Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of housing is very critical. It is one that we hear questions on in the House on a constant basis these days. Yellowknife is certainly no exception, neither are communities exceptions in terms of need for housing. It is a very critical issue and I did hear the issue being raised at our constituency meeting, where there are 65 families, apparently, as the Member has said.
We provide support, Mr. Speaker, to several agencies in town. One is the YWCA and the other is the Salvation Army, and some support to the Women's Centre for beds. We pay a per-night usage for beds for homeless and transitional housing. But we are not the major supplier of housing, Mr. Speaker. That is the responsibility, of course, of the Housing Corporation.
Some time ago, Mr. Speaker, in this Legislature, it was recommended that we address the issue of homelessness. I suppose we cannot necessarily classify people as being homeless as much as in need of housing, but if we take the point of view, Mr. Speaker, of addressing across the Territory, homelessness and the need for transitional housing for those people, then we can say how are we going to address that?
Mr. Allen was named as the Minister with the homeless portfolio after a recommendation from this House. Following that, ECE became part of a project by the Housing Corporation that also included Health and Social Services and Justice on an interdepartmental working group on homelessness. That particular group is looking at the whole issue of how to address homelessness but also the whole issue of housing, Mr. Speaker, with regard to people in transitional housing and so forth. Thank you.