Besides the public housing that we have, the things that we specialize specifically for seniors in their communities are, there are things that they can access like the emergency repair. We are really focusing on preventative maintenance with seniors. We’re actually trying to get out of the office, like one of the other Members have said and actually into their homes. So we’re making it more -- easier for them to access services. We have programs such as the SAFE Program that makes sure that things are, ramps et cetera are done, care major that they can come and get repairs up to $100,000, such as roofs, ramps, which are very expensive, et cetera.

The biggest thing that the Housing Corporation is doing though to reflect on the needs of their aging population, is that we’re looking that all new housing units will be accessible in that they will have wider hallways, they’ll have entry-level floor levels, we’ll have bathrooms on the bottom floors. So -- and more secure walls within bathrooms so that we can add the ramps if -- for people to help get out of showers et cetera. So we’re looking at it within a more of a holistic approach that all new housing will incorporate senior’s accessibility standards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like to thank the Minister for her answer. There has been information, Mr. Speaker, on small four-plexes being developed this year. Would these smaller units be made available for seniors in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, we're doing a pilot with the four-plexes within the communities at this point because we realize that, when we build four-plexes, actually, it's more energy efficient. We can have, for example, one furnace room that heats all four units. The other really key thing within that is that, in my own personal belief and probably research would back that, is that seniors are very sociable, and so we need to really respect that. We need to keep the brain capacity of seniors going. We can't isolate them in units that are individual, although we do have some units. The new four-plexes really allow for seniors to actually have that social network that they need and that does stimulate brain development. So, if these work out and it's cost effective, then we'll be looking at that design within most communities.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Has the government made a commitment to implement the five-year strategy and action plan to create safe communities for older adults? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to be tabling the five-year strategy that was developed by the NWT Seniors' Society and the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults later today. The department has been collaborating with the NWT Seniors Society and the network to support training for further frontline providers and screening assessment and support of older adults who undergo abuse.

We have made a commitment and now make a commitment again here today that we will continue to work with the Seniors Society and participate with the Network in prevention of abuse of older adults on the actions that fall within our mandate. This, once again, is about partnership and working together and being part of the solution. We're committed to doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Just for greater clarity, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm that those priorities listed in the five-year strategy are, in fact, the priorities of the government? Thank you.

The document I'm tabling today isn't a Government of the Northwest Territories document. It is actually a document of the Seniors Society, but we have participated with them, and we will certainly continue to work with them to support any initiatives to limit or reduce the amount of abuse of seniors. The individual actions are the actions identified within that report, which is not a government document. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that answer. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the Minister is planning a formal response to the document that he is tabling today. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're not planning a formal response to the document, but we do have a solid working relationship with the Seniors Society. We'll continue working with the Seniors Society. Where appropriate and where it falls within our mandate, we're absolutely willing to move forward on different initiatives identified within the framework that we're tabling today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. One of the recommendations in this strategy that I want to highlight is to engage the government service officers, who are GNWT employees of course, in the communities as active champions in preventing the abuse of older adults. Is that an action that the Minister can commit to? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, those positions work for or are, rather, employed by the Department of the Executive, but the Department of the Executive has been engaged with the network, and the government services officers are their employees. The Health and Social Services Authority's frontline staff works with the community level with our government services officers and understand and appreciate their role in assisting elders in accessing programs and services. So, as part of implementing the screening tools, the Department of Health and Social Services will work with the Executive as well as the territorial health authority to lay out a plan for engaging government services officers in training sessions so that they are prepared to identify different programs and services for elders in their communities and to work as champions for residents, including seniors and elders throughout the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Within the "core need" definition, there are three aspects that are looked at, and so that is adequacy, as you stated, suitability, and the third piece is affordability. So some people will live in an adequate house that is suitable but still can't afford to maintain that unit. That is the definition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to ask the Minister if she believes that income support program can be used to eliminate core need.

I don't think it's a really easy answer to say that one program can actually eliminate core need, especially when you look at the core need does talk about adequacy and suitability as well as affordability. So income support does address some of the affordability issues, perhaps not all of them, especially in the market communities where our rents are so high. But adequacy and suitability are not areas that, in my opinion, income support would be addressing.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if the affordability issue stands alone in core need. According to the definition that's in the Housing Corporation and even according to the definition of that with CMHC, they consider any one of the three to be core need.

So my question was: if you provide income, are you eliminating core need? So that's my question again. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister believe that having an affordability only, without having a suitability or an adequacy issue, puts the person in core need?

I'm going to try to address the question, because I'm a bit confused on what the Member is asking. So, yes, affordability can still maintain someone in core need because, again, we don't have control over our market rents. So, even if someone has a great-paying job, there can still be affordability issues in the market housing that is available. Now, if somebody chooses to live in a house that is above their means, that's a personal choice. But, as when it comes to normal market rents, there still will be affordability issues with people that work in the lower-income positions.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.