Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present to the Legislative Assembly the 1999-2000 Main Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Before I provide the Legislature with comments specific to the Housing Corporation's Main Estimates, I would like to make a few comments about my new portfolio. I am very pleased to be the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation because addressing housing needs is extremely important to the residents of the NWT.
Mr. Chairman, as you and all Members of this House are aware, two of the most basic needs for all human beings are food and shelter. It is the second basic need that the Housing Corporation works to provide. The corporation is requesting a total contribution from this government of $43.27 million: $21.64 million for capital programs, and $21.63 million for operations and maintenance. When we add in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation funding, the corporation will spend over $82 million on housing here in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Chairman, the 1996 housing needs survey showed that there was a dire need for adequate housing. Many of those in the greatest need are aboriginal families. The total withdrawal of federal funding for new social housing has put a severe strain on the corporation's ability to meet the housing needs of our residents. One of the most important challenges for the NWT, as well as for all of the provinces and territories, will be to work together to ensure that CMHC funding to operate and maintain units stays in the housing system. The long-term sustainability of our social housing stock depends upon it.
By increasing the number of homes and repairing and renovating existing homes, the corporation helps to address other important social problems which children and families face. We all know that for our children to become successful and happy adults, able to lead productive lives, they need a safe, stable and secure environment to grow up in. Providing good housing to our families goes a long way in providing our children with such an environment.
Now that we have made the transition to the new Northwest Territories, the NWT Housing Corporation will now be able to spend all its time developing and implementing housing solutions for the west. I believe, because of this western focus, housing programs can be better targeted. A good example of this has been the Minimum Down Payment Assistance Pilot Program. MDAPP was implemented as a way to stimulate the north's economy and has clearly been a very big boost to the western territory's housing markets.
Mr. Chairman, to further assist the economy of the Northwest Territories, the corporation is working hard to find new markets for northern manufactured products. In Alaska the corporation is providing the building materials, including northern manufactured products and other materials purchased from northern suppliers for at least five homes in Barrow, on the North Slope. The quality of northern products and the corporation's expertise in house design, packaging and shipping, coupled with the low Canadian dollar, gives us an advantage in the Alaskan market. The long-term aim is to sell housing packages to many of the communities in northern Alaska.
The corporation has participated in trade missions to the Russian far east and the People's Republic of China. Mr. Chairman, both the Russians and the Chinese are interested in purchasing housing packages for their remote communities. These housing packages will contain products manufactured here in the NWT or bought through northern suppliers, thus improving the profitability of northern businesses and keeping northerners working. Although the corporation is taking an aggressive approach to marketing northern building products, we also recognize the need to proceed cautiously.
Training Initiatives, providing enhanced training opportunities for employees of local housing organizations and northern students.
Mr. Chairman, the corporation's aggressive approach to human resource development will encompass a minimum of 18 initiatives to be carried out this year. One of these initiatives has been the completion of an employee satisfaction survey, the results of which are being used as a baseline from which to work to improve the corporation's work environment. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to mention one other initiative. The corporation is working cooperatively with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment on integrating the social housing and income support programs. The aim is to ensure both programs work together at the community level to help northern families in need of shelter and basic assistance. I am pleased that preliminary work on this study will be going to Cabinet shortly. I believe this initiative is an excellent example of how separate government agencies can work cooperatively to assist northerners. This concludes my opening remarks and I will be pleased to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.