Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Housing NWT.
Earlier this week, the Minister made a comment to my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes that the strategy as it is right now does not come with any dollars for the homelessness strategy, sorry, Mr. Speaker. So I'm wondering will the homelessness strategy end up coming with dollars once it is tabled, or will it at least be costed? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Homelessness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of today, the Housing is working with the social development deputy's table which consists of Health, ECE, MACA, and EIA, to come forward with a plan that can be actioned that identifies the resources required for implementation.
Part of the delay is bringing forward a final document that desires the social departments to bring forward an approach that can be resourced and be successful with its implementation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, across Canada unique barriers exist for 2SLGBTQIAPPA+ youth accessing shelter systems. One in three transgender individuals are rejected from shelters for their gender identities and gender expression. So was, or is, the Northern Mosaic Network included as a vital stakeholder in drafting this strategy to provide homelessness solutions for our territory? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today much of the work has been done internally within the GNWT. The intention of Housing NWT has been that the action plan would provide an opportunity for input on the strategy once tabled but also that it would include actions that could be put in place immediately while some of those border conversations take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if it's intended to be a fluid document that can be looked at and feedback provided and then changed? Why has Housing NWT, after nearly four years of committing to this strategy, not provided it to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review and input? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in speaking with my department, this became a very complex document that identifies several different areas that involves several different departments as well too. So bringing it back, we're looking at bringing it to standing committee, I want to say, in the fall of this year. And I need to see movement on this document as well too. But once again, once the document is implemented, we need to find resources to making sure that we continue with the implementation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the saying "perfect is the enemy of good" comes to mind here. And sometimes you got to let something go and let people have a look at it in order to get some feedback and let it fly because right now, as of today, Members in this House have requested the homelessness strategy 65 times since September of 2018 when it was first committed to in the 18th Assembly. And it is getting frustrated at this point, and I understand that it's very important. But if it sits in Housing NWT, it will never get actioned. And so I guess I'm asking the Minister now, have any of the resulted feedback or information gained by working on this strategy for the last four years resulted in any kind of housing policy changes on the frontline of Housing NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, there hasn't been any policy changes at this point as a result of the strategy. The work with all social department partners is to ensure that we have an allofgovernment approach and to try to avoid any unintended consequences resulting from the strategy. And I do hear the Member that this document is taking quite some time, and I want to commit that we would be able to present this document in the fall of this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
