Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would also like to ask questions of the Minister of Housing. In the government renewable strategy process that the Housing Corporation is undertaking, how is the government going to work with the private sector to address the skyrocketing cost of housing in the North? Is there is a plan to diversify where those leases are held or to build new housing units? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The corporation fully complies with the GNWT's policy by utilizing in an open, fair, and transparent public request for proposal process when procuring its leased housing units. These public requests for proposal are open to potential landlords including development corporations and nonprofit organizations. And I just also want to include that since I've had the portfolio that we've strategized on how we are going to be looking at the housing delivery in the territories and I just want the Member to just express to her that I understand that, you know, there's a huge need looking at the leases in the territories but also looking at the limited availability that we have here in Yellowknife as well. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate that, but I mean if we have an open RFP process but there's only run landlord, it's pretty much guaranteed where it's going, so kind just a comment.
An issue we hear time and again as MLAs is the lack of land that is available for development in the North. So what is the department and the Minister doing to work with GNWT colleagues on getting that land transferred to the cities or the communities for development? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Just to comment on the question asked previously that the Housing Corporation is interested in if there are additional landlords that out there besides Northview for the Yellowknife area, that I'm interested in having those conversations and really a description of what it is that they can offer the corporation and the territory as a whole. And also specifically to talk about the question in regards to land, I would have to get back to the Member because there is such levels of transfers that need to happen prior to a transaction such as that happening. So I have to get back to the Member. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yeah, that's fine; I do recognize that it's a complex situation. As I spoke to earlier in this session, constituents want to see social programming available on site in their building such was the model at YWCA's Rockhill House. So is the department working to identify spaces within existing leases and buildings to be used for integrated service delivery and social programming? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I just want to highlight to the Member as well that I will be tabling the strategy for renewal for the Housing Corporation, and we've taken all of the comments that I've heard from the other side and lobbying for housing and to improve the housing programs throughout the Northwest Territories and that we are looking at the reviewing of programs and policies as well, too, and how I can work with my colleagues in delivering those programs to meet the needs of low income housing clients. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will also be tabling a document today which has some commitments about availability of social programming for youth so I hope that the Minister will take a look at that.
My last question is that in my riding I have two vacant lots where apartment buildings once stood Rockhill and Polaris. Both were lost to fire significantly reducing the available units within the city. Is there a plan to rebuild on the GNWTowned Rockhill lot or to purchase the lot of the former Polaris building for social housing? Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thanks.
Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you to the Member for the question because I have the similar question in Hay River South as well, too, in looking at replacing units throughout the territory but also looking at vacant land. We don't have that budget set aside. We honestly have to forecast for those replacements. With the significant level of affordable housing projects occurring under the federal government programs, such as the National CoInvestment Fund Program, the Housing Corporation's current public housing delivery, its focus on smaller communities for this government. The corporation is currently updating its analysis on core need investment, needs for new existing stock, and the intent to share this information with all Members as soon as it's available. The corporation has continued to closely monitor the status of its properties in the city and will certainly be looking at replacement aging assets when they reach the end of their service and their life. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
