This is page numbers 3323 – 3346 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was public.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our homelessness coordinator actually started in August of this year, and she has had the opportunity to meet with some folks here in

Yellowknife and in Nahendeh, I believe, and it’s her intent to try and go across the Northwest Territories to meet with all the stakeholders and get their input on some of the programs they’re running and some of the improvements that could be made. As far as an overall report, this will be part of the process. I will commit to try to see where we’re at with that and get some information to the Members as quickly as possible.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

I’m a little surprised that it was August when we hired the coordinator. Some months ago it was going to be January. I’m very glad that we have somebody hired and we have somebody in the position. I’m very glad that homelessness is going to be under one person’s authority and purview.

I’d like to know from the Minister if there are any plans, in terms of homelessness, for the 2014-15 budget that he can share with us at this time. Are we going to have an increase in the amount of money that’s available for homelessness programs?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As far as the infrastructure goes, I think we’ve made it well known that we’ve made some contributions to some organizations to help with the infrastructure, and we do that throughout the Northwest Territories. I think one of the things we do quite well is make some contributions to some of the infrastructure that they’d be running.

As far as the programs go, that’s under a different department. But 2014-15, we will be having discussions on the business planning process, I think, come December, and there will be an opportunity there for Members to have some input into that. I believe for the last few years it’s been about $350,000 in the two different pots that we administer, so we will be able to have that discussion during the business planning process in December.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

It’s unfortunate we don’t know at this point that we’re going to get more money for homelessness; $300,000 is a pittance, and it really doesn’t address the needs that we have across the territory. But I thank the Minister for the opportunity to provide some input in December. I look forward to that.

A response that I got to some questions I sent to the Minister some time ago mentioned that the Housing Corp is working with Health and Social Services to keep seniors in their homes and he referenced a project that they were working on. I wondered if he could tell me whether or not that project has been determined, if he could share some of the details of that project with the House.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I’m not sure if the Member is talking about the pilot projects that we’re trying from each community or for four communities

as far as helping with homelessness goes. I know on the seniors side of it we have about 300 units that are in our public housing portfolio that are specifically earmarked for seniors and we try to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. As well, are the programs that we have for seniors that do own their own homes? We have a Preventative Maintenance Program that we’re able to assist them in working with Health and Social Services on the home care part of it. They do a good job in keeping a lot of the seniors in their units. There are a number of initiatives that we’re working on right now.

As far as details on the pilot project that we’re working on, homelessness in some of the communities, we’ll have further details. We’re still early in the planning stages right now and locations haven’t been determined yet, but as soon as we have more information I will be sure to pass it on to the Members and seek their input as to how they would like to see this rolled out.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I look forward to that information and those details. Lastly, the Falvo Report in 2011 referenced the need for standards within the homelessness facilities, particularly within the city of Yellowknife here, and I’m talking about the Centre for Northern Families and the Salvation Army. I’d like to know from the Minister if the idea of establishing standards for homelessness centres is something that is on the radar of his department.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

We would like to think all the homeless shelters, emergency shelters, transition homes would be of the highest standards. As far as standards go, I will follow up and see where we are with that, but I would expect that all of our units, and I know the ones that I’ve been to, have very high standards. I’ll follow up on the Member’s request and I’ll communicate that to the Member and Members.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I talked about the NWT housing survey, and I want to ask the Minister will there be another survey coming out, since 2009 was the last one?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have started work on the new housing needs survey and we’re anticipating early 2014 to start the survey.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I certainly look forward to the next survey. That leads me to my second question. With the 2014 survey, hopefully that will give us some measurements to let us know how we’re doing in regard to bringing down some of these numbers from 2009.

I want to ask the Minister, in his tenure as the Minister, has he been, I guess, getting a sneak peak of the housing issues in the Northwest Territories. Has he seen numbers coming down from the 2009 survey?

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

As far as the numbers coming down, I think we’re going to find out in 2014 that with the investments we’ve made since the last housing needs survey, I think we are going to see the numbers come down. I know in the Member’s riding alone, in the Sahtu, since 2009 when the report was done, we’ve spent approximately $14.7 million in trying to improve that, and we’re looking at a further $13 million investment within the next three years, so I think that will go a long way in addressing some of the concerns that were raised in the last housing needs survey. I think once we do the survey in 2014, I think it’s going to be reflective of the investment that we’ve made in the Northwest Territories.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

I’m glad the Minister was able to indicate the amount of dollars that went into infrastructure for the Sahtu people. Even though those numbers are high, we still have a case in Colville Lake where there is a TB case. Why is that? What causes TB? You know, there are a number of factors in the case of TB or the homeless in Fort Good Hope or the couch surfing in Tulita. You know, there are issues in the Sahtu where these situations are still being dealt with today.

I want to ask the Minister, these types of situations in the Sahtu that we have, hopefully, with the new type of infrastructure, how can the Minister reassure me and the people in the Sahtu that these issues will be looked at where we won’t have to deal with them on a day-to-day basis.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

There are many different reasons why we have these situations in some of the communities with the couch surfing and the other issues that they do have. I think one of the things that I’ve seen during my time as the Minister is a lot of people were being evicted because of arrears and that, but I have to admit that across the Northwest Territories the numbers of people that are honouring their commitments has gone up by quite a bit and we’re very encouraged by that, and we look forward to the next few years where we see less and less evictions because people are honouring their commitments.

As far as the other issues go, I mean, there are many other reasons why we have these particular issues in the small communities, and I don’t think it’s my place to touch on the TB question. But I

think we’re seeing across the Northwest Territories a lot of the public housing tenants are actually starting to step up to the plate and honouring their commitments, and as we go forward, I think it’s going to be reflective with less and less evictions in many of the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just on the point of the TB case I made reference to is because I looked at the factors. One of the factors is the condition or suitability of the house and the high number in Colville Lake, where the percentage is 97 percent with housing problems. That could be a leading factor to the TB case that we had in Colville Lake.

Are there any types of initiatives where the people could challenge the people in the Sahtu, in the Northwest Territories, to look at how we can put more houses in the communities such as something that is a very well program run? They have a program we can get behind and the corporation can say we can do this, if you allow us to put some of our sweat equity and ideas into building housing in our small communities.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, I think, when the 2014 needs survey is being worked on, we are going to have to be more specific in some of the questions we ask. If you ask anybody anywhere, is there something wrong with your house, I’m sure all 19 of us in here could find something wrong with our house. So that affects the adequacy issue and I think sometimes the numbers aren’t truly reflective of the condition of the units.

As far as the overcrowding goes, we have a public housing replacement program where we’re trying to get as many housing units into the communities as possible where the need is the greatest. I think we’re going to see that our investment in the next few years is going to try and address that very issue.

Again, it’s been a work in progress. There has been a lot of good work done on this not only by the NWT Housing Corporation, but by the clients and tenants across the Northwest Territories. We have different homeownership programs that we’re hoping to see some uptake on those.

So work is being done. There has been a lot of progress. I think, once we do the needs survey in 2014, we’re going to see a decrease in the need across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services about the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. It has been pretty much out of commission since the springtime when members weren’t reappointed.

I would like to ask the Minister, what are the plans for restoring the board of governors at the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s no question that there is an important role for regional boards to play in ensuring that local culture and language are reflected in program delivery and that also the concerns of the communities are heard. We do need to find a solution to this problem.

The boards were originally put in place when the responsibility for Health and Social Services devolved down to the GNWT. At that time, we heard clearly the communities and the people want to be heard. As we know, as I have heard from both Member Menicoche and Blake, it’s not working exactly right and there are certainly some challenges. We need to make some changes to the system if we are going to provide best care to our residents. That’s the bottom line, it’s about the individual patient and/or client.

We need to find a way forward. I have an opportunity to talk to the public administrator for the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. I understand that the public administrator is going to be doing a tour through the communities to get some feedback from all residents of the community and all residents of the region on how to move forward. I am looking forward to working with the Member and with the public administrator to find a way to help us meet that objective. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I did my fall tour and I spoke with the leadership and the people in my riding. There is only one thing worse than knowing, it’s not knowing. The people don’t know when they are going to get the board back, what the plans are for it. I think it’s important that the administrator does get out to the communities. It is also more important that the department also communicate their plans through public consultations.

The other important thing is that many rumours abound because of not knowing.

I would like to know from the Minister of Health and Social Services about the hiring of the CEO position

in Fort Simpson, that it’s going to be done under the Deh Cho Health and Social Services Authority. Thank you.