Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to continue the conversation the Member of Kam Lake was having about what housing authorities and LHOs do. I think, you know, a fair characterization of our LHOs is that they are property management companies; they are responsible for the maintenance of the units, and they are responsible for the intake. But they have no control over policies. That is directed to them by the Housing Corp. They are agents of the policies of the Housing Corp. They're not capable of doing anything that the Housing Corp does not want.
So it kind of seems to me that an odd thing to prioritize at the local level of control housing maintenance was what we really wanted.
I'm just wondering as part of the review whether we are conducting a review that would look at what the proper function or perhaps some alternative models of local control would be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, I could read off of my notes, but, you know, coming from a smaller community and looking at the actions of the local housing authorities and the boards, the chairpersons that are active at the ground level, they do provide a significant service. But it is identified there needs to be huge improvement. We need to look at those service agreements. We need to update them. We need to have more collaboration and more communication with them as well. And since having the portfolio, I recognize the gaps that are there as well.
Looking at the policies that are there and that they operate under, this is what I would like to do as a Minister: I brought the policies to the Council of Leaders. Myself and the Premier have identified that there is a need to have the Council of Leaders throughout the Northwest Territories look and review our policies, and also that I recognize that we need to give a lot more understanding and a lot more power back to the LHOs so they can challenge us with those policies and challenge us with those changes that are required. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad to hear that answer from the Minister that we're looking at this. One of the issues that I've heard from Yellowknife's LHO is that they would like a little bit more autonomy to apply for federal funding, and they've been approached by Indigenous governments who have asked if they would maintain and operate their buildings, something that, you know, would be doing work outside of the purview of their agency agreement with the NWT Housing Corporation.
So I think we're kind of in the worst possible situation where the LHOs do not have autonomy to go out and get money, but they are also not centralized so we are not having any of those economies of scale.
So I think we have to go one way or the other. And I'm wondering if we were reviewing areas to increase their autonomy such as applying for funding.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The local housing authorities are a contracted arm of Housing NWT. And looking at those authorities and, I guess, organizations that are wanting to apply for funding, we apply for funding on their behalf. This year we have a 90unit housing delivery throughout the Northwest Territories. And not only that, we are looking at increasing the increasing the education and training as well too for our maintenance as well. I've recognized that the units that we are building are not I want to say they don't they don't compare with the amount of the type of training we have at the ground level with the type of furnaces, the type of boilers that we are putting in. So there is a lot of changes that are happening. I am recognizing that we need to support them in many different ways. So I'm bringing that back to the department. But I want to reassure the Member that that work is taking place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I think we have to be conscientious here that there is a cost to the local housing organizations. Each one has its own buildings, its own board, its own executive directors, which means that they are not providing housing; they're providing administration.
And, you know, I know in Yellowknife, there's a great maintenance staff, but they're not allowed to go do work in Behchoko. They just do work for the Yellowknife local housing authority. There's no territorial coordination of maintenance contracts.
And so I'm wondering if any analysis has been done that could be shared that speaks to some of the efficiency or centralization that could happen or what is the cost of having LHOs, you know, all be operating independently from each other. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now I'm looking at opportunities for the LHOs as well too. I recognize throughout the Northwest Territories that we do have Indigenous governments that are entering into selfgovernment as well. I'm looking at those opportunities, whether they would be able to operate on our behalf, but also looking going back to looking at the maintenance, that what the Member had expressed as well too. This is something this is an area that strongly needs to be recognized, and we need to work within this area differently.
And I hear the Member where we do have maintenance staff in Yellowknife, and we need work done in Behchoko. Right now the Housing Corporation is operating and maintaining 2,600 units in the Northwest Territories. But when you're in a smaller community and you're a homeowner, the LHOs are expected to come, and they're expected to provide that service as well too.
So I hear where the Member is coming from. I will bring that back to my department. And like I have said, it's encouraging to hear these questions come forward because it really drives change within how we do business within Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
