Debates of November 22, 2021 (day 81)

Date
November
22
2021
Session
19th Assembly, 2nd Session
Day
81
Members Present
Mr. Blake, Mr. Bonnetrouge, Ms. Cleveland, Ms. Chinna, Ms. Cochrane, Ms Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Martselos, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. Norn, Mr. O'Reilly, Ms. Semmler, Mr. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Ms. Thom, Mr. Thompson, Ms. Wawzonek, Ms. Wayallon-Armstrong
Topics
Statements

Oral Question 781-19(2): Progress on Housing Priorities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a commitment in this House as part of the 19th Assembly priorities to increase the number of affordable homes and reduce core housing needs, and then that -- and part of that mandate there would be a hundred houses built over the four years.

Mr. Speaker, as we are halfway through our term, how many of these hundred houses have been completed as it was stated that there would be 25 per year as part of the mandate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. I also had the chance to visit Inuvik a couple of weeks ago and in looking at the homelessness initiative in the community as well too so I was able to see firsthand on the housing -- the huge housing need in her riding. So I thank her for that, to that invitation.

Right now, the Housing Corporation has submitted a co-investment application. We did get the approval for a 60-unit delivery. We also received an additional funding in April of this year that was -- that was given to us from the federal government for an additional 30 units.

The agreement has only been signed in August of this year, and money has flowed in September. So right now, that we're looking at a 90-unit public housing delivery for the Northwest Territories. Four of them have been completed, and 51 have been awarded. 60 percent of that delivery is either completed, awarded, or in progress.

I will keep the Member updated for the delivery in her riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my question was how many were completed. So I think I got four out of the Minister. Can she confirm how many are actually in the process of being built right now in the Northwest Territories, of that hundred? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct, it's four that have been completed, and we have 51 right now that I had said that are either -- they're in the process right now either being awarded or completed. The thing that has slowed us down as the Housing Corporation is the delivery of material coming to the territory and also the transfer of the funding from and the agreement finally signed by the federal government. So we actually do have the federal funding that is -- that we do have as a corporation. We will be looking at the unit delivery.

The other information I want to provide to the Member is the completion of the 90-unit delivery should be year 2023-2024. All units should be built, and people should be living in them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we should have 90 completed by the end of this term going into the next term. So how many actual units will be built in my community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to add as well, too, to the 90-unit delivery, the Housing Corporation did submit a co-investment application for an additional 14 seniors units that will be built throughout the Northwest Territories. And out of that 90-unit delivery, 33 communities, the Member's riding will be getting two. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a final supplementary, you know, I go back through -- like I said, back through my Member's statements and throughout the two years I've been stating that we have over -- we've had over a hundred people on the waitlist and for my community to get two units, you know, it is hard to hear because as the Minister was there, we have many, many residents that are living in emergency shelters, in the homeless shelters, and couch surfing. So as a priority, we've talked about many different things in this House, a lot of social impact. So I think my question to the Minister is when is this department going to get serious and go to Ottawa and get some money, more money, and get more houses on the ground in our territory so we could start to deal with some of the issues that relate to not having homes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted, you know, to speak to the territory and also speak to the Member that this is the largest delivery that the Northwest Territory has had in a certain amount of years, to be receiving 90 additional public housing units throughout the territory. The advocation for the federal government does not stop there. It's still continuing.

The Housing Corporation has been working with the council of leaders. We have worked with Indigenous groups and have now created a housing working group where we are working collaboratively and supporting their initiatives with the federal government as well to afford them to receive additional federal funding that will be coming to the territory but directly funded to the Indigenous groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.