Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, CMHC funding financial support for Housing NWT is not going to last forever. But when it comes to delivering on housing needs, this government is still stuck on status quo. CMHC funds for base operational maintenance for public housing is declining over year after year, going down to zero by 2038, but as usual this budget proposal just funnels more money into the Housing NWT and makes no attempts to plan for the future. This is the future where Indigenous governments have authority over their own housing needs, and this future is coming whether the territory government likes it or not.
2038 may sound far away but at the pace we are going in, we will reach that date without a plan. Without a plan to shift control of housing over to Indigenous governments means attempting to set up for failure and, in that event this transition only fails. The territory as a whole will suffer. Many are suffering already. However, public housing waitlists are too long, and the policies are not working.
The Indigenous governments in my riding of Tu NedheWiilideh know what works and what needs to be done and are waiting to get to work for their people, but instead they are forced to compete with Housing NWT for funds needed to repair homes and build new homes while CIRNAC funds for Indigenous governments goes straight into the GNWT pockets with little to no accountability. Federal, territorial, Indigenous governments need to start working together in housing for my communities and communities across the North, and the leadership needs to make that cooperation happen rests with the GNWT. In the long term, the government needs to outline how this transition will take shape and short term, and they need to deliver resources efficiently to housing in my communities and see an improvement as soon as possible.
If the government acts soon, I will know my community of Lutselk'e will lose out on ten housing units by the federal government this year because we're not able to secure funds for the territorial government to develop the lots they will be built on. With housing a top priority for this Assembly and this government, what a shame it will be to see those efforts go to waste. I look forward to questioning the Minister of the Housing NWT today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member from the Deh Cho.
