Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is to the Minister of NWT Housing, or Housing NWT. As we mentioned on numerous occasions, the Northwest Territories is facing a housing crisis. In the Sahtu, there are 61 people on the waiting list, Mr. Speaker. My first question to the Minister is how many public housing units does Housing NWT have in the Sahtu region? Mahsi.
Sahtu. Minister for housing.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member from the Sahtu for the question. Currently, Housing NWT has 252 public housing units in the Sahtu:
4 in Colville Lake,
35 in Norman Wells,
50 in Fort Good Hope,
74 in Tulita,
89 in Deline.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that inventory. My next question is how many new housing NWT public housing units will be delivered this year to the Sahtu region? Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm happy to report that Housing NWT will deliver a large capital plan involving 20 new public housing units to the communities in the Sahtu region. Housing recently completed four of these new public housing units in Norman Wells. Fourplexes are now under construction in Deline, Tulita, and Fort Good Hope. And duplexes are under construction in Colville Lake and Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems to be more good news here. Hopefully it's not like Leap Year, and we get these numbers here next four years. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my third question to the Minister is what is Housing NWT doing to plan for the transportation difficulties like last year's low water on the Mackenzie River or poor road conditions, particularly in the low water season. We've had a number I think there's been a number of examples of possible low water this season. So can the Minister answer that there, please. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So contractors are delivering on capital projects for Housing NWT. They were affected by low water and barge delays and cancellations over the summer of 2023. Housing made alternative plans to deliver remaining construction materials during the current winter road season. It is recognized that planning will increasingly need to consider the unique logistical challenges immobilizing equipment, construction material, and modular units within the Sahtu with appropriate contingency plans in place for alternative methods of delivery. Housing NWT will continue to work with communities and Indigenous governments to find solutions to these issues caused by climate change, including low water levels and a shortened ice road season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from the Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that information. My last question for the last day of this month here, what work is Housing NWT doing with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated in the only government in Northwest Territories, the Deline Got'ine government, to increase housing in the Sahtu? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT is active in working with Indigenous government partners in the Sahtu region. Both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government are participants in the NWT Housing Forum, which is currently cochaired by Housing NWT and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Housing NWT has an intergovernmental agreement from housing with both the Sahtu Secretariat and the Deline Got'ine government on housing. These arrangements address matters, including how we work together, share information, and maximize our joint efforts on housing. Under the SSI memorandum of agreement, we can put together housing working groups with each Sahtu community. The working group with Fort Good Hope, through the K’asho Got’ine Housing Society, is particularly active and has resulted in collaboration on home repairs and in other areas.
Under a separate MOU with the Deline Got'ine government, Housing NWT has been able to work with the Deline Got'ine government to contribute to the renovation of housing units associated with the community health centre to share building plans and discuss opportunities around market housing and to make surplus property available to the Deline Got'ine government for housing purposes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
