Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance.
The capital estimates allocate some $35 million to Housing NWT. As I've said many times, I am firm in belief that this money would be better spent through contribution agreements with Indigenous governments. Does the Minister agree that Indigenous governments in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding are efficiently and effectively managing their financial resources with respect to housing and programs and strategies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, if I can redirect that to the Minister of Housing. It's housing questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And to the Member's question, I was kind of confused there for a minute there that the question was for the Department of Finance. But it's not my role to be telling the Indigenous groups how to spend their money within their riding. But as a housing minister, we have been working with the Member's riding very closely for them to be successfully receiving coinvestment federal funding and the rapid rehousing initiative funding as well too to the Member's riding as well. And he did see a number of units that were delivered to Lutselk'e. And the conversation between the housing and the Indigenous governments in the Member's riding continues. And I look forward to further successes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am directing that question to the Minister of Finance but then the Premier spoke up and passed that on to Housing. So I'm not sure if the Minister of Finance was able to speak to this question. Thank you.
Once it's redirected to another Minister by the Premier, the Minister of Housing is you have to direct your questions to her. Minister so, yes, there's really no question. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess what I'm trying to get is that, you know, I've been trying to really advocate for housing for our people in our communities in the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. And, you know, I've been trying to really work with the Minister of Housing Corporation of how we could address and build relationships with Indigenous governments. You know, I see these MOUs are good ideas but, you know, they're they only go so far, and I don't hear no commitments from this government at all in trying to fix these problems we're having in our community.
So will the Minister work with the same Indigenous governments and the Cabinet colleagues to transfer housing projects scheduled for 20232024, along with other resources, to Indigenous governments housing programs through a contribution agreement? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question as well too. I'm not sure which units that are in question to be transferred over to the community. But I'm interested in working with the Indigenous governments. And if this is something that is a request that Indigenous governments are interested in doing, I would like to further that conversation and if they would be able to identify the units to me, I'd like to see what condition they're actually in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, this issue is really not going to go away. I mean, we had 50 years to get our act together to provide housing for people here in the Northwest Territories. And in the Minister's statements earlier, she talks about the MOU and the great success she's made in the Sahtu region. But the chiefs are very clear on what I heard on Cabin Radio on August 26th on the SSI meeting. The chiefs made it very clear, bring your cheque book. So what we're saying now, Mr. Speaker, is that we want to see the Minister to come to our communities and look at building new relationships so we can improve housing in our communities. Right now it's not working. So I'm just saying that, Mr. Speaker, that we have an opportunity to build new relationship and I hear from the Minister, but I don't see no action. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question as well too. And, you know, I disagree with the Member. You know, Housing has been working with the Indigenous governments throughout the Northwest Territories, and we're trying to do things differently and really looking at the communities' perspective on what is required at the community level, what is it that the community would like to construct, what type of housing would they like to enter and to get into.
I just wanted to comment for the coinvestment, the Yellowknives Dene have received $90 million in coinvestment funding. Housing has also provided $133,000 to work on their community housing plan as well too. And also looking at the rapid housing initiative for Dettah and N'dilo, housing is at the tables with the Indigenous governments in trying to find these solutions. The Indigenous governments are the drivers of housing projects in the smaller community. We are there to support them. And if there's an opportunity to be flying in and getting into the Member's riding, I am open to be doing that as well. I did travel to Lutselk'e over the summer, and I did see the significant need of housing at the ground level. But I'm willing to be travelling into the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I heard this I've been around for a while, and 50 years Housing Corporation was here. And we're still talking about that today, and our communities are still suffering from housing repairs and I produced documents here showing that we have problems in our community. We have problems with cockroaches in our communities. We got big problems but yet we can't seem to be fixing these problems. And what I'm hearing from Indigenous governments now is that they're really tired of Housing Corporation's policies and bureaucratic red tape. So we're going to have look at new ways to building new relationships. So the sooner the better on that. That was just a statement, not question. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Give the Minister opportunity to respond. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I just wanted to also comment on our policies and programming that is actually being reviewed right now by the Council of Leaders working group where that consists of Indigenous leaders throughout the Northwest Territories as well. I'm not sure if Tu NedheWiilideh is participating in those meetings, but I can provide the Member with an update. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
