Debates of May 26, 2022 (day 112)

Date
May
26
2022
Session
19th Assembly, 2nd Session
Day
112
Members Present
Hon. Diane Archie, Hon. Frederick Blake Jr., Mr. Bonnetrouge, Hon. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Cleveland, Hon. Julie Green, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Martselos, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Ms. Weyallon-Armstrong.
Topics
Statements

Oral Question 1086-19(2): Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm so excited about the road conversation. I kind of want to throw my questions out the window and keep at the Minister of Infrastructure. But I'm going to move on to the Minister of Housing.

My first question is around the recently purchased Nordic Arms. Could the Minister tell me if any public or housing clients have been moved into that unit as of today. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Housing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We haven't moved any tenants into the Nordic Arms. We did do a technical assessment of the building and found there needs to be some repairs to the building. And we're scheduling this work to be done as soon as possible, but there is coordination being done right now with the current tenants of that building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MS. NOKLEBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would really love if the Minister could share that technical assessment with the standing committee so that we could have a look at it as well.

Next, my question is recently the federal government has announced that there is more funding for NWT Housing in our communities. Can the Minister speak to what these announcements are going to mean for the people in our communities and our territory. How many actual new houses are we going to see with the announcement that the feds made. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Member for that question. As of right now, we haven't finalized the agreement with Canada. So I can't commit to be sharing any of those details yet until we actually see what is going to be asked for this funding and if there's going to be any expectations, I guess, of how we are to spend it.

But I want to take this opportunity to also just highlight the work that I've been doing with the National CoInvestment Fund. The Housing Corporation did invest into a navigator I'm sorry, I'm not too sure of the title. I can't think of it right now for the individual. She has been doing amazing work with CMHC.

As of today, the family support centre has submitted an application of project value of $3.7 million for 14 units. Habitat Humanity has also submitted as well too. We're going to be seeing 10 new homeownership units. Avens Society as well too, 102 units expansion.

And Borealis CoOp, 50 units for their for affordable housing for families. And Spruce Bough, we have supported that application going forward as well too, $640,000. The Nahanni Butte Dene Band has also submitted to create 10 new units, bachelor and onebedroom market rentals.

YWCA has also been successful with their application for 21 units for 33 beds supporting housing and women and children.

NWT Community Services, Northern United Place, they submitted for a project value of $6 million. And also NWT Disabilities has also submitted an application for coinvestment and looking at a De Beers legacy project as well too. And just recently announced in the media we do have a successful application with Deline for 10 more units in the community.

So Housing has really emphasized on the opportunity with the federal announcements and with the federal funding that is there. We're working very strongly with the federal government to getting more houses in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really glad to hear all of that. I'm glad to actual numbers of units, including the YWCA. I think the Minister knows I've always been a strong proponent of the work that they do.

I'm just going to throw the Minister a bit of a curve ball here and ask how is she ensuring that while this work is being done that we are ensuring that northern manufacturers are having the ability to participate in this work.

I know that there's been an ongoing conversation around foundation designs and basically RFPs scoping out northern businesses by being very specific in what they're dictating.

So can the Minister speak to how she's going to ensure that northern manufacturers get a portion of some of this new money that's been announced by the federal government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the unit delivery, I'm emphasizing on northern businesses to benefit from the 90unit delivery and also for the coinvestment applications and really trying to bridge those relationships.

We do have our units going out for public tender. We did have Indigenous governments approach us as well and wanting to know you know, they wanted to be acknowledged, what is being built in our community and looking at further opportunities.

So we have been engaging with the northern manufacturers as well too. We're looking at stick build. We're looking at every idea throughout the territories to maximize on this benefit and getting houses into these communities a lot faster.

I'm really hoping to see that 2023 will be a strong construction season and creating employment in small communities and apprenticeship opportunities as well too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank the Minister for her responses. And she knows we'll all be holding her to task about those comments.

My last question is just a little bit of a side tangent as well. But recently I was in Fort Simpson, and I noted that there were a couple units there that were under construction that had been impacted recently by fire. And when I spoke with people in town, they told me that they were RCMP housing that was being constructed by the Housing Corp.

So my understanding is that due to this vandalism, that the work has stopped. And I'm just wondering if the Minister can provide us with an update on what's happening there and what happens from a fiscal standpoint when the GNWT doesn't fulfill the contract to the RCMP for the delivery of those units on time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for this question. But there is further details that is with the Department of Justice right now that we are working very closely with them. And there are further details that I would rather just follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.