know, $3.4 million, I need to look at my material, I don't have those numbers available in front of me, but I can follow up with the Member to discuss opportunities and what are we doing good forward for his riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister share with the House their plans as to how they're going to deal with the all units in the Northwest Territories, as to how they're going to deal with it, whether they're going to devolve it to the communities or is there O and M costs that's going to go with it, or like, I know they want to work with aboriginal governments but, Mr. Speaker, there's still a lot of big issues with trust working with the Housing Corporation because of for years, their policies don't fit the aboriginal government needs in our communities, and we still have huge issues in our communities. So Mr. Speaker, I'd like to know what are their plans in this area. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, for myself coming from a smaller community as well too and you know going back to my riding, like, I see the similar issues that the Member is expressing. And with the change of where we are going as a corporation and really looking at revamping everything within the corporation and the most the focus that I'm looking at is our policies as well that doesn't fit the needs of the people of the territories. Times have changed. Our approach is going to change and looking at facetoface client service as well, and looking at what type of relationship are we going to have with the federal government. And but presently right now looking at those units that are on the ground, we have to take into consideration that we do receive funding for those units, operation and maintenance funding that is crucial right now, and looking at replacing them. And also looking at the local housing authorities and looking at their capacity. Are they able to program deliver on our behalf? Are they able to operate and maintain those units at the ground level? But also working with the Indigenous groups too and looking at what are they forecasting and how are they going to be addressing community housing at the community level.
We can't address and solve this issue on our own. We need the Indigenous groups. We need to be working in partnerships and looking at stakeholders throughout the Northwest Territories and finding those opportunities. I do understand that in the smaller communities, we're very isolated with limited capacity and limited response to even responding to freezeups, to responding to pilings being replaced, and we need to further look at those and take those into consideration as well too, what type of capacity do we have at the ground level.
But I'm more than willing to be working with communities, with leadership, and looking at should they be wanting and interested in the federal funding that is out there as well too, that the housing Housing Corporation is more than available to be seeing those applications successfully submitted and working with those Indigenous groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's good to hear what they're the Minister's reply on that, is that when we say we talk about working with aboriginal governments and that kind of thing, we still need to work and build that confidence and trust with the aboriginal governments. For too long, you know, the we've been trying to fix the problems in our communities on home repair programs. I got like, I have a constituent in my community, they have sewer backup drain in the bathtub and they're making too much money; they can't qualify. And if so there's just so much barriers in place trying to deal with these issues.
So my question, if we are going to look at building any relationship with governments, the thing is that the you know, we talk about coinvestment, and you mentioned that earlier. If we're going to build that relationship, my question is does the Housing Corporation policy supply in that coinvestment when we work with aboriginal governments? Because if that's the case, it's not going to work. So my question to the Minister, that would be my final comments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I hear the Member when it comes to smaller communities that when we come in as a corporation, that that relationship needs to be improved. Like I said, I do come from a smaller community. I have even purchased one of the Housing Corporation units years ago and was not satisfied with the service that I was provided with.
Myself as a Minister, I bring that grassroots real conversation to the table, and the Housing Corporation has responded, and it's responded into creating a Council of Leaders working group where we put the Indigenous groups, and we speak with them in collaboration and in partnership, hearing what they've got to say and also making those changes and driving our policy change as well too, to better meet the needs of the people of the Northwest Territories, to qualify for our programs, and taking into consideration as well too the cost of living is drastic and our employment and training in our smaller communities is very limited.
And also looking at if we do the other question that was asked if we do have a policy looking at the coinvestment fund, that we don't have but we've reacted anyways. We do have an employee that does work on these federal applications, and the Housing Corporation is more than willing to be working with those Indigenous groups and bringing those applications forward.
During the lifetime of this government, I would like to see every Indigenous group submit for that coinvestment fund. I would like to see the Housing Corporation work with them and also identify their needs coming from the grassroots level. And when we are housing when we are delivering housing programming, the Council of Leaders working group is the table to be expressing those changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
