Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on Housing Northwest Territories' Renewal, including some longawaited changes we have made to programs and policies that are already improving housing supports for those most in need.
In June 2021, at the first meeting of the NWT Council of Leaders, I stood with my colleague, the Honourable Premier Cochrane, and committed to conducting a review of the former NWT Housing Corporation's policies and programs with a working group identified by the council.
In the short time since that commitment, I was mandated and I am pleased to report on some of the results of the important work, which has been guided by Housing NWT's renewal strategy.
First, we made fundamental changes to our mandate. These changes include:
A commitment to deliver clientfocused services and assist those most in need;
The recognition that housing plays an important role in the wellbeing of individuals and communities, and
Recognizing that strong partnerships are key to improving housing outcomes.
With a new mandate in place, Housing NWT has its marching orders to work with the Council of Leaders Housing Working Group and to look at policy and programming changes through the lens of the new mandate.
Some of the resulting changes include:
Eliminating the need for a copay for emergency repairs to ensure that emergencies are addressed in a timely manner;
Working collaboratively with stakeholders and Indigenous governments on the design and location of these units we build;
Addressing the higher costs of home repair by increasing the maximum funding amounts for projects funded under these three programs: The Emergency Repair Program, Fuel Tank Replacement Program, and the Seniors Aging in Place Program.
Changing our approach to Community Housing Plannings to recognize the key leadership role NWT Indigenous governments are playing in providing housing supports to their members;
Enhancing our support to local housing organizations associations is our primary partner in the delivery of public housing in communities, with better training and communication;
Improving tools for tenant education and communications regarding their tenancy agreements; and,
Lastly, working to plan, build and manage our assets in an energy efficient manner with the Energy Management Strategy and Blueprint, the details of which will be announced soon.
Housing NWT will also be moving forward with a new pilot program that is expected to offset some of the costs of shipping materials to remote communities and this is another program that will improve the availability of minor home repair materials where they are difficult to access.
Mr. Speaker, the changes guided by Housing NWT's renewal are not limited to programs and policy. They touch on all areas of Housing NWT's work. We have charted a new path for collaborative work with Indigenous governments, including agreements with the Tlicho government, Sahtu Secretariat, and with others to follow.
We are improving our communication with stakeholders and the public. We are seeking partnership with nongovernmental organizations and others like never before. We have seen successes in our engagement with the federal government addressing housing priorities.
I would like to thank the Council of Leaders, and their participants on the housing working group, for helping us improve and modernizing Housing NWT's mandate, programs and policies.
Your contributions have led to positive changes that are already helping us better serve our residents. Our renewal has marked a turning point for the GNWT in how we address the territorial housing crisis.
Mr. Speaker, by providing fair access to quality housing supports for people most in need, I am confident that we will increase the wellbeing of individuals and communities across the Northwest Territories as stated in our mandate. I am proud of the work we have done thus far, and I look forward to the work ahead.
I would also like to thank the staff of Housing NWT for working strategically with our communities as well and also with the feedback that we've received. They've really made a lot of changes within this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, before we continue, I'd just like to welcome our former Member and Minister, Mr. Lou Sebert. Mr. Sebert was a Minister and a Member in the 18th Legislative Assembly. I'd also like to welcome Mr. David Jones, our Integrity Commissioner. Welcome.
Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
